Unable to type braces and square braces in emacs

Question

I'm running Mac OS X and GNU Emacs 22.3.1. I use a swedish keyboard. I am unable to type braces { }, [ ] in emacs. When trying to type braces I get parenthesis. Since I'm quite new to Mac and emacs I need a little help on configuring emacs to get this right.

Solution 1

(setq mac-option-modifier nil
      mac-command-modifier 'meta
      x-select-enable-clipboard t)

This is what I use for my swedish keyboard. It even works with svorak A5, if you use it :)

Solution 2

You could also try:

(setq mac-option-key-is-meta t)
(setq mac-right-option-modifier nil)

Solution 3

I'm assuming that you're using a graphical emacs, and not just using the OS X bundled version from within Terminal.

To ensure that Emacs responds to keystrokes in the same way as other OS X apps, try the following:

(setq default-input-method "MacOSX")

And in particular, if you want to use the Option key to enter extended characters not on your keyboard (e.g. "Option-c c" => "ç"), use these settings:

(setq mac-command-modifier 'meta)
(setq mac-option-modifier 'none)

(Put these commands in your ~/.emacs or ~/.emacs.d/init.el emacs startup file, and restart Emacs, or just "M-x eval-buffer" while editing the file.)

Solution 4

(setq default-input-method "MacOSX")

(setq mac-command-modifier 'meta
      mac-option-modifier nil
      mac-allow-anti-aliasing t
      mac-command-key-is-meta t)

Try this. You will be able to use the Alt key as a AltGR and for all the old M-x functions you will have to use your command key.

Solution 5

Bind the relevant keyboard shortcuts to anonymous functions that insert those characters, for example add these lines to ~/.emacs for European Portuguese:

(global-set-key "\M-(" (lambda () (interactive) (insert "{")))
(global-set-key "\M-)" (lambda () (interactive) (insert "}")))

(global-set-key "\M-8" (lambda () (interactive) (insert "[")))
(global-set-key "\M-9" (lambda () (interactive) (insert "]")))

Then save ~/.emacs with C-x C-s and reload it with M-x load-file and type ~/.emacs.

One downside is that this does not work in the mini-buffer, and typing "Alt-9" will insert text in the buffer and not the mini-buffer.

Comparison with other solutions: This solution maintains compatibility with other shortcuts using M-. The solutions by @monotux, @sanityinc, and Abdul Bijur V A do work, but they do not maintain that compatibility, e.g. Cmd-Q no longer quits the program and M-x no longer calls the mini-buffer to execute commands.

The solution by @patrikha doesn't suit touch-typing, which requires the same modifier commands on the right and the left side of the keyboard (Command, Alt/Option, Shift, and Control). For example, with this solution doing M-x requires the left thumb on the left Alt key and the left index finger on the S key, instead of the right thumb on the right Alt key. You could (setq mac-left-option-modifier nil), but that might require a change in habits for letters on the right side of the keyboard.

Notes: If you use AquaMacs, the wiki has a work-around in the section "Inputting {}[] etc. on non-English keyboards, or other keys with the Option modifier".

I also add this line to the end of ./emacs to show the matching of brackets and braces: (show-paren-mode).

View more solutions

Comments

[Jonathan Allen]

What you call "square braces" are usually refered to as "brackets". Not that it matters, but its a bit shorter to type.

[user276641]

Watch out: "brackets" is a regional one. In the US it means square brackets, in the UK, it means round brackets / parenthesis.

[eriq]

Unfortunately not one of the answers solved a similar issue on my german keyboard. I don't get any brackets or curly braces at all.

[nha]

@sanityinc solved it for me on my French keyboard... however I am not satisfied at all, since to make a "[" I have to press three keys (alt shift 5) !

[muxare]

I tryed putting this into bouth my ~/.emacs file and my ~/.emacs.d/init.el file but i can't get it to work.

[monotux]

Are you sure you're on a mac? ;)

[monotux]

srsly tho, try emacs -Q and then paste the above into *scratch*, eval with M-x eval-buffer and see if it works. It could be your other settings that screws something up.

[muxare]

I just tryed "emacs -Q and then paste the above into scratch, eval with M-x eval-buffer". But the curly bracets dont work.

[monotux]

I'm guessing that the above code isn't evaluated properly. Try adding it to your *scratch*-buffer, evaluate it and see if it works. If it does work, try removing all your emacs settings (moving .emacs.d somewhere) and start again.

[leontalbot]

This is fantastic, but I now have an issue after relaoding emacs. Can't type letter "c" anymore. The uppercase "C" works but not lowercase. Anything I can do?

[leontalbot]

I just opened a question for my issue : stackoverflow.com/questions/31524961/…

[monotux]

<kbd>C-a =</kbd> is not a standard shortcut. I don't know what you've done in your config but it's most likely unrelated to the above.

[AdrieanKhisbe]

why didn't I discovered that earlier? :D

[stackdaemon]

Yes! The setq mac-right-option-modifier nil is what totally saved me! Now I can have my left alt as meta and my right alt as curly brackets source. Thank you!

[Teemu Leisti]

Works for me, too. Actually, didn't need the first line.

[Mankka]

I didn't need the first line either.

[Pelican]

@monotux I will just leave it in the scratch as it seems to be working correctly this way, and I never close emacs. Thx

[monotux]

@Pelican you can paste them into your ~/.emacs.d/init.el instead, then they are evaluated every time you start Emacs.

[Pelican]

@monotux i never « start » eMacs ... I live in there 😅, all jokes aside yes I will do that, thank you