Re: DOCBOOK: Re: marking up keycaps according to their semantics

["Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday@mindspring.com>]

On Wed, 12 Mar 2003, Steinar Bang wrote:

> >>>>> "Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday@mindspring.com>:
> 
> > the problem is that something like the "escape" key can be used in
> > two different ways:
> 
> > 1) it can be a "modifier", if you want to call it that, in that it
> >    can be pressed just before pressing another key, or
> 
> > 2) it can be a separate key press all on its own, such as to
> >    press "escape" to, say, exit a program
> 
> I don't see a difference in these two usages from a markup point of
> view.  Both are single presses of the escape key as far as I, and the
> docbook manual representing the keypress, can tell...?

sorry, i guess i wasn't clear -- i actually agree with you, which
is why i think keystrokes like "Esc" need to be a separate
element.

i remember some of the earlier proposals that had these kinds
of keys strictly as attributes for a "regular" keycap element,
which i didn't much like.

and because they are discrete keystrokes in their own right,
i don't think supporting them with a "function" attribute
quite fits the bill.

just my $.02.

rday