21.11 Functions for Key Lookup

Here are the functions and variables pertaining to key lookup.

Function: lookup-key keymap key &optional accept-defaults

This function returns the definition of key in keymap. All the other functions described in this chapter that look up keys use lookup-key. Here are examples:

(lookup-key (current-global-map) "\C-x\C-f")
    ⇒ find-file

(lookup-key (current-global-map) (kbd "C-x C-f"))
    ⇒ find-file

(lookup-key (current-global-map) "\C-x\C-f12345")
    ⇒ 2

If the string or vector key is not a valid key sequence according to the prefix keys specified in keymap, it must be “too long” and have extra events at the end that do not fit into a single key sequence. Then the value is a number, the number of events at the front of key that compose a complete key.

If accept-defaults is non-nil, then lookup-key considers default bindings as well as bindings for the specific events in key. Otherwise, lookup-key reports only bindings for the specific sequence key, ignoring default bindings except when you explicitly ask about them. (To do this, supply t as an element of key; see Format of Keymaps.)

If key contains a meta character (not a function key), that character is implicitly replaced by a two-character sequence: the value of meta-prefix-char, followed by the corresponding non-meta character. Thus, the first example below is handled by conversion into the second example.

(lookup-key (current-global-map) "\M-f")
    ⇒ forward-word

(lookup-key (current-global-map) "\ef")
    ⇒ forward-word

Unlike read-key-sequence, this function does not modify the specified events in ways that discard information (see Key Sequence Input). In particular, it does not convert letters to lower case and it does not change drag events to clicks.

Command: undefined

Used in keymaps to undefine keys. It calls ding, but does not cause an error.

Function: local-key-binding key &optional accept-defaults

This function returns the binding for key in the current local keymap, or nil if it is undefined there.

The argument accept-defaults controls checking for default bindings, as in lookup-key (above).

Function: global-key-binding key &optional accept-defaults

This function returns the binding for command key in the current global keymap, or nil if it is undefined there.

The argument accept-defaults controls checking for default bindings, as in lookup-key (above).

Function: minor-mode-key-binding key &optional accept-defaults

This function returns a list of all the active minor mode bindings of key. More precisely, it returns an alist of pairs (modename . binding), where modename is the variable that enables the minor mode, and binding is key’s binding in that mode. If key has no minor-mode bindings, the value is nil.

If the first binding found is not a prefix definition (a keymap or a symbol defined as a keymap), all subsequent bindings from other minor modes are omitted, since they would be completely shadowed. Similarly, the list omits non-prefix bindings that follow prefix bindings.

The argument accept-defaults controls checking for default bindings, as in lookup-key (above).

User Option: meta-prefix-char

This variable is the meta-prefix character code. It is used for translating a meta character to a two-character sequence so it can be looked up in a keymap. For useful results, the value should be a prefix event (see Prefix Keys). The default value is 27, which is the ASCII code for ESC.

As long as the value of meta-prefix-char remains 27, key lookup translates M-b into ESC b, which is normally defined as the backward-word command. However, if you were to set meta-prefix-char to 24, the code for C-x, then Emacs will translate M-b into C-x b, whose standard binding is the switch-to-buffer command. (Don’t actually do this!) Here is an illustration of what would happen:

meta-prefix-char                    ; The default value.
     ⇒ 27

(key-binding "\M-b")
     ⇒ backward-word

?\C-x                               ; The print representation
     ⇒ 24                          ;   of a character.

(setq meta-prefix-char 24)
     ⇒ 24

(key-binding "\M-b")
     ⇒ switch-to-buffer            ; Now, typing M-b is
                                    ;   like typing C-x b.

(setq meta-prefix-char 27)          ; Avoid confusion!
     ⇒ 27                          ; Restore the default value!

This translation of one event into two happens only for characters, not for other kinds of input events. Thus, M-F1, a function key, is not converted into ESC F1.