[Info-vax] Some questions on software for VMS 7.3 VAX

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2016-01-26 09:28, Jan-Erik Soderholm wrote:
> Den 2016-01-26 kl. 07:07, skrev lists at openmailbox.org:
>> On Mon, 25 Jan 2016 20:44:00 +0100
>> Johnny Billquist via Info-vax <info-vax at rbnsn.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On 2016-01-25 19:35, lists at openmailbox.org wrote:
>>>
>>>> What's smashing your finger with a hammer and poking your eye with a
>>>> sharp stick is trying to use EDT without a DEC keyboard.
>>>
>>> You do know that you can remap all the keys in EDT? You want a someone
>>> Emacs-compatible setup for EDT? I have an init file for that lying
>>> somewhere, that I could post for you...
>>
>> I'll take a look at it but I have a compact keyboard (no keypad
>> section)...

I'll post that here separately then.

> You definitiely need a numeric keybaord section. But every keyboard
> for a desktop computer has that and also all modern laptops apart
> from the light-weight 12-13" types. But if you're into VMS, you
> do get a full keyboard laptop, of course.

Nope. For some reason the numeric section on keyboards are starting to 
go away. Look at the new Mac keyboards for example...

But if you remap things in EDT, you do not really need a numeric 
keyboard. You can get everything on other keys...

>> so
>> I don't think it's going to work. I don't necessarily need or want an
>> Emacs
>> compatible layout. I would have preferred to have an appropriate keyboard
>> and use native tools. I really don't like having to remember key
>> translations. I already have to do that to a small degree with another
>> system I use and it can quickly get out of hand.
>>
>> Given using EDT with the right keyboard wasn't happening because I don't
>> have VAX or DEC hardware...
>
> Any keybaord with a numeric section is "right". It does *not* have
> to be "VAX or DEC hardware"...

That I can agree with. As long as you have a numeric keyboard, you can 
set things up so it sortof works like a DEC thing. After all, that is 
what software is for... :-)

	Johnny