🚀 go-pugleaf

(this was already posted to gnu.emacs.bug, which removed the cross-posting.)

this is a solicitation of user feedback on solutions to a problem some feel
is pressing.  if you try any of this out and want to share you experiences,
please mail the to <emacs@naggum.no>.  if you want to discuss the options I
have listed, please use gnu.misc.discuss.

problem:

    Emacs' universal help key (C-h) conflicts with user settings and
    terminals where C-h means deleting the previous input character.

requirements for a solution:

(1) MUST NOT CHANGE ANYTHING FOR USERS WHO ARE USING C-h FOR HELP.

(2) both help and delete-backward-char must be easily available on
    terminals that have the backspace problem to begin with.

suggestions:

(1) make C-x ?, M-?, and/or M-h be the canonical help-command binding(s).
    this is what you type to get help like apropos-command, info,
    describe-mode, etc.

    in a standard Emacs, you can obtain these settings by appending the
    following lines to your .emacs.

    (define-key ctl-x-map "?" 'help-command)
    (define-key esc-map "?" 'help-command)
    (define-key esc-map "h" 'help-command) ;was `mark-paragraph'

    if you think one or more of the key bindings don't work, are cumbersome
    to use, or screw up something, please let me know.  if you favor one
    strongly over the others, please tell me.  if you think one or more of
    these should _not_ be help keys, also let me know.

(2) make ? be the _normal_ help-char.  this is what you type to get help
    inside various modes, and also what you type to get a list of
    keybindings after a prefix.  e.g., C-x r ? gives a list of rectangle
    commands.

    append the following line to your .emacs file.

    (setq help-char ??)

    if this causes any trouble with existing bindings, please let me know.

(3) terminal-dependent settings.  these will be automated in the future,
    but please test them both under all possible conditions.

(3A) for terminals on which C-h IS available, retain the binding, and add
     it to the other help events.

     (setq help-event-list (cons ?\C-h help-event-list))

     if this causes help on C-h to be unavailable where it was available
     before, please let me know.

(3B) for terminals on which C-h IS NOT available, append the following
     lines to your .emacs file to make C-h behave exactly as DEL:

     (define-key global-map "\C-h" nil)
     (or key-translation-map (setq key-translation-map (make-sparse-keymap))
     (define-key key-translation-map "\C-h" [127])

     this asks Emacs to treat C-h in terminal mode like DEL, just as it
     treats the backspace and delete keys under X, namely as low-level
     aliases for the delete character.  key-translation-map is used only
     for individual keys, not when used with modifiers.  e.g., ESC C-h is
     interpreted as ESC DEL, but M-C-h is still M-C-h.  this is likely to
     cause some confusion.  if you have any trouble with this, please let
     me know which bindings are affected -- it is not obvious which is the
     right solution: to add them to the key-translation-map, or to let them
     be distinguished because people type M-C-h, not M-<backspace>.

PLEASE -- I know what you _don't_ like, so there is no need to repeat it.
I'm trying to find out what you _do_ like, so perhaps I can make it so, and
help avoid more complaints in the future.  also, please note the first
requirement for a solution above: this WILL NOT AFFECT C-h as the help key
on terminals or keyboards that do not have any problems with it now, so
there is no need to object to any adverse changes because there won't be
any.

#\Erik