GNU bug report logs - #38296
Allow Option key to be modifier for non-char key and mouse events

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Message #37 received at 38296 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Mattias Engdegård <mattiase <at> acm.org>
To: Richard Stallman <rms <at> gnu.org>
Cc: alan <at> idiocy.org, 38296 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#38296: Allow Option key to be modifier for non-char key and
 mouse events
Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2019 11:45:46 +0100

27 nov. 2019 kl. 07.40 skrev Richard Stallman <rms <at> gnu.org>:

> I'd like to understand what that feature does, but I can't tell from
> that text.  Does it come with any documentation?  If so, coulod you
> please show it?

This text is part of the documentation of the mac-KEY-modifier variables in the Mac port:

---
The property list form can include the `:button' property for button
number mapping, which becomes active when the value of
`mac-emulate-three-button-mouse' is nil.  The `:button' property can
be either a positive integer specifying the destination of the primary
button only, or a list (VALUE-FOR-PRIMARY-BUTTON VALUE-FOR-MOUSE-2
VALUE-FOR-MOUSE-3 ...) of positive integers specifying the
destinations of multiple buttons in order.  Note that the secondary
button and the button 3 (usually the wheel button) correspond to
mouse-3 and mouse-2 respectively if the value of
`mac-wheel-button-is-mouse-2' is non-nil (default), and mouse-2 and
mouse-3 respectively otherwise.  If a button is mapped to the same
number as its source, then it behaves as if the button were not mapped
so the `:mouse' property becomes in effect instead.
---

> Also, are you proposing we implement this for ALL platforms (that
> would be clean and simple, in principle)?  Or just SOME platforms?

The variables generalised by the patch are specific to the NS port. Whether something like this would be useful for other platforms isn't anything I have contemplated, but it is not inconceivable --- it would make keys like AltGr free to use as modifiers for mouse gestures and non-character keys. (Like the Option key on Macs, the AltGr key is used for entering even plain ASCII characters such as $@[]{}|\ on many keyboards, making those keys essential for almost any task.)

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