Emacs: Xah Fly Keys Design, Binding Escape Key

Emacs: Xah Fly Keys 📦

now <escape> is bound to xah-fly-command-mode-activate too. (works only when emacs runs in gui, not in terminal.) (before, the Home was the primary.)

Reason:

Advantage of making Escape key do activate command mode:

• Familiar to most people due do vim.
• out of the box, now people have a reasonable key to switch to command mode.
• one less key you need on the physical keyboard. (because the Home key function isn't much used these days, and some compact keyboard don't have that key.)

Disadvantage:

• Escape by default is at a far away place (top left corner). It may induces Repetitive Strain Injury if people press it by twisting wrist.
• Now, when in gui emacs, Escape key works, but while in terminal, it does not. This creates complexity. (because, by emacs quirk, <escape> means Escape key in gui mode only. While ESC means Escape key in both gui and terminal, but binding ESC breaks arrow keys and f1 f2 etc keys, due to how terminal works (terminal keys are actually esc sequences).)

in the end, i decided to bind it. you should either put Escape key on a easy position on your keyboard such as traditional CapsLock position, or, when pressing Escape key on the left corner, don't twist your wrist, but move whole hand to it. And, when in terminal, no choice but to press other keys to activate command mode, such as M-SPC.