Scripsit Allan Odgaard diē 3.5.2006 10:51:
On 3/5/2006, at 10:07, Theorik wrote:
[...] This is a problem with some few TextMate mappings; especially mappings with the [shift and] option key can be annoying if one regularly uses the special characters that can be produced this way.
My policy here is that most European layouts are already broken, and
You cannot judge this, I'm afraid. For a much to detailed explanation, see below.
I encourage everyone who can, to switch to the US keymap, it is such a productivity gain when coding/using the shell, to have easy to reach /, , [, ], {, }, |, ;, :, etc. key.
Of course I know some perceive this almost as saying “boot into Windows” :p
Not supporting non-US keyboard layouts is a severe limitation and should be stated clearly in the manual and on the web page. (This is not to say that it makes no sense – it probably does make sense for you.)
Had I read your recommendation earlier, I wouldn't have paid for TextMate – seriously. You don't offer a refund, do you?
Cheers, Bernhard
<waffle> As you don't take the point of hiding special characters seriuosly, what you're saying seems that you refuse to support TextMate outside of the domains of (a) writing English or (classical) Latin text and (b) programming in languages restricted to 7bit character sets (c) using an US English keyboard. This may is fine (but should be stated clearly!) and may cover the majority of your users – it just doesn't cover me.
Your recommendation is indeed a lot like saying “boot into Windows…” – for many things, Windows works (at least in the beginning, although in my experience, it deteriorates quite fast), maybe a bit less convenient than a unixoid system. The standard US keyboard doesn't work for me, so you should continue your suggestion “…to run TextMate”.
I don't use a text editor only for programme code[0] but also for typing text (I even have text messages in my programmes – most of them containing 8bit characters), so I want to easily type both (especially) German and other “common” characters (yes, this is not specific, and it changes according to what I type about and who I cite or whose music I listen to[1] etc.) and the characters needed for coding LaTeX etc. The easiest way to have part of this is using a German keyboard layout; I don't mind using the option key a log – I do mind using the character table all the time.[2] Another option would be building my own keyboard with more (modifier) keys; for practical reasons, I refrain from this (fitting such a keyboard on my laptop might prove difficult).
A last question to close my rant: Why do you offer a choice between UTF-8 and ISO-8859 encodings? They are equivalent to ASCII for all purposes you develop TextMate for.[3]
[0] Even most programming languages I use are able to use 8bit encodings – why shouldn't I use them? Most programmes will never cross the borders of my city, even less the Atlantic.
[1] E.g. I like Dvořák – why shouldn't I be able type his name correctly? (By the way: he didn't invent the similar-sounding keyboard!) The same for the names of Central European cities that are geographically much closer to me than the US cities with their ASCII names?
[2] In fact, the German (and other?) keyboard layout of XFree / X.org as found on Linux, FreeBSD etc. offers most flexibility if you activate the compose key; the Apple keyboard layout is already a lot better than the standard Windows layout. Obviously, you cannot have everything.
[3] It would have greater potential, you know? </waffle>