On Mon, 2008-04-28 at 12:06 -0400, Ric Moore wrote: > On Sat, 2008-04-26 at 22:11 -0500, Les Mikesell wrote: > > > Programmers haven't seen the need for control-key commands since > > keyboards started including an alt key and a bunch of function keys and > > everything has a mouse. > > I think his point was that all require that "\you remove your hands from > the home row due to the means by which they are called." > > I used Wordstar for quite awhile during my cp/m days, and still miss > it. > But how about control-c and control-v, and if the need is not present, why are there speed key equivalents for the mouse commands in every Microsoft application? When the ALT key was started, what was it for? AS I recall, it was to access an alternate font, for symbols and so forth, but then it got used for other purposes. Then we acquired yet another key, the Windows key, similar to the apple keyboard. Now we have 47 main keys, along with control, alt and windows, and some software even distinguishes between left and right of each alt, control and windows, along with left and right shift, so you now have the equivalent of 47*3*4= 564 (unshifted, shift right, shift left, along with no, alt, windows, and control) key combinations in the lexicon, should you choose to implement all the calls. And if you add the function, number pad, locks, and system control keys there are even more possible combinations available. Should you choose to get even more exotic, you can add mouse gestures to these shift and operations keys along with 5 button mouse, and chords to achieve a littany that is beyond geekdom. Yet for editing purposes, Wordstar offered the essential functionality without all these buttons, mousing around, and arbitrary sequencing with relatively simple command sequences, including a full menu callable from the home row as well. If you mastered Wordstar, all other editors were clunky, awkward and slow. Regards, Les H -- fedora-list mailing list fedora-list@xxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe: https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-list
