[comp.sys.hp] Extend char key on HP keyboards and 8-bit ASCII

nico@Micrognosis.Los-Gatos.CA.US (Speaker-to-Workstations) (04/06/91)

I am trying to use the "extend char" key on HP console keyboards to
operate as a true "meta" key.

The problem is that by default, when working in 8-bit ASCII mode, only
_certain_ combinations of (extend-char-key + normal-key) are mapped to
8-bit characters. HP have used a kind of "mnemonic" system to make the
generation of funny characters in the ROMAN8 set easier (e.g.
extend-char-key + e-key = e with umlaut 8-bit character), but
unfortunately, 1) not all the 8-bit charaters are represented with an
extend-char sequence, and 2) it's not obvious how to get a particular
8-bit char without looking up a table.

I want to be able to use the extend-char-key as a true meta key (i.e. to
be able to generate arbitrary 8-bit characters by typing the normal
character at the same time as the extend-char key).

Does anyone know if this is possible, or how to do it?
Thanks in advance.

Nick.

--
 nico@micrognosis.los-gatos.ca.us
 Vique's Law: "A man without religion is like a fish without a bicycle."

tml@tik.vtt.fi (Tor Lillqvist) (04/10/91)

In article <NICO.91Apr5115125@bilbo.Micrognosis.Los-Gatos.CA.US> nico@Micrognosis.Los-Gatos.CA.US (Speaker-to-Workstations) writes:
   I am trying to use the "extend char" key on HP console keyboards to
   operate as a true "meta" key.

Please specify more information.  Are you using an HP terminal or a
workstation?  If a workstation, are you running X or the internal
terminal emulator?  If you are running X, are you in a hpterm, xterm,
or some other window?
--
Tor Lillqvist,
working, but not speaking, for the Technical Research Centre of Finland

nico@Micrognosis.Los-Gatos.CA.US (Speaker-to-Workstations) (04/15/91)

In article <TML.91Apr10110028@nyyti.tik.vtt.fi> tml@tik.vtt.fi (Tor Lillqvist) writes:

>In article <NICO.91Apr5115125@bilbo.Micrognosis.Los-Gatos.CA.US> nico@Micrognosis.Los-Gatos.CA.US (Speaker-to-Workstations) writes:
>   I am trying to use the "extend char" key on HP console keyboards to
>   operate as a true "meta" key.
>
>Please specify more information.  Are you using an HP terminal or a
>workstation?

An HP workstation.

>If a workstation, are you running X or the internal
>terminal emulator?

I'm running with the ITE.

>If you are running X, are you in a hpterm, xterm,
>or some other window?

Not running X. Just a basic login shell. I want to use the "extend char"
key as a "meta" key specifically for use with emacs.

Nico
--
 nico@micrognosis.los-gatos.ca.us
 Vique's Law: "A man without religion is like a fish without a bicycle."