[TxMt] Re: how do I go to end of line and/or go to start of line

[Kevin Reid]

On Apr 25, 2010, at 0:58, Adam Sharp wrote:

> As a point of interest, it seems that the Fn key doesn't behave like  
> the standard modifier keys, Cmd, Option and Ctrl. For example,  
> forward delete doesn't appear as Fn-Delete on that list you linked  
> to, but has its own glyph; whereas, the other modifier keys all  
> appear explicitly. Anyone know if this behaviour is global for the  
> Fn key, or whether it is special for delete? I'm just curious :)


The Fn key is best thought of not as a Modifier Key but rather as a  
low-level switch to a virtual alternate set of keyboard keys.  
Applications generally don't (can't?) make distinctions based on it;  
the alternate functions (return/enter, delete/fwd delete, arrows/page  
keys, F-keys/special functions) are selected at the operating system  
level.

At least, that's how it feels based on using it; I haven't looked into  
the actual technical details.


By the way, a useful difference between ⌘← ⌘→ and ⌃A ⌃E:

  ⌃A ⌃E go to the ends of the text line: "stop before the newline".
  They ignore soft wrapping.

  ⌘← ⌘→ go to the left and right ends of the *screen display*.
  They treat soft wrapping just like hard wrapping.

I find that ⌃A ⌃E are more often what I want, but ⌘← ⌘→ can  
be useful when the problem is less "navigate to a significant point in  
the text" than "how can I get the cursor to *that spot right there*  
with the fewest keystrokes?"

-- 
Kevin Reid                                  <http://switchb.org/kpreid/>