changeset 68454:132c4fb111bc

Minor cleanups. Refer to "graphical" terminals, rather than X.

--- a/man/commands.texi	Sun Jan 29 16:52:02 2006 +0000
+++ b/man/commands.texi	Sun Jan 29 16:53:27 2006 +0000
@@ -39,8 +39,7 @@
 have special keys you can type them with: for example, @key{RET},
 @key{TAB}, @key{DEL} and @key{ESC}.  The space character is usually
 referred to below as @key{SPC}, even though strictly speaking it is a
-graphic character whose graphic happens to be blank.  Some keyboards
-have a key labeled ``linefeed'' which is an alias for @kbd{C-j}.
+graphic character whose graphic happens to be blank.
 
   Emacs extends the @acronym{ASCII} character set with thousands more printing
 characters (@pxref{International}), additional control characters, and a
@@ -54,31 +53,28 @@
 
   But the Emacs character set has room for control variants of all
 printing characters, and for distinguishing between @kbd{C-a} and
-@kbd{C-A}.  The X Window System makes it possible to enter all these
-characters.  For example, @kbd{C--} (that's Control-Minus) and @kbd{C-5}
-are meaningful Emacs commands under X.
+@kbd{C-A}.  Graphical terminals make it possible to enter all these
+characters.  For example, @kbd{C--} (that's Control-Minus) and
+@kbd{C-5} are meaningful Emacs commands on a graphical terminal.
 
   Another Emacs character-set extension is additional modifier bits.
 Only one modifier bit is commonly used; it is called Meta.  Every
 character has a Meta variant; examples include @kbd{Meta-a} (normally
-written @kbd{M-a}, for short), @kbd{M-A} (not the same character as
-@kbd{M-a}, but those two characters normally have the same meaning in
-Emacs), @kbd{M-@key{RET}}, and @kbd{M-C-a}.  For reasons of tradition,
-we usually write @kbd{C-M-a} rather than @kbd{M-C-a}; logically
-speaking, the order in which the modifier keys @key{CTRL} and @key{META}
-are mentioned does not matter.
+written @kbd{M-a}, for short), @kbd{M-A} (different from @kbd{M-a},
+but they are normally equivalent in Emacs), @kbd{M-@key{RET}}, and
+@kbd{M-C-a}.  That last means @kbd{a} with both the @key{CTRL} and
+@key{META} modifiers.  We usually write it as @kbd{C-M-a} rather than
+@kbd{M-C-a}, for reasons of tradition.
 
 @cindex Meta
 @cindex M-
 @cindex @key{ESC} replacing @key{META} key
   Some terminals have a @key{META} key, and allow you to type Meta
-characters by holding this key down.  Thus, @kbd{Meta-a} is typed by
-holding down @key{META} and pressing @kbd{a}.  The @key{META} key
-works much like the @key{SHIFT} key.  Such a key is not always labeled
-@key{META}, however, as this function is often a special option for a
-key with some other primary purpose.  Sometimes it is labeled
-@key{ALT} or @key{EDIT}; on a Sun keyboard, it may have a diamond on
-it.
+characters by holding this key down.  Thus, you can type @kbd{Meta-a}
+by holding down @key{META} and pressing @kbd{a}.  The @key{META} key
+works much like the @key{SHIFT} key.  In fact, this key is more often
+labeled @key{ALT} or @key{EDIT}, instead of @key{META}; on a Sun
+keyboard, it may have a diamond on it.
 
   If there is no @key{META} key, you can still type Meta characters
 using two-character sequences starting with @key{ESC}.  Thus, you can
@@ -90,16 +86,16 @@
 @key{ESC} is allowed on terminals with @key{META} keys, too, in case
 you have formed a habit of using it.
 
-  The X Window System provides several other modifier keys that can be
-applied to any input character.  These are called @key{SUPER},
-@key{HYPER} and @key{ALT}.  We write @samp{s-}, @samp{H-} and @samp{A-}
-to say that a character uses these modifiers.  Thus, @kbd{s-H-C-x} is
-short for @kbd{Super-Hyper-Control-x}.  Not all X terminals actually
+  Emacs defines several other modifier keys that can be applied to any
+input character.  These are called @key{SUPER}, @key{HYPER} and
+@key{ALT}.  We write @samp{s-}, @samp{H-} and @samp{A-} to say that a
+character uses these modifiers.  Thus, @kbd{s-H-C-x} is short for
+@kbd{Super-Hyper-Control-x}.  Not all graphical terminals actually
 provide keys for these modifier flags---in fact, many terminals have a
 key labeled @key{ALT} which is really a @key{META} key.  The standard
 key bindings of Emacs do not include any characters with these
-modifiers.  But you can assign them meanings of your own by customizing
-Emacs.
+modifiers.  But you can assign them meanings of your own by
+customizing Emacs.
 
   If your keyboard lacks one of these modifier keys, you can enter it
 using @kbd{C-x @@}: @kbd{C-x @@ h} adds the ``hyper'' flag to the next
@@ -109,18 +105,18 @@
 two modifiers by using @kbd{C-x @@} twice for the same character,
 because the first one goes to work on the @kbd{C-x}.)
 
-  Keyboard input includes keyboard keys that are not characters at all:
-for example function keys and arrow keys.  Mouse buttons are also
-outside the gamut of characters.  You can modify these events with the
-modifier keys @key{CTRL}, @key{META}, @key{SUPER}, @key{HYPER} and
-@key{ALT}, just like keyboard characters.
+  Keyboard input includes keyboard keys that are not characters at
+all: for example function keys and arrow keys.  Mouse buttons are also
+outside the gamut of characters.  However, you can modify these events
+with the modifier keys @key{CTRL}, @key{META}, @key{SUPER},
+@key{HYPER} and @key{ALT}, just as you can modify keyboard characters.
 
 @cindex input event
   Input characters and non-character inputs are collectively called
 @dfn{input events}.  @xref{Input Events,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
-Reference Manual}, for more information.  If you are not doing Lisp
-programming, but simply want to redefine the meaning of some characters
-or non-character events, see @ref{Customization}.
+Reference Manual}, for the full Lisp-level details.  If you are not
+doing Lisp programming, but simply want to redefine the meaning of
+some characters or non-character events, see @ref{Customization}.
 
   @acronym{ASCII} terminals cannot really send anything to the computer except
 @acronym{ASCII} characters.  These terminals use a sequence of characters to
@@ -170,12 +166,12 @@
 
   All told, the prefix keys in Emacs are @kbd{C-c}, @kbd{C-h},
 @kbd{C-x}, @kbd{C-x @key{RET}}, @kbd{C-x @@}, @kbd{C-x a}, @kbd{C-x
-n}, @w{@kbd{C-x r}}, @kbd{C-x v}, @kbd{C-x 4}, @kbd{C-x 5}, @kbd{C-x 6},
-@key{ESC}, @kbd{M-o} and @kbd{M-g}.  (@key{F1} and @key{F2} are aliases for
-@kbd{C-h} and @kbd{C-x 6}.)  But this list is not cast in concrete; it
-is just a matter of Emacs's standard key bindings.  If you customize
-Emacs, you can make new prefix keys, or eliminate these.  @xref{Key
-Bindings}.
+n}, @w{@kbd{C-x r}}, @kbd{C-x v}, @kbd{C-x 4}, @kbd{C-x 5}, @kbd{C-x
+6}, @key{ESC}, @kbd{M-g}, and @kbd{M-o}.  (@key{F1} and @key{F2} are
+aliases for @kbd{C-h} and @kbd{C-x 6}.)  But this list is not cast in
+concrete; it is just a matter of Emacs's standard key bindings.  If
+you customize Emacs, you can make new prefix keys, or eliminate some
+of the standard ones.  @xref{Key Bindings}.
 
   If you do make or eliminate prefix keys, that changes the set of
 possible key sequences.  For example, if you redefine @kbd{C-f} as a
@@ -184,12 +180,11 @@
 definition of @kbd{C-x 4}, then @kbd{C-x 4 f} (or @kbd{C-x 4
 @var{anything}}) is no longer a key.
 
-  Typing the help character (@kbd{C-h} or @key{F1}) after a prefix
-key displays a list of the commands starting with that prefix.
-There are a few prefix keys for which @kbd{C-h} does not
-work---for historical reasons, they have other meanings for @kbd{C-h}
-which are not easy to change.  But @key{F1} should work for all prefix
-keys.
+  Typing the help character (@kbd{C-h} or @key{F1}) after a prefix key
+displays a list of the commands starting with that prefix.  There are
+a few prefix keys for which @kbd{C-h} does not work---for historical
+reasons, they define other meanings for @kbd{C-h} which are painful to
+change.  But @key{F1} should work for all prefix keys.
 
 @node Commands, Text Characters, Keys, Top
 @section Keys and Commands