Paul Evans wrote:
> I would like this. For all systems. Everywhere.
>
> This is a large undertaking. This isn't a "send me a patch" request.
>
> I am talking about ripping out the byte-queue input system and replacing
> it with a structured keypress queue. The lot. Everything. Remove the
> "stuck in the 1970s all the world is a DEC-style glass virtual terminal"
> input queue, and replace it with one that has structures; remembers
> modifiers, etc.. With a structure we can properly represent "Ctrl-I" as
> being the letter I with a control key, totally separate from the Tab.
>
> Having done this, we can feed in the input events from a terminal in
> EXACTLY the same way it currently works. We can take events out to match
> them up to map/etc.. much neater. We can feed events in from GTK or
> similar GUIs, without having to go near legacy 1970s terminal
> technology, meaning that GTK (et.al) users can map Tab, Ctrl-I and
> Ctrl-Shift-I, all independently of each other.
You can just keep the existing queue and make this work. It actually
already works for most keys, using a modifier sequence. Using
structures only makes it bigger.
Main problem is that this won't be backwards compatible, currently
CTRL-I is the same as Tab. I don't know how to make this work without
breaking backwards compatibilty.
> Having done this, I can then quite easily send you a patch to use
> libtermkey if that is wanted, because then it will be able to recognise
> Tab, Ctrl-I and Ctrl-Shift-I even over terminal from a
> properly-configured xterm. But that is PURELY an extension mechanism. My
> primary request is to fix the underlying queue mechanism.
>
> This is an issue that has been dragging on for years now - 7 or 8 years
> by my count. 7 or 8 years I have been sitting in #vim on Freenode; in
> all that time almost every week we'll get someone or other asking how
> they can map some key or other, that we have to keep explaining "No,
> sorry, you can't. Not even in GTK.".
Actually, in the GUI many key combinations do work. Not all though.
> I am happy to sit and discuss it with you for potentially hours if
> necessary. What I cannot do is "send a patch" - it's not a small simple
> few-lines fix like that.
>
> I think it is about time we ended this unfortunate situation, and
> properly fixed the real underlying mechanism.
>
> Yours, with my real name,
>
> --
> Paul "LeoNerd" Evans
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