Re: fonts and kbds

[Carl Distefano CLDistefano@xxxxxxxx]

Reply to note from Robert Holmgren  et al.,
Fri, 10 Apr 1998 11:55:12 EST

-> I consider my keyboard file as a "work in progress" always. I
-> freely confess that I _still_ use F1 to begin and end defines.
-> --Leslie Bialler

-> Anyone who doesn't isn't a real mensch.
-> --Harry Binswanger

-> So do I. What's more, if it isn't on the upper-left touch-
-> type, there's no point -- might as well write it out longhand.
-> Old habits die hard.
-> --Robert Holmgren

F1 is a perfectly respectable DeFine key -- classic and time-honored.
(The convention of hitting F1 to get help is so ... jejune. Anyone who
needs help isn't a real mensch.) I confess, however, that many years
ago I abandoned F1 in favor of a NumPad configuration that enables one-
handed editing. Inspired by the original Nota Bene default kbd, it
puts DeFine, CoPy, MoVe, Cancel DeFine, Delete DeFine, Undelete,
Execute and "Helpkey" command- and program-launch functions (some
accessible via a shifted "Hotkey", also on the NumPad), among others,
all neatly under the right hand:

      ÉÍÍËÍÍËÍÍËÍÍÍ»
      ºTNºXCºHKºRD º
      ÌÍÍÎÍÍÎÍÍÎÍÍ͹
      ºHMºLUºPUºCP/º
      ÌÍÍÎÍÍÎÍ͹UD;º
      ºCLº!!ºCRºMV º
      ÌÍÍÎÍÍÎÍÍÎÍÍ͹
      ºBSºLDºPDºDF/º
      ÌÍÍÊÍÍÎÍ͹Dirº
      º SI ºRCºCA º
      ÈÍÍÍÍÍÊÍÍÊÍÍͼ
      HK=
      !!=

In this setup, you DeFine by hitting Enter with the cursor in text.
(When the cursor is on the CMline, Enter gives a directory listing;
when it's on a filename in the directory, hitting Enter CAlls the file.
Thus, hitting Enter 3 times in a row, for example, might show a
directory, open the first file, and start a DeFine at top of the file.)

I've become so addicted to this setup that it's physically
uncomfortable to use anything else; I become all thumbs and freeze up.
Writing it out longhand isn't an option for me -- I forgot how to do
that long ago. Fact is, it's hard for me think straight without a Xy
keyboard -- MY Xy keyboard -- under my fingers. (Whether I can think
straight under any circumstances is open to debate.)


--------------
Carl Distefano
CLDistefano@xxxxxxxx
http://users.datarealm.com/xywwweb/