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> it has a one-of-a kind shortcut/user interface The system-wide OS keyboard shortcuts for basic text editing in macOS are the same as emacs. I discovered this

by jb1991 4y ago

> it has a one-of-a kind shortcut/user interface The system-wide OS keyboard shortcuts for basic text editing in macOS are the same as emacs. I discovered this accidentally and people wonder why I can navigate basic stuff on the mac so well and my answer is "I used emacs for many years."

wolpoli 4y ago
Thanks! I was not aware of that.
- mvdwoord 4y ago
  GNU readline is also all over the place and has emacs like keybindings. https://tiswww.case.edu/php/chet/readline/rltop.html https://tiswww.case.edu/php/chet/readline/rltop.html
leobg 4y ago
Which shortcuts? You have a link to a list? I only know Cmd-left/right to skip words. But anything more fancy?
- jb1991 4y ago
  if you are using left/right arrow keys, that is not emacs. Control with F, B, A, E, K, etc are the ones I'm talking about.
  - leobg 4y ago
    Ok. Interesting. Where on macOS can I use these for navigating inside text? If I’m inside Textmate, for instance, typing F just… well, types an F. And it would seem to me that that’s the case anywhere on macOS where there is a cursor, no?
    - jb1991 4y ago
      anywhere you type text -- right now, while I'm typing this, or in a browser address bar, command line, anywhere the keyboard is functional and doing something with text You have to use Control with it, of course. F by itself is... F. if you swap caps lock with Control as most developers do, then it's a nice, simple, ergonomic addition.
- diffeomorphism 4y ago
  Pretty much all text fields in macos have emacs keybindings. I guess you haven't used macos for more than a week yet?
  - leobg 4y ago
    Wrong. I’m using it for over 15 years now! And I’ve never ever even just heard about this. And keyboard shortcuts are the first thing I look for in any app. Hence my surprise
    - diffeomorphism 4y ago
      Wrong on your part. Macos had these keybindings since forever. They are not just per app but everywhere. > I’m using it for over 15 years now! And I’ve never ever even just heard about this. Wow, that is embarrassing. Edit: For example https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/EventOverview/TextDefaultsBindings/TextDefaultsBindings.html https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Co...
      - leobg 4y ago
        I’m not embarrassed at all. Else I wouldn’t have dared to ask. And would never learn anything new.
        diffeomorphism 4y ago
        Sorry, I meant embarrassing for apple. It tells you something about their UX if features like these can be missed for 15 years. I included a link in the previous post. Apps using cocoa inherit the emacs keybindings automatically and hence they are widespread on mac. Side note: emacs keybindings are less widespread on Linux, because you don't have such a component and GNU readline has a too strong license. So ironically emacs makes a strong case for using a proprietary OS.
        leobg 4y ago
- ehecatl42 4y ago
  > You have a link to a list? `man readline`

by jb1991 4y ago

wolpoli 4y ago

Thanks! I was not aware of that.

mvdwoord 4y ago
GNU readline is also all over the place and has emacs like keybindings. https://tiswww.case.edu/php/chet/readline/rltop.html https://tiswww.case.edu/php/chet/readline/rltop.html

leobg 4y ago

Which shortcuts? You have a link to a list? I only know Cmd-left/right to skip words. But anything more fancy?

jb1991 4y ago
if you are using left/right arrow keys, that is not emacs. Control with F, B, A, E, K, etc are the ones I'm talking about.
- leobg 4y ago
  Ok. Interesting. Where on macOS can I use these for navigating inside text? If I’m inside Textmate, for instance, typing F just… well, types an F. And it would seem to me that that’s the case anywhere on macOS where there is a cursor, no?
  - jb1991 4y ago
    anywhere you type text -- right now, while I'm typing this, or in a browser address bar, command line, anywhere the keyboard is functional and doing something with text You have to use Control with it, of course. F by itself is... F. if you swap caps lock with Control as most developers do, then it's a nice, simple, ergonomic addition.
diffeomorphism 4y ago
Pretty much all text fields in macos have emacs keybindings. I guess you haven't used macos for more than a week yet?
- leobg 4y ago
  Wrong. I’m using it for over 15 years now! And I’ve never ever even just heard about this. And keyboard shortcuts are the first thing I look for in any app. Hence my surprise
  - diffeomorphism 4y ago
    Wrong on your part. Macos had these keybindings since forever. They are not just per app but everywhere. > I’m using it for over 15 years now! And I’ve never ever even just heard about this. Wow, that is embarrassing. Edit: For example https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/EventOverview/TextDefaultsBindings/TextDefaultsBindings.html https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Co...
    - leobg 4y ago
      I’m not embarrassed at all. Else I wouldn’t have dared to ask. And would never learn anything new.
      - diffeomorphism 4y ago
        Sorry, I meant embarrassing for apple. It tells you something about their UX if features like these can be missed for 15 years. I included a link in the previous post. Apps using cocoa inherit the emacs keybindings automatically and hence they are widespread on mac. Side note: emacs keybindings are less widespread on Linux, because you don't have such a component and GNU readline has a too strong license. So ironically emacs makes a strong case for using a proprietary OS.
        leobg 4y ago
ehecatl42 4y ago
> You have a link to a list? `man readline`