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In article <SHEPARD.91Apr10171132@finch.pa.dec.com> shepard@finch.pa.dec.com (Mark Shepard) writes:
> 0. How is Unicode different from X's KEYSYM standard (aside from being
>    more extensive)?  What are the fundamental technical differences?

KEYSYMS is an input standard. Unicode is an output standard.

> 1a. If Unicode includes codes for "BackSpace", shouldn't it include codes
>    for more exotic functions such as "Alt_L" or "Meta"?

No, because they have a different context. More appropriate would be to ask
why there are no codes for "underscore", "boldface", and so on. Of course,
these are covered (in the U.S.) by ANSI X3.64.

> 1b. Is the area of "keyboard symbols" too broad to make a reasonable 
>    standard?

Probably not, but how broad would you want it? You want depress and release
information, with time-stamps, etc...?

>    Can we write sophisticated Unicode-based applications w/o a standard
>    encoding for "FunctionKey1" or "Insert"?

How about "page down" or "left-amiga" or "open-apple"? How about "compose",
"select", "extend-char"? How about "graph-cursor" or "alpha display"? These
are all "standard" keys on one or more lines of keyboards.
-- 
Peter da Silva.  `-_-'  peter@ferranti.com
+1 713 274 5180.  'U`  "Have you hugged your wolf today?"