The generic function interface-keys-style returns a keyword indicating a keys style, or emulation. It is called when interface starts running in a new process, and keys-style determines how user input is interpreted by output panes (including editor-pane) in interface .
The editor (that is, instances of editor-pane and its subclasses) responds to user input gestures according to one of three basic models.
When
keys-style
is
:emacs
, the editor emulates GNU Emacs. This value is allowed on all platforms.
When
keys-style
is
:pc
, the editor emulates standard Microsoft Windows keys on Windows, and KDE/Gnome keys on Motif. This value is allowed in the Windows and the X11/Motif implementations.
When
keys-style
is
:mac
, the editor emulates Mac OS X editor keys. This value is allowed only in the Mac OS X Cocoa implementation.
The most important differences between the styles are in the handling of the
Alt
key on Microsoft Windows, selected text, and accelerators:
Alt
is interpreted on Microsoft Windows as the Meta key (used to access many Emacs commands).
The
:meta
modifier is used in an output-pane
input-model
gesture specification.
Control characters such as
Ctrl+S
are not interpreted as accelerators.
The selection is not deleted on input.
Alt
is interpreted as
Alt
on Microsoft Windows and can be used for shortcuts.
The
:meta
modifier is not used in an output-pane
input-model
gesture specification.
Control
keystrokes are interpreted as accelerators. Standard accelerators are added for standard menu commands, for example
Ctrl+S
for
File > Save
.
The selection is deleted on input, and movement keys behave like a typical Microsoft Windows or KDE/Gnome editor.
Emacs
Control
keys are available, since they do not clash with the Macintosh
Command
key.
The selection is deleted on input, and movement keys behave like a typical Mac OS X editor.
By default
keys-style
is
:pc
on Microsoft Windows platforms and
:emacs
on Unix/Linux and Mac OS X platforms. You can supply methods for
interface-keys-style
on your own interface classes that override the default methods.
In the Cocoa implementation,
Command
keystrokes such as
Command+X
are available if there is a suitable
Edit
menu, regardless of the Editor emulation.
See the chapter "Emulation" in the LispWorks Editor User Guide for more detail about the different styles.