[RFC PATCH libinput 1/2] Add a string-based input API

[Hans de Goede]

Hi,

On 09-12-14 03:49, Bill Spitzak wrote:
>
>
> On 12/08/2014 06:37 PM, Peter Hutterer wrote:
>> On Mon, Dec 08, 2014 at 11:03:58AM -0800, Bill Spitzak wrote:
>>> Shouldn't this use the same api as the input methods, since it is in fact an
>>> input method?
>>
>> please explain
>
> Never mind, I think this is not talking about text input, but about using UTF-8 strings to identify keys rather than the keysym or keycode enumerations.

No this is about input-method like functionality.

This is mostly the result of a discussion on accessibility held
at XDC Bordeaux. Some braille keyboards do all braille processing in
firmware, and send out ready to use strings.

So this is to for devices which have input-method like functionality
including things like combining a sequence of braille dots into text,
build into the device. We would like to support these devices at the
libinput level (and from there on also at higher levels of the stack).

Currently (IIRC) these devices do double translation, so the ready to
use text gets converted into keycodes again, and then back, which is
bound to be lossy, and a bad idea in general, so we want to get rid
of the double translation for these.

We're by no means experts in this area so feedback is very much welcome.

Regards,

Hans