Windows: ESC key only works in "raw" tab (regression, patch inside)

[avih]

This issue has been mentioned before, but with no real solution (#1994, #2274).

Description of the problem or steps to reproduce

The ESC key seems to be ignored on Windows, but shows OK at the "raw" tab.

Steps:

Press Ctrl-e for command mode.
Press ESC

Expected result: The command pane closes
Actual result: nothing happens

If typing Ctrl-e and then raw and enter, and then pressing ESC, each press shows as:

EventKey: Esc: ""

Specifications

Version: 2.0.12
Commit hash: c2cebaa
Compiled on September 06, 2023

Also happens on any pre-built 2.0 version (first pre-built binary is 2.0.0-rc3).

Doesn't happen on the 1.4.1 pre-built binary. I.e. ESC is recognized and the command pane is closed, selection gets deselected, etc.

OS: Windows 10, Windows 7.

Terminal:
Windows 10: native console and Windows terminal (several versions, up to current latest - 1.19).
Windows 7: native console.

Analysis:

The issue appears to be a regression of commit 37a4cbf, by this part of the diff:

diff --git a/cmd/micro/action/bindings.go b/cmd/micro/action/bindings.go
index 3ed86dc0..2b5173a3 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/action/bindings.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/action/bindings.go
@@ -99,30 +99,32 @@ modSearch:
        // marked escape sequences for control keys
        // We should check for Control keys first
        if modifiers&tcell.ModCtrl != 0 {
                // see if the key is in bindingKeys with the Ctrl prefix.
                k = string(unicode.ToUpper(rune(k[0]))) + k[1:]
                if code, ok := keyEvents["Ctrl"+k]; ok {
                        var r tcell.Key
-                       if code < 256 {
+                       // Special case for escape, for some reason tcell doesn't send it with the esc character
+                       if code < 256 && code != 27 {
                                r = code
                        }
                        // It is, we're done.
                        return KeyEvent{
                                code: code,
                                mod:  modifiers,
                                r:    rune(r),
                        }, true
                }
        }

        // See if we can find the key in bindingKeys
        if code, ok := keyEvents[k]; ok {
                var r tcell.Key
-               if code < 256 {
+               // Special case for escape, for some reason tcell doesn't send it with the esc character
+               if code < 256 && code != 27 {
                        r = code
                }
                return KeyEvent{
                        code: code,
                        mod:  modifiers,
                        r:    rune(r),
                }, true

And indeed, removing the code != 27 part of the conditions makes ESC great again on Windows too (I'm guessing only the 2nd condition matters, because Ctrl-ESC is intercepted by the system on Windows. Not sure though).

This "fix" works on both windows 7 and 10, both windows terminal and native console, and makes ESC close the command pane, deselect, abort an action which asks (y,n,esc), etc - all of which don't work in the current version on Windows.

I don't know if that's a correct fix, but it does seem to suggest that the comment is incorrect on Windows.

[Rawrior]

I'm experiencing the same behavior of the escape not working, but Micro catching it in raw.
Windows 10 Enterprise, Powershell 7.4, Micro 2.0.12 (commit hash c2cebaa3)

[dev-nicolaos]

Also seeing this on Windows 11 Enterprise with the latest version of micro (v2.0.113)