Re: OS X: Change default key bindings of CMD and ALT

[Adrian Robert]

Jean-Christophe Helary <jean.christophe.helary <at> gmail.com> writes:
...

> For all the other Mac applications (except Xquartz) Alt is used to
> compose characters that are not by
> default in the keyboard layout. That's one of the very strong point of
> OSX machines by the way. On a standard
> JIS keyboard I can type French without having to change the layout,
> or English, or Japanese, out of the box.
> 
> The default for Emacs on Mac should be the OS default so that new
> users who are used to that behavior do not have
> to search for the Emacs way to use their keyboard the standard way...


These are good points.  Of course, the problem is whichever key you choose
to be meta, you are giving up some OS defaults; it is just a question of
which ones are more important for how many users.  But it would also be
good to take a parallel approach to Emacs on other platforms.  Currently
under X or Windows, the Alt/Opt key goes to meta under Emacs, despite
having other uses in the OS.  But IIRC it is only done on one side, so the
Alt key on the other is still available for character selection use.  (And
maybe menu shortcut use in Windows?)

Would this be implementable in either the NS or Mac ports?  And if so would
it allow natural / acceptable use by European users?