Re: redefining keys under MCL

[STEVE.M@AppleLink.Apple.COM (Carbon-based, S Mitchell,APD)]

To:     Laurent Arditi     <Laurent.Arditi@taloa.unice.fr>
cc:     info-mcl
From:   Steve Mitchell
Date:   4/11/92
 
Subject: redefining keys under MCL 2.01b
 
        I'm programming the Macintosh toolbox using Common Lisp and CLOS.
        I need special characters so I redefined a font and included it in
        my system. But the characters I redefined are reached by typing
        function-a, function-b...
        function is "_ __"
                      \__
        (because these keys weren't assigned to any character.)
        It works fine with most applications but not in MCL.
        The mac beeps when I type function-a under MCL but it prints my
        character in any other application... Is there any function to tell
        MCL to accept my new chars ?
 
        [And the question was posed again with a variation:]
        But the characters I redefined are reached by typing
        Command-a, Command-b...
 
I think you'e talking about the OPTION key. MCL uses this as the EMACS
META key, and requires you to hold it down while you type the character
it modifies. So it's normally used in MCL to invoke editor meta- commands.
 
To use it to type characters in the "optional" character set as you
wish to do, you have to "quote" the option-character. You do this
by typing control-Q before EACH option-key character (Reference p39).
 
This is not enough for certain keys such as option-e, which are known
as dead keys. When a dead key is typed, nothing appears, but an accent
will be added to the next key typed. See Reference p31 for info on how
to disable dead keys in MCL 2.0b1. MCL 2.0 final will have more options.
 
_Steve