Difference between revisions of "Meta key"

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(Wrong, there is not meta but mod1.)
(Minor details.)
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For now, some notes about the development of a "meta key" concept.  Roughly in chronological order.
 
For now, some notes about the development of a "meta key" concept.  Roughly in chronological order.
  
* "Meta Hand" on the [[TX-2]] keyboards.
+
* "Meta Hand" on the [[TX-2]] keyboards.  Typed to enter a "meta command", or special directions to the assembly program.
* META on the [[LINC]] keyboard.
+
* META on the [[LINC]] keyboard.  Typed as a prefix for commands, much like the TX-2 key.
 
* [[Incompatible Timesharing System|ITS]] and its preceding PDP-6 software uses [[Teletype]] model 33 Altmode key as a command prefix.
 
* [[Incompatible Timesharing System|ITS]] and its preceding PDP-6 software uses [[Teletype]] model 33 Altmode key as a command prefix.
* EDIT on the [[IMSSS]] custom Datamedia keyboard for use with [[TVEDIT|TVEdit]].
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* EDIT on the [[IMSSS]] custom Datamedia keyboard for use with [[TVEDIT|TVEdit]].  Typed to enter editor commands.
 
* META modifier on the [[Stanford_Artificial_Intelligence_Laboratory|SAIL]] keyboard.
 
* META modifier on the [[Stanford_Artificial_Intelligence_Laboratory|SAIL]] keyboard.
 
* META modifier on the [[Knight TV system|Knight keyboard]]; used with [[Emacs editors|EMACS]] as an alternative to the Altmode prefix.  Also TOP.
 
* META modifier on the [[Knight TV system|Knight keyboard]]; used with [[Emacs editors|EMACS]] as an alternative to the Altmode prefix.  Also TOP.

Revision as of 08:12, 20 November 2025

For now, some notes about the development of a "meta key" concept. Roughly in chronological order.

  • "Meta Hand" on the TX-2 keyboards. Typed to enter a "meta command", or special directions to the assembly program.
  • META on the LINC keyboard. Typed as a prefix for commands, much like the TX-2 key.
  • ITS and its preceding PDP-6 software uses Teletype model 33 Altmode key as a command prefix.
  • EDIT on the IMSSS custom Datamedia keyboard for use with TVEdit. Typed to enter editor commands.
  • META modifier on the SAIL keyboard.
  • META modifier on the Knight keyboard; used with EMACS as an alternative to the Altmode prefix. Also TOP.
  • META modifier on the Kulp "space-cadet" keyboard. Also TOP, GREEK, SUPER, HYPER.
  • Stanford SUN workstation proposal from 1980 mentions a META key.
  • Sun-2 keyboard has modifiers LEFT and RIGHT. Subsequent Sun keyboards have the diamond symbol.
  • The X Window System protocol has five "mod" bucky bits, of which the first is usually mapped to Meta and/or Alt.