found. The whole process is called @dfn{key lookup}.
@menu
-* Keymap Terminology:: Definitions of terms pertaining to keymaps.
+* Key Sequences:: Key sequences as Lisp objects.
+* Keymap Basics:: Basic concepts of keymaps.
* Format of Keymaps:: What a keymap looks like as a Lisp object.
* Creating Keymaps:: Functions to create and copy keymaps.
* Inheritance and Keymaps:: How one keymap can inherit the bindings
* Menu Keymaps:: Defining a menu as a keymap.
@end menu
-@node Keymap Terminology
-@section Keymap Terminology
+@node Key Sequences
+@section Key Sequences
@cindex key
@cindex keystroke
+@cindex key sequence
+
+ A @dfn{key sequence}, or @dfn{key} for short, is a sequence of one
+or more input events that form a unit. The Emacs Lisp representation
+for a key sequence is a string or vector. Unless otherwise stated,
+any Emacs Lisp function that accepts a key sequence as an argument can
+handle both representations.
+
+ In the string representation, alphanumeric characters ordinarily
+stand for themselves; for example, @code{"a"} represents @kbd{a} and
+and @code{"2"} represents @kbd{2}. Control character events are
+prefixed by the substring @code{"\C-"}, and meta characters by
+@code{"\M-"}; for example, @code{"\C-x"} represents the key @kbd{C-x}.
+In addition, the @key{TAB}, @key{RET}, @key{ESC}, and @key{DEL} events
+are represented by @code{"\t"}, @code{"\r"}, @code{"\e"}, and
+@code{"\d"} respectively. The string representation of a complete key
+sequence is the concatenation of the string representations of the
+constituent events; thus, @code{"\C-xl"} represents the key sequence
+@kbd{C-x l}.
+
+ Key sequences containing function keys, mouse button events, or
+non-ASCII characters such as @kbd{C-=} or @kbd{H-a} cannot be
+represented as strings; they have to be represented as vectors.
+
+ In the vector representation, each element of the vector represents
+an input event, in its Lisp form. @xref{Input Events}. For example,
+the vector @code{[?\C-x ?l]} represents the key sequence @kbd{C-x l}.
+
+ For examples of key sequences written in string and vector
+representations, @ref{Init Rebinding,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
+
+@defmac kbd keyseq-text
+This macro converts the text @var{keyseq-text} (a string constant)
+into a key sequence (a string or vector constant). The contents of
+@var{keyseq-text} should describe the key sequence using almost the same
+syntax used in this manual. More precisely, it uses the same syntax
+that Edit Macro mode uses for editing keyboard macros (@pxref{Edit
+Keyboard Macro,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}); you must surround
+function key names with @samp{<@dots{}>}.
+
+@example
+(kbd "C-x") @result{} "\C-x"
+(kbd "C-x C-f") @result{} "\C-x\C-f"
+(kbd "C-x 4 C-f") @result{} "\C-x4\C-f"
+(kbd "X") @result{} "X"
+(kbd "RET") @result{} "\^M"
+(kbd "C-c SPC") @result{} "\C-c@ "
+(kbd "<f1> SPC") @result{} [f1 32]
+(kbd "C-M-<down>") @result{} [C-M-down]
+@end example
+@end defmac
+
+@node Keymap Basics
+@section Keymap Basics
@cindex key binding
@cindex binding of a key
@cindex complete key
@cindex undefined key
- A @dfn{keymap} is a table mapping event types to definitions (which
-can be any Lisp objects, though only certain types are meaningful for
-execution by the command loop). Given an event (or an event type) and a
-keymap, Emacs can get the event's definition. Events include
-characters, function keys, and mouse actions (@pxref{Input Events}).
+ A keymap is a Lisp data structure that specifies @dfn{key bindings}
+for various key sequences.
- A sequence of input events that form a unit is called a
-@dfn{key sequence}, or @dfn{key} for short. A sequence of one event
-is always a key sequence, and so are some multi-event sequences.
-
- A keymap determines a binding or definition for any key sequence. If
-the key sequence is a single event, its binding is the definition of the
-event in the keymap. The binding of a key sequence of more than one
-event is found by an iterative process: the binding of the first event
-is found, and must be a keymap; then the second event's binding is found
-in that keymap, and so on until all the events in the key sequence are
-used up.
+ A single keymap directly specifies definitions for individual
+events. When a key sequence consists of a single event, its binding
+in a keymap is the keymap's definition for that event. The binding of
+a longer key sequence is found by an iterative process: first find the
+definition of the first event (which must itself be a keymap); then
+find the second event's definition in that keymap, and so on until all
+the events in the key sequence have been processed.
If the binding of a key sequence is a keymap, we call the key sequence
a @dfn{prefix key}. Otherwise, we call it a @dfn{complete key} (because
keymaps shadow both local and global keymaps. @xref{Active Keymaps},
for details.
- The Emacs Lisp representation for a key sequence is a string or vector.
-You can enter key sequence constants using the ordinary string or vector
-representation; it is also convenient to use @code{kbd}:
-
-@defmac kbd keyseq-text
-This macro converts the text @var{keyseq-text} (a string constant)
-into a key sequence (a string or vector constant). The contents
-of @var{keyseq-text} should describe the key sequence using the syntax
-used in this manual. More precisely, it uses the same syntax that
-Edit Macro mode uses for editing keyboard macros (@pxref{Edit Keyboard
-Macro,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
-
-@example
-(kbd "C-x") @result{} "\C-x"
-(kbd "C-x C-f") @result{} "\C-x\C-f"
-(kbd "C-x 4 C-f") @result{} "\C-x4\C-f"
-(kbd "X") @result{} "X"
-(kbd "RET") @result{} "\^M"
-(kbd "C-c SPC") @result{} "\C-c@ "
-(kbd "<f1> SPC") @result{} [f1 32]
-(kbd "C-M-<down>") @result{} [C-M-down]
-@end example
-@end defmac
-
@node Format of Keymaps
@section Format of Keymaps
@cindex format of keymaps
@cindex full keymap
@cindex sparse keymap
- A keymap is a list whose @sc{car} is the symbol @code{keymap}. The
+ A @dfn{keymap} is a table mapping event types to definitions (which
+can be any Lisp objects, though only certain types are meaningful for
+execution by the command loop). Given an event (or an event type) and a
+keymap, Emacs can get the event's definition. Events include
+characters, function keys, and mouse actions (@pxref{Input Events}).
+
+ At any time, several primary keymaps are @dfn{active}---that is, in
+use for finding key bindings. These are the @dfn{global map}, which is
+shared by all buffers; the @dfn{local keymap}, which is usually
+associated with a specific major mode; and zero or more @dfn{minor mode
+keymaps}, which belong to currently enabled minor modes. (Not all minor
+modes have keymaps.) The local keymap bindings shadow (i.e., take
+precedence over) the corresponding global bindings. The minor mode
+keymaps shadow both local and global keymaps. @xref{Active Keymaps},
+for details.
+
+ Each keymap is a list whose @sc{car} is the symbol @code{keymap}. The
remaining elements of the list define the key bindings of the keymap.
A symbol whose function definition is a keymap is also a keymap. Use
the function @code{keymapp} (see below) to test whether an object is a
For the functions below, an error is signaled if @var{keymap} is not
a keymap or if @var{key} is not a string or vector representing a key
sequence. You can use event types (symbols) as shorthand for events
-that are lists. The @code{kbd} macro (@pxref{Keymap Terminology}) is
-a convenient way to specify the key sequence.
+that are lists. The @code{kbd} macro (@pxref{Key Sequences}) is a
+convenient way to specify the key sequence.
@defun define-key keymap key binding
This function sets the binding for @var{key} in @var{keymap}. (If