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Conference bulova::decw_jan-89_to_nov-90

Title:	DECWINDOWS 26-JAN-89 to 29-NOV-90
Notice:	See 1639.0 for VMS V5.3 kit; 2043.0 for 5.4 IFT kit
Moderator:	STAR::VATNE

Created:	Mon Oct 30 1989
Last Modified:	Mon Dec 31 1990
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	3726
Total number of notes:	19516

1215.0. "GNU emacs handling of compose key is strange" by DECSIM::HOOKWAY () Tue Aug 01 1989 20:27

I am running GNU emacs version 18.54 on a PMAX.  This version of emacs uses
the compose key as a "Meta" key.  Holding down the compose key and pressing
some other key produces the "Meta" version of the key.  This is done using
the code fragment given below:

      if (nbytes) {
        if (event.xkey.state & Mod1Mask)
          *mapping_buf |= METABIT;
        if (numchars-nbytes > 0) {
          bcopy (mapping_buf, bufp, nbytes);
          bufp += nbytes;
          count += nbytes;
          numchars -= nbytes;
        }
      }

Sometimes this appears to work.  Other times it appears that the compose key
is really working like a compose key.  (The Compose LED comes on and emacs
acts like it's getting some character it never heard of after two additional
keystrokes.

What's going on here?  How can I even find out that the compose key is really
Mod1?  (The emacs code never plays around with XModifierKeymaps.)  Why does
the Compose LED come on?  (The emacs code never plays with XKeyboardControl
either.  I assume that this is the way Xlib controls the LEDs?)

Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks.

Ray Hookway

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
1215.1	A related problem, but no answer	FLUME::dike		`Wed Aug 02 1989 08:58`	7
	I and others have seen a possibly related problem where GNUemacs apparently randomly throws itself into compose mode. The usual effects are you type a couple characters and then emacs beeps at you because those two characters didn't make sense as a compose sequence. Nobody I know has any idea what is causing this. Jeff
1215.2	Wrong compose definition ?	VOGON::GOURLAY	Alastair Gourlay, IED/Reading, DTN 830-3689	`Thu Aug 03 1989 08:08`	23
	This behaviour could result from the Compose key being defined as the keysym XK_Multi_key, instead of the correct definition XK_Alt_L... The output of xmodmap on my PMAX shows: xmodmap: up to 1 keys per modifier, (keycodes in parentheses): shift Shift_L (0xae) lock Caps_Lock (0xb0) control Control_L (0xaf) mod1 Alt_L (0xb1) mod2 mod3 mod4 mod5 Help (0x7c) The Alt key always works for me (tho' I haven't tried it with GNU emacs), and compose sequences are only activated by Alt-Space. A.
1215.3	xmodmap use?	RTL::MULLEN	Dan Mullen, Run-Time Libraries.	`Wed Aug 09 1989 13:58`	13
	Hmmm. This may explain why I've had trouble with the Alt key. >mod1 Alt_L (0xb1) On my PMAX it's mod1 Multi_key (0xb1) I can't find any documentation on xmodmap. Can it be used to change Multi to Alt? ..Dan
1215.4		FLUME::dike		`Wed Aug 09 1989 16:14`	3
	xmodmap -e 'keycode 0xb1 = Alt_L' Jeff
1215.5	Bingo	RTL::MULLEN	Dan Mullen, Run-Time Libraries.	`Thu Aug 10 1989 09:50`	5
	Excelent. Thanks a lot. The only problem now is that Alt <space> doesn't give me the compose function. I can live with that. ..Dan
1215.6	just checking...	VOGON::GOURLAY	Alastair Gourlay, IED/Reading, DTN 830-3689	`Fri Aug 11 1989 07:13`	8
	Alt-Space should start Compose ok if the key is set to XK_Alt_L and Mod1... Are you holding Alt down while pressing the Space bar ? - it should be used like a regular modifier/key combination. A.