Re:Controversial Programming Opinions (2012)
by lacker on Friday December 04, 2020 @03:17PM
(#25307226)
You could also use six different “right arrow” Unicode symbols, and have them each mean multiple different things, automatically inferred by the compiler depending on context! See the Lean mathlib ;-)
Re:Controversial Programming Opinions (2012)
by na85 on Friday December 04, 2020 @03:37PM
(#25307546)
Indeed. If there's no button to type it directly on my keyboard, I'm not interested in having it in my code.
Re:Controversial Programming Opinions (2012)
by worik on Friday December 04, 2020 @03:42PM
(#25307639)
Not all keyboards are the same...
!@#$%^&*()_+}
Re:Controversial Programming Opinions (2012)
by na85 on Friday December 04, 2020 @04:03PM
(#25307939)
That's why I said my keyboard. I'm not aware of any keyboards that would let you type the arcane runes used in APL without resorting to ALT-sequences or the Compose Key.
On a related note, if I could get a keyboard with an extra 50-60 keys that would send the proper scan codes to type unicode characters in one keypress that would be awesome.
Re:Controversial Programming Opinions (2012)
by jazzyjackson on Friday December 04, 2020 @07:16PM
(#25310175)
I'm a big fan of unicomp keyboards, heavy steel buckling spring keyboards still made in kentucky. They make one with 24 function keys I suppose you could map.
https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/UB40B5A
Then there are the point of sale keyboards, this one has 60 keys you insert your own paper labels.
https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/361528/CHERRY-SPOS-Sm...
Re:Controversial Programming Opinions (2012)
by na85 on Saturday December 05, 2020 @02:34AM
(#25312633)
I don't know a lot about how keyboards work at the low level but wouldn't that require custom firmware to add new keycodes?
Re:Controversial Programming Opinions (2012)
by jazzyjackson on Saturday December 05, 2020 @02:58AM
(#25312732)
Well, you can either have software running on the machine that interprets "F15" as a particular key macro, and the keyboard doesn't care what you do with it, OR, yes many keyboards (especially the RGB variety) have tools to update the keyboard firmware to send different keys no matter what computer you plug it into, programming stays on keyboard. (often a simple arduino chip)
In this instance the Unicomp keyboard is not reprogrammable, while the Cherry is fully programmable.
No thanks. Hard pass.