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(elisp)Quoted Character Input

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Quoted Character Input
----------------------

   You can use the function `read-quoted-char' to ask the user to
specify a character, and allow the user to specify a control or meta
character conveniently, either literally or as an octal character code.
The command `quoted-insert' uses this function.

 - Function: read-quoted-char &optional prompt
     This function is like `read-char', except that if the first
     character read is an octal digit (0-7), it reads any number of
     octal digits (but stopping if a non-octal digit is found), and
     returns the character represented by that numeric character code.

     Quitting is suppressed when the first character is read, so that
     the user can enter a `C-g'.  Note: Quitting.

     If PROMPT is supplied, it specifies a string for prompting the
     user.  The prompt string is always displayed in the echo area,
     followed by a single `-'.

     In the following example, the user types in the octal number 177
     (which is 127 in decimal).

          (read-quoted-char "What character")
          
          ---------- Echo Area ----------
          What character-177
          ---------- Echo Area ----------
          
               => 127