RE: X compiled for evdev?

[Scot W. <sc...@wi...>]

A long time ago, James Simmons generously inscribed:
 >> You can have multiple keyboards:
 >	o either they get merged and look like one keyboard
 >	o or, if you use the X Input extension, it appears as another
 > input device.

I just wanted to point out a need for input "filters".  It would be 
helpful to be able to redirect input from specific devices, or to filter 
input through a userland program.

Barcode readers: Many barcode readers use keyboard wedges, but an 
environment may want to process barcode data differently than keyboard 
data -- even if a keyboard is also connected to the same hardware port. 
  A POS (cash register) app may want to show different screens when 
merchandise or gift certificate barcodes are read no matter which is the 
current input field.  A device with encoding different than direct 
keyboard emulation, such as a CueCat wand or raw on/off wand, may only 
need simple in->filter->out processing.

Software-intense input devices, such as non-standard "accessibility" 
input methods, may need complex processing.  Although the hardware may 
report it's a keyboard or mouse, physically it might be a few switches 
mounted on a wheelchair and the input may need to be directed through an 
X11 app so letters or words can be assembled before being presented as 
"keyboard" input to standard X11 apps.

I know several years ago there were X11 mods to support multiple input 
methods, but this got diverted to supporting only a single active input 
method (useful for selecting a keyboard for a language).  But as this 
group knows, system-level support is also needed -- fortunately this 
group already has done much of this work.