How come there is no Alt key in OSLib?

The IntKey module specifies three modifier keys: Shift, Ctrl and Alt (no distinction between left and right, but it also specifies combinations, for a total of eight different “values” for each key on the keyboard, in combination with the modifier keys). However, in OSLib, as far as I’ve been able to make out, there is no Alt. It has Logo (“Windows key”) and Menu, but not Alt. This appears an odd oversight to me, but I’m guessing there is a historical or practical reason for it. Does anyone know?

I can’t speak for OSLib, however unlike, say, DOS, RISC OS does not make use of Alt as a modifier key (like Alt-F4). That’s perhaps because the InternationalKeyboard module uses a lot of Alt key combinations to provide access to various characters not otherwise present on a British layout keyboard – like all the usual accented ones as well as things like ß and ©.

Here’s a list: https://www.riscosopen.org/wiki/documentation/show/Desktop%20interaction%20quick%20reference

That’s perhaps because the InternationalKeyboard module uses a lot of Alt key combinations to provide access to various characters not otherwise present on a British layout keyboard – like all the usual accented ones as well as things like ß and ©.

To paraphrase Nemo “you’re doing it wrong”
Not you personally, the whole mess.

Gerph sums it up in one simple yet concise sentence:

I’m not even going to get into the mess that was that InternationalKeyboard support and its intensely non-modular and difficult to implement ‘design’.

Haha! Seems there is a lot of mess under the hood. I guess I’ll find out the hard way (OSByte looks scary…).

Very interesting essay though! The mess notwithstanding, it seems they were working on a quite a few interesting features in RO4.