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18 Keymaps

Keymaps are used to associate events with commands. When an event occurs, the associated command is found and evaluated. A keymap is simply a list whose first element is the symbol keymap.

— Function: keymapp arg

Returns t if arg may be used as a keymap.

— Function: make-keymap

Returns a newly-created empty keymap.

— Function: bind-keys keymap &rest bindings

Installs zero or more key bindings into the keymap keymap, then returns keymap.

Each binding is defined by two elements in the list of bindings, the first defines the name of the input event (or the event itself) and the second defines the command to be associated with the event.

For example to bind two keys in the keymap keymap; the event C-f to the command foo and the event C-b to the command bar the following form would be used, 

          (bind-keys keymap
           "C-f" 'foo
           "C-b" 'bar)
— Function: unbind-keys keymap &rest keys

Removes the bindings of the events keys (these may be the names of the events or the event objects themselves) from the keymap keymap.

— Function: search-keymap event keymap

Search for a binding of the event event in keymap. If a binding is found a cons cell (command . event) is returned.

There are several pre-defined keymaps that are always available:

global-keymap
Keymap containing bindings active anywhere.
window-keymap
Keymap containing bindings active when a client window is focused.
root-window-keymap
Keymap containing bindings active when the pointer is in the root window.
title-keymap
border-keymap
Keymaps active in the title and borders of window frames.
close-button-keymap
iconify-button-keymap
maximize-button-keymap
menu-button-keymap
shade-button-keymap
Keymaps active in the standard window frame buttons.
override-keymap
Must be a keymap, a symbol, or nil. If it is a keymap, this becomes the keymap in which all lookups occur (overriding the window, root and global keymaps). If it is a symbol, Sawfish finds the symbol's value and tries again. If it is nil, Sawfish behaves normally.