Re: Alternative to arrow keys (more ergonomic)?

[jorge.a.alfaro@gmail.com (Jorge A. Alfaro-Murillo)]

Hi Martin,

"Martin Beck" <elwood151@web.de> writes:

> I'm using Shift+RightArrow and Shift+LeftArrow quite often to change
> the scheduled or deadline dates of a task in my agenda view. As I have
> a normal large keyboard (where the arrow keys are between the
> alphanumeric block and the numeric keypad like here:
> http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/_base_v1//products/wireless-desktop-3000/mk_
> wd3000_otherviews01.jpg ). So the arrow key is difficult to reach and
> forces me to leave the QUERTZ keys with the right hand. Can I define
> an additional key or key combination which does the same thing like
> RightArrow and is easier to reach? Which one would be available in the
> agenda view?

I have the (totally useless) CapsLock key of my keyboard remapped to
Hyper, which allows me to use an extra modifier for emacs commands.

For your case after you have a Hyper key you could "make" your own arrow
keys without your right fingers moving away from J K L ; where they
belong:

#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
  (global-set-key (kbd "H-i") 'previous-line)
  (global-set-key (kbd "H-k") 'next-line)
  (global-set-key (kbd "H-j") 'left-char)
  (global-set-key (kbd "H-l") 'right-char)
#+END_SRC

and for org:

#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
  (define-key org-mode-map (kbd "H-S-i") 'org-shiftup)
  (define-key org-mode-map (kbd "H-S-k") 'org-shiftdown)
  (define-key org-mode-map (kbd "H-S-j") 'org-shiftleft)
  (define-key org-mode-map (kbd "H-S-l") 'org-shiftright)
#+END_SRC

In Linux I use xmodmap for the remapping of the CapsLock key. While you
are at it you can also remap the Alt key to Cntrl and the Super to Meta,
to that you press C- commands with your left thumb and not with your
left pinky, avoiding the common emacs pinky problem.

Best,

Jorge.

PS: http://i.stack.imgur.com/2kbJv.jpg
http://www.splitreason.com/Product_Images/4e3477bef139.jpg 

PPS: to be fair some very fast typists use CapsLock
(http://seanwrona.com/typing.php)