[Xcb] What needs to be done for keyboard support?

[Stefan O'Rear]

On Wed, Jun 06, 2007 at 07:03:41PM -0700, Barton C Massey wrote:
> In message <20070606222247.GA3110 at localhost.localdomain> you wrote:
> > I am writing a terminal emulator using XCB.
> 
> Awesome!

Thanks :)

> > Having already looked at the xcb@ archives, I see the presense of a
> > util/keysym library, however it is not in Debian sid - is this just
> > immaturity, or is that project dead?
> 
> A little of both, I think.  No one has worked on it in a
> long time as far as I can recall, and it is pretty primitive
> in the functionality that it offers.
> 
> > What needs to be done to implement a usable keyboard
> > support system for XCB?  I am willing to help.
> 
> I think the current library would be "usable", but what
> really wants to be done is for someone to open the Xkb can
> of worms.  Several of us have peeked into the can, and then
> slammed the lid shut. :-)
> 
> Probably the best plan would be for somebody to propose a
> reasonable architecture for XCB keyboard input, and then we
> can talk about how to implement it.  Want to look at this
> for us?
> 
> (My apologies if I've forgotten some crucial piece of work
> someone's already done.  If so, please speak up!  My memory
> isn't so great.)

I must confess pretty much complete ignorance of X keyboard input
extensions.  I know about keycodes and keysyms and stuff (I've even
written a few keyboard drivers) - but Xi and Xkb are totally beyond me.

One simplifying circumstance is that this is a minimalist system.  Once
Xlib is linked, I might as well be using urxvt; thus I can summarily
reject anything which depends on libX11 :)

Also I have no real picture of the Grand Design of XCB, which is
something I'd like to get before I do any serious design; inconsistant
library interfaces are Bad.

Stefan