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me/Read_me 10/11/90

Flexible bindings and emacs programming.

The new emacs has two tables for keybindings an old table which
is loaded at compile time and is never changed, and a new table
which can be modified by the new keybinding commands.

The following new commands are implemented.

ctl-x m	Renames the curent macro ctl-x E to a new binding. The
	current macro must be defned. This function asks for a
	new binding (such as ESC z or ctl-f) the current macro
	is renamed to the new binding. Example:
	ctl-x ( ESC s xyz ctl-u ctl-d ctl-x ) /* define macro */
	ctl-x m esc l			      /* rename it esc l */

ctl-x r	Requests an old binding and a new binding. The new
	binding takes on the meaning of the old binding. If the
	two bindings are the same the new binding is deleted.
	Examples:
	ctl-x r esc l esc l	/* undefine previous example */
	ctl-x r ctl-x c ctl-z	/* exchange meanings of */
	ctl-x r ctl-z ctl-x c	/* ctl-z and ctl-x c */

	Note from the second example the old binding table is
	never changed so the exchange works.

	If you connect to Coherent via some utility such as kermit
	you may find that emacs doesn't understand your arrow keys.
	Flexible binding can often fix that.

	ctl-x r ctl-p (up arrow)
	ctl-x r ctl-n (down arrow)	/* this may kill esc b */
	ctl-x r ctl-b (left arrow)	/* this may kill esc c */
	ctl-x r ctl-f (right arrow)	/* this may kill esc d */

ctl-x s	Requests a file name and saves all flexible bindings to
	that file. If the current macro is completely defined it
	is also saved. A special macro called the initialization
	macro is also saved.

ctl-x l	Requests a file name and reloads all flexible bindings
	from it. The initialization macro is loaded but not
	executed.

ctl-x x	Rebinds prefix key ctl-x, provides two new prefix keys
	and rebinds ctl-u. Asks for each prefix key or space.
	Space leaves existing binding. Then it asks for a new
	binding for ctl-u.

-f filename
	This is an argv parameter. The filename is loaded and
	after all other listed files are loaded the
	initialization macro is executed.

ctl-x i Rebinds the current macro to the initialization macro.

	Note if you have some edit sequence to execute on a number
	of files create it, executeing some meaningless binding such as
	esc Z at the end. Rebind esc Z to ctl-z. Rebind the current
	macro to the initialization macro. Save the flexabile bindings
	to some file. Now use the Coherent do loop to run the
	initilaization macro on all the files you wish changed.

ctl-u -1 some macro
	The repeat count of -1 for executing a macro means
	execute the macro until it fails then return success.


Emacs programming example. Bulid a macro that finds instances
of xyz and deletes the next four characters. Use that macro
on a list of files.

ctl-x ( esc s xyz [ret] ctl-u ctl-d ctl-x )	/* define the macro */
ctl-x m esc a				/* name it esc a */
ctl-x ( ctl-u -1 [ret] esc a esc z ctl-x )	/* macro with
					   meaningless esc z */
ctl-x i					/* make it init mac */
ctl-x r ctl-z esc z			/* esc z = ctl-z */
ctl-x s	myfile.rc			/* save bindings */
ctl-z					/* exit */

me -f myfile.rc datafile.x

Notes:
	ctl-x m and ctl-x r both check that the new name is
	not ctl-x r. Changing the binding of ctl-x r would
	alow the user to paint himself into a corner.

	Earlier documents gave the argv of -b. There is an
	emacs -b for backup version. I therefore used -f to
	designate flex binding files.

	if -f is not specified emacs checks for a flexable
	bindings file. On Coherent this is presumed to be
	at $HOME/.emacs.rc On atari and Ms-Dos $LIBPATH\emacs.rc

	For a complete list of all the keybindings in emacs.
	Look at bind.doc which is produced by ext.c during
	the make process.

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