Dieter wrote:
> > But if you're on a PC, then in firefox etc. the
backspace key will
> > delete left, and you can ignore the Delete key,
and that's pretty much
> > the right thing even though the keys are
mislabled.
>
> Broken broken broken
>
> In theory, we should have:
> "backspace" -> move cursor one position
to the left. Do not draw
> anything. Do not erase/delete. "delete"
-> move cursor one position
> to the left, deleting (erasing) whatever was there.
>
> I can usually live with the backspace key acting like
delete, since the
> leftarrow key usually provides the backspace function.
I just consulted 1,000,000 of my closest friends, who all
said that that
key to the right of F12 and above the backslash, usually
labelled
"Backspace", is always without exception expected
to do a destructive
left-delete. Some even remember a similar key, differently
labelled but
in the same basic position, on the VT-100. One ancient
fellow remembers
the Letterwriter 100 printed "X X' when the sequence
"X delete" was
typed, to indicate "X" had been removed from the
line.
I suspect that key was put where it is for the same reason
ESC is where it
is: because it's frequently needed, because it's easy to hit
and most
human beings make frequent mistakes when typing.
We're not hung up on the label on the keycap and we don't
know anything
about scan codes or whatever; we focus on its position and
function. We
think that key should only ever cause a destructive
backspace.
Don't you want to join us? C'mon, be a pal!
--jkl
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