RE: Emacs default key bindings [was: Opening Up More Keymaps Re: Standardizing more key bindings?]

[Drew Adams]

> > C-x is reserved for emacs internal use.
> > C-c for users.

As I said, both of those statements are wrong.

> According to "(elisp) Key Binding Conventions":
> 
> > Sequences consisting of ‘C-c’ followed by a control
> > character or a digit are reserved for major modes.
> 
> (not the exceptions listed in the info node)

And?  What's your point?  `C-c' is _not_ reserved for
users, in general.  `C-c <letter>' is reserved for users.

> while C-x is a lot safer for users. It would be very
> unusual for a major mode to rebind "C-x ...", 

Why do you think so?  There's nothing in the conventions
about `C-x'.

Don't confuse statements about a binding being reserved
for some use with a claim that a binding not listed as
reserved is somehow off limits.  Such a claim would be
improper.

Everything that's not stated in the conventions is OK.
(Even things that are stated in the conventions are only
that: conventional.)  The conventions exist to help us
not get our feet stepped on, by ourselves or others.

> which is why I bind most of my local functions to that map.

You're free to do so.  Nothing wrong with that, whether
you mean as user or as a library writer.

> On the other hand, something like C-c C-... will often be
> shadowed by a major mode [or] minor mode, hence I don't
> bother trying.

`C-c C-<something' is reserved for a major mode.  If
you're writing a major mode, you can use it, following
the convention.  If you're writing a library and the
library binds `C-c C-<something>' in a map other than
for a major mode then that violates the convention.

As a user you can bind any key to anything, including
binding `C-c C-<something'.

The conventions don't cover user bindings, except to
say that `C-c <letter>' are _reserved_ for users.
A user binding `C-c C-<something' (e.g. globally) might
find a major mode overriding that binding.  That's all.