Why does the `BackSpace' key invoke help?

The BackSpace key (on every keyboard I've used) generates ASCII code 8. C-h sends the same code. In Emacs by default C-h invokes help-command. This is intended to be easy to remember since the first letter of "help" is "h". The easiest solution to this problem is to use C-h (and BackSpace) for help and DEL (the Delete key) for deleting the previous character.

For many people this solution may be problematic:

• They normally use BackSpace outside of Emacs for deleting the previous character typed. This can be solved by making DEL be the command for deleting the previous character outside of Emacs. This command will do this on many Unix systems:

    stty erase '^?'
  

• The person may prefer using the BackSpace key for deleting the previous character because it is more conveniently located on their keyboard or because they don't even have a separate Delete key. In this case, the BackSpace key should be made to behave like Delete. There are several methods.
• Under X Windows, the easiest solution is to change the BackSpace key

    into a Delete key like this:
  

      xmodmap -e "keysym BackSpace = Delete"
  

• Some terminals (eg., VT3## terminals) allow the character generated by

    the BackSpace key to be changed from a setup menu.
  

• You may be able to get a keyboard that is completely programmable.
• Under X or on a dumb terminal, it is possible to swap the BackSpace

    and Delete keys inside Emacs:
  

      (swap-keys ?\C-h ?\C-?)
  

    See section How do I "swap" two keys? for the implementation of swap-keys.
  

• Another approach is to switch keybindings and put help on "C-x h"

    instead:
  

      (global-set-key "\C-h" 'delete-backward-char)
      (global-set-key "\C-xh" 'help-command) ; override mark-whole-buffer
  

    Other popular key bindings for help are M-? and "C-x ?".
  

    WARNING: Don't try to bind DEL to help-command, because there are many
    modes that have local bindings of DEL that will interfere.