>> On a type writer or a real computer, it's a logical OR function.  When
>> both are down (shift lock OR up shift OR both), letter keys generate
>> capitals.  This is what people expect.

I used "shift lock" when meaning "caps lock" in an attempt
to add variety of word usage.  This was a mistake.  I should
have said "(caps lock OR up shift OR both)" in the above.

> I wonder what people "expect" this?  Aged typists?

Maybe people who can read the keycaps.  All my keyboards
label the caps lock key as "caps lock".  From this legend,
I believe it _should_ mean that you are locking the letter
portion of the keyboard in an upper case state.

> The Caps Lock (AKA: Alpha Lock) on a REAL computer whether
> PC or otherwise is a *brilliant* feature.

I agree.  I don't know why the PC keyboard driver writers
broke a well defined function (caps lock == upper case alpha).

>> On the PC, it's a logical XOR function.  When both are down (caps lock
>> AND up shift), pressing a letter key gets you a lower case letter.

> My other machine uses the German overlay [...]  Hash is an
> unshifted character, as are beta (s-tzet) and umlauts, and
> mu, "squared" and a few other novelties are available as
> shifted.  In addition, caret and single quotes are prefix
> keys which make up accented vowels.

I don't know sufficient German to address these specifics.

> So far so good on this, but while it is OK that the shift lock
> is un-locked by the shift key, some MORON in the code page
> department of you-know-what organisation has decided that it is,
> cretinous typewriter-style, truly a SHIFT Lock for ALL keys.

Ah, another "feature" that we can thank them for.

>>  I have always considered this a bug (not a feature) in the PC
>> keyboard driver.

> I challenge Lee to try typing on this German keyboard awhile and see
> whether he would not rather keep the caps lock toggle and XOR function!

And I challenge Paul to explain why proper caps lock
functionality can't be considered part of the national
language setup and keyboard mappings!

The caps lock and up shift keys can certainly behave
differently for US and for German keyboards.  Each can
provide the most "natural" functionality for the native
speakers (typers?) of that language.
                                                Lee Jones