[Idle-dev] Meta-Key on Windows.

[Tal Einat]

On Fri, Jun 13, 2014 at 3:01 AM, Terry Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> wrote:
> Copying from email
> On 6/12/2014 6:22 PM, Tal Einat wrote:> On Thu, Jun 12, 2014 at 12:46 AM,
> Terry Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> wrote:
>>> Q1. Do any of you know what 'Meta' is supposed to refer to on Windows?
>>> On my systems, it does not correspond to the Windows key, the (useless?)
>>> Page-with-Pointer key to the left of right Cntl, Escape, or the three
>>> PrtScrn/SyqReq, ScreenLock, or Pause/Break keys. Are these entries of use
>>> to
>>> anyone?
>>
>> I don't know if Meta can be generated by a keyboard on Windows, and
>> have no use for those other modifier keys you mentioned. Some other
>> people might, however, so we shouldn't disallow using them without
>> good reason.
>
> If a Meta-Key-x event can be generated Windows, the means should be
> documented. If not, the Meta-Key-x bindings should be delelted from the
> Windows definitions.

I agree.

According to the Tk documentation on bindings [1], Meta (a.k.a. "M")
doesn't exist when there is no Meta key on the keyboard: "Meta and M
refer to whichever of the M1 through M5 modifiers is associated with
the Meta key(s) on the keyboard (keysyms Meta_R and Meta_L). If there
are no Meta keys, or if they are not associated with any modifiers,
then Meta and M will not match any events."

I think it safe to assume that nobody today uses Windows with a
keyboard that has a Meta key.

.. [1]: http://www.tcl.tk/man/tcl8.5/TkCmd/bind.htm#M6

- Tal Einat