Re: Emacs key bindings through the ages

[rustom]

On Nov 18, 9:50 am, Stefan Monnier <monn...@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote:
> > I wish I could have keybindings like vi --  single key-commands for
> > the hand, powerful modes in the head -- the look like eclipse --
> > multiple proportional fonts -- on top of emacs' extensibility.
>
> Tried M-x viper ?
>
>         Stefan

The last time I tried it (long time back) it was quite un-vi-like
because multiple ESCs jerked one back into emacs mode.
Things may be different now --dunno -- but one loses any habit in 20
years.
My point was more basic than vi/emacs specific viz.
It may take a few more minutes or hours to learn h-j-k-l as against
the more 'natural' C-p C-n C-f C-b
but with a lifetime of use its a couple of million more keystrokes and
correspondingly worn-out muscles. Programmers tend to forget that the
logical and the ergonomical are different.

Yeah-yeah I know we use the arrow keys today but that only confirms
something that Xah (so tirelessly :-) ) proclaims viz that the emacs
key-bindings are a relic of another keyboard from another era.

Of course emacs is much better on my hands than firefox, ooffice etc
so I am not complaining too much.

PS. If I could go back to school today I would train on a dvorak
keyboard.  But returning to the womb is at best an expensive
proposition :-)