patch 8.2.0867: using \{xxx} for encoding a modifier is not nice

Problem:    Using \{xxx} for encoding a modifier is not nice.
Solution:   Use \<*xxx> instead, since it's the same as \<xxx> but producing a
            different code.

runtime/doc/eval.txt

@@ -1353,8 +1353,8 @@ A string constant accepts these special characters:
 	To use the double quote character it must be escaped: "<M-\">".
 	Don't use <Char-xxxx> to get a utf-8 character, use \uxxxx as
 	mentioned above.
-\{xxx}	like \<xxx> but prepends a modifier instead of including it in the
+\<*xxx>	Like \<xxx> but prepends a modifier instead of including it in the
-	character.  E.g. "\<C-w>" is one character 0x17 while "\{C-w}" is four
+	character.  E.g. "\<C-w>" is one character 0x17 while "\<*C-w>" is four
 	bytes: 3 for the CTRL modifier and then character "W".
 
 Note that "\xff" is stored as the byte 255, which may be invalid in some

src/misc2.c

@@ -2772,13 +2772,14 @@ find_special_key(
     int		modifiers;
     int		bit;
     int		key;
-    int		endchar = (flags & FSK_CURLY) ? '}' : '>';
     uvarnumber_T	n;
     int		l;
 
     src = *srcp;
-    if (src[0] != ((flags & FSK_CURLY) ? '{' : '<'))
+    if (src[0] != '<')
 	return 0;
+    if (src[1] == '*')	    // <*xxx>: do not simplify
+	++src;
 
     // Find end of modifier list
     last_dash = src;
@@ -2796,15 +2797,15 @@ find_special_key(
 		// Anything accepted, like <C-?>.
 		// <C-"> or <M-"> are not special in strings as " is
 		// the string delimiter. With a backslash it works: <M-\">
-		if (!(in_string && bp[1] == '"') && bp[l + 1] == endchar)
+		if (!(in_string && bp[1] == '"') && bp[l + 1] == '>')
 		    bp += l;
 		else if (in_string && bp[1] == '\\' && bp[2] == '"'
-							   && bp[3] == endchar)
+							   && bp[3] == '>')
 		    bp += 2;
 	    }
 	}
 	if (bp[0] == 't' && bp[1] == '_' && bp[2] && bp[3])
-	    bp += 3;	// skip t_xx, xx may be '-' or '>'/'}'
+	    bp += 3;	// skip t_xx, xx may be '-' or '>'
 	else if (STRNICMP(bp, "char-", 5) == 0)
 	{
 	    vim_str2nr(bp + 5, NULL, &l, STR2NR_ALL, NULL, NULL, 0, TRUE);
@@ -2818,7 +2819,7 @@ find_special_key(
 	}
     }
 
-    if (*bp == endchar)	// found matching '>' or '}'
+    if (*bp == '>')	// found matching '>'
     {
 	end_of_name = bp + 1;
 
@@ -2864,7 +2865,7 @@ find_special_key(
 		    l = mb_ptr2len(last_dash + off);
 		else
 		    l = 1;
-		if (modifiers != 0 && last_dash[l + off] == endchar)
+		if (modifiers != 0 && last_dash[l + off] == '>')
 		    key = PTR2CHAR(last_dash + off);
 		else
 		{

src/testdir/test_backspace_opt.vim

@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ func Test_backspace_ctrl_u()
 
   set cpo-=<
   inoremap <c-u> <left><c-u>
-  exe "normal Avim3\{C-U}\<Esc>\<CR>"
+  exe "normal Avim3\<*C-U>\<Esc>\<CR>"
   iunmap <c-u>
   exe "normal Avim4\<C-U>\<C-U>\<Esc>\<CR>"
 
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func Test_backspace_ctrl_u()
   exe "normal A vim6\<Esc>Azwei\<C-G>u\<C-U>\<Esc>\<CR>"
 
   inoremap <c-u> <left><c-u>
-  exe "normal A vim7\{C-U}\{C-U}\<Esc>\<CR>"
+  exe "normal A vim7\<*C-U>\<*C-U>\<Esc>\<CR>"
 
   call assert_equal([
         \ "1 this shouldn't be deleted",

src/testdir/test_mapping.vim

@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func Test_map_ctrl_c_insert()
   inoremap <c-c> <ctrl-c>
   cnoremap <c-c> dummy
   cunmap <c-c>
-  call feedkeys("GoTEST2: CTRL-C |\{C-C}A|\<Esc>", "xt")
+  call feedkeys("GoTEST2: CTRL-C |\<*C-C>A|\<Esc>", "xt")
   call assert_equal('TEST2: CTRL-C |<ctrl-c>A|', getline('$'))
   unmap! <c-c>
   set nomodified
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ endfunc
 func Test_map_ctrl_c_visual()
   " mapping of ctrl-c in Visual mode
   vnoremap <c-c> :<C-u>$put ='vmap works'
-  call feedkeys("GV\{C-C}\<CR>", "xt")
+  call feedkeys("GV\<*C-C>\<CR>", "xt")
   call assert_equal('vmap works', getline('$'))
   vunmap <c-c>
   set nomodified
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ endfunc
 
 func Test_map_meta_quotes()
   imap <M-"> foo
-  call feedkeys("Go-\{M-\"}-\<Esc>", "xt")
+  call feedkeys("Go-\<*M-\">-\<Esc>", "xt")
   call assert_equal("-foo-", getline('$'))
   set nomodified
   iunmap <M-">

src/testdir/test_messages.vim

@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ endfunc
 func Test_mapping_at_hit_return_prompt()
   nnoremap <C-B> :echo "hit ctrl-b"<CR>
   call feedkeys(":ls\<CR>", "xt")
-  call feedkeys("\{C-B}", "xt")
+  call feedkeys("\<*C-B>", "xt")
   call assert_match('hit ctrl-b', Screenline(&lines - 1))
   nunmap <C-B>
 endfunc

src/typval.c

@@ -1285,16 +1285,13 @@ get_string_tv(char_u **arg, typval_T *rettv, int evaluate)
 			  ++name;
 			  break;
 
-			  // Special key, e.g.: "\<C-W>" or "\{C-W}"
+			  // Special key, e.g.: "\<C-W>"
 		case '<':
-		case '{':
 			  {
 			      int flags = FSK_KEYCODE | FSK_IN_STRING;
 
-			      if (*p == '<')
+			      if (p[1] != '*')
 				  flags |= FSK_SIMPLIFY;
-			      else
-				  flags |= FSK_CURLY;
 			      extra = trans_special(&p, name, flags, NULL);
 			      if (extra != 0)
 			      {

src/version.c

@@ -746,6 +746,8 @@ static char *(features[]) =
 
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
+/**/
+    867,
 /**/
     866,
 /**/

src/vim.h

@@ -2666,6 +2666,5 @@ long elapsed(DWORD start_tick);
 #define FSK_KEEP_X_KEY	0x02	// don't translate xHome to Home key
 #define FSK_IN_STRING	0x04	// TRUE in string, double quote is escaped
 #define FSK_SIMPLIFY	0x08	// simplify <C-H> and <A-x>
-#define FSK_CURLY	0x10	// {C-x} instead of <C-x>
 
 #endif // VIM__H