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In relation to the fab question here:

http://programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/2254/what-are-good-keyboards-for-programming

Where do you map your Control key and why?

Control Key

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6 Answers

up vote 3 down vote accepted

I don't have a Caps Lock key (it's completely useless) so the key to the left of A is my Ctrl key. I remap that key because both Screen and Vim make heavy use of Ctrl keystrokes.

I use other computers reasonably infrequently, so don't often run into unremapped keyboards. But it's no trouble to adapt as necessary.

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Useless? Not true, it's counterproductive. – Randall Schulz Sep 21 '10 at 3:43
up vote 11 down vote

I have it exactly where the maker of the keyboard putted it. That being said, I also use the CapsLock key (for writing anything in all caps that has more than two letters) and all those other keys that were also putted there with a purpose (NumLock, ScrollLock ...).

In general, I never move keys from their original places. Saves trouble when switching keyboards and the like.

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But....different vendors put them in different locations. None that you found to be better suited to your productivity other than the keyboard in front of you? – Xepoch Nov 5 '10 at 16:15
@Xepoch - However, a very large majority of them puts it in the same place. – Rook Nov 5 '10 at 18:20
Sure, I understand but are they targeting the use for programmers? I would assume no and thus the efficiency gained by using your own mappings must in aggregate outweigh the times of use on others' keyboards? – Xepoch Nov 5 '10 at 19:24
@Xepoch - Frankly, have no idea. I'm not a big fan of keyboards "targeted for programmers" (whatever those may be) so I just use a regular one. As far as "efficiency gained" and "productivity" and all that ... - not interested in those theories either. My productivity is fine regardless of where the key is put. – Rook Nov 5 '10 at 22:58
up vote 4 down vote

I don't move it from the standard location. That means that I can use other keyboards when I go to other places / work environments fluently and without mistakes. My small effort towards efficiency.

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up vote 2 down vote

Worst has got to be the Thinkpad keyboard.... their "function" key is in the left bottom and the left control is right next to it. If you don't use the thinkpad that often, you are hitting the function key constantly because you think it's the control. Most people I've seen who do keyboard cut and paste make it all left handed, so that really messes them up.

I say worst because it's so close to what you think it should be, but then screws with your mind on something so fundamental for many of us.

Here's an external keyboard with the same thing going.

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Yes, the thinkpad is horrible keyboard. I always remap the CapsLock->Control, but that still doesn't help. – Xepoch Sep 21 '10 at 5:04
up vote 2 down vote

I don't move the control key, but I have one of these Lenovo Thinkpad's where they insist on adding stupid keys to the layout.

The 2 keys above the left and right arrows do an MDI page switch between documents in an MDI application (e.g. would switch tabs in Firefox). Although conceptually neat - they always get hit when I'm aiming for the arrow keys thus a SHIFT + -> to select a word in my code may end up changing files on me!

Needless to say on my keyboard I disabled them (If I owned the PC, I would rip them off the keyboard)

alt text

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dear god.. mine is about as bad.. they decided to share PAGEUP with HOME and PAGEDOWN with END, except you have to hit "function HOME" and "function END". ARGGGH MAKE ME HULK ANGRY!!!! – Talvi Watia Sep 21 '10 at 12:39
Agh!!! that sucks - I had a loaner once that did this an HP laptop I think - I could not program on it at all. – scunliffe Sep 21 '10 at 13:30
up vote 1 down vote

As an emacs user, the control key is pretty vital, and I've swapped it with Alt, so that I can press it with my thumb while staying on home row.

I used to remap Caps Lock to Ctrl, but find this setup more comfortable, and Caps is now Alt, guess that'd confuse a lot of people, but I find this quite ergonomic !

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Interesting placement for Control. I learned typing with Control where God himself intended :) (aleft the A) but I may need to think about an Alt switch. – Xepoch Sep 21 '10 at 15:57
Forgot to mention that many latops only have one Ctrl key, which makes this switch a no brainer IMO. – julien Sep 21 '10 at 16:36
@Xepoch: I too have mapped Caps lock as CTRL. – gablin Sep 21 '10 at 18:29

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