function keys

[Masayuki Ida <a37078%ccut.u-tokyo.junet%utokyo-relay.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>]

>Date: Fri, 20 Jun 86 10:37 EDT
>From: "Daniel L. Weinreb" <DLW%SCRC-QUABBIN.ARPA@u-tokyo.junet>
>Subject: Re: Why aren't char bits portable?

This mail is not directly related to this subject.
But, I want to talk about the keyboard interface.

>To: Masinter.pa@XEROX.COM, common-lisp@SU-AI.ARPA
>Received: from CSNet-Relay by utokyo-relay; 22 Jun 86 7:27:22-JST (Sun)
>
>          ...            I believe that the intent of including
>"bits" in the standard is to allow for the fact that some of the "bits"
>are gaining some amount of currency as ad hoc standards.  

If "bits" are gaining some amount of currency as ad hoc standard,
"function-keys" are also gaining some amount of currency as ad hoc standard,
in japan. (I am not talking about the character issues here.
I am talking about the ad hoc standard for keyboard interfaces)

>                    ...                                  In particular,
>there are now several terminals on the market that have a "Meta" key,
> ...

There are now MANY terminals/personal computers that have "function-keys"
in Japan.

>
>A program that wants to be universally portable, of course, cannot
>depend on the presence of such key on the user's keyboard.  However, it
>is not hard to imagine a program that wants to be portable, but also
>wants to allow any user who has a Meta key to take advantage of it.
>(Indeed, many Emacs-family editors have this property.)
>
>I believe the intention of the "bits" feature was to help out such
>programs.  While I'm not sure that all the details of the "bits" feature
>in the standard are ideal, nevertheless I wanted to point out that the
>entire feature is not necessarily bankrupt.
>
>

Actually, there are discussions about the standard interface for  "function-keys" in CL in japan.
I was asked the possibility of the standard for it.
Lisp based interactive system faces the problem.
There arises a portability problem.
Furthremore many editor/word processing software in japan use  function keys.
The semantics for the function keys may vary. There may be 10 function keys physically,
and with shift-key they act as a command pannel for 20 functions.
The meaning of the each key is guided in CRT. 
Or a guide pad for each software is provided for user convinience.

I wonder this type of standardization for interface is japan domestic or no ?


Masayuki Ida
ida@utokyo-relay.csnet