GNU bug report logs - #1111
describe-key's key notation display inconsistency

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Message #40 received at 1111 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se>
To: xah lee <xah <at> xahlee.org>
Cc: 1111 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#1111: describe-key's key notation display inconsistency
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2021 15:00:31 -0700

tags 1111 fixed
close 1111 28.1
thanks

xah lee <xah <at> xahlee.org> writes:

> When doing a describe-key on C-<backspace>, emacs prints <C-backspace>
> instead. Similar for any other special key whose macro notation are bracketed by
> angle brackets. e.g. <down>, <F6>, <return>, <kp-1>, etc. Where, emacs puts the
> entire thing inside angle brackets instead of the more traditional of modifier
> followed by dash followed by key name.
>
> Although these are identical as far as kbd function is concerned, but wouldn't
> it be more intuitively consistent by using C-<key> instead of <C-key>?

This is now the case in Emacs 28, from NEWS:

    ** Modifiers now go outside angle brackets in pretty-printed key bindings.
    For example, 'RET' with Control and Meta modifiers is now shown as
    'C-M-<return>' instead of '<C-M-return>'.  Either variant can be used
    as input; functions such as 'kbd' and 'read-kbd-macro' accept both
    styles as equivalent (they have done so for a long time).

I'm therefore closing this bug report.

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