Input client library

Overview

The input library tracks available input devices, manages device state, and allows the session to register handlers for events.

The session creates an input pipeline that is configured for the specific product. First, the session decides which types of input devices the input pipeline should support. Then, the session registers input handlers for input events.

The input library provides implementations for common input handlers, such as Scenic and input method editors (IME). After the session instantiates components that consume input, the input pipeline directly sends input events to those components through the registered input handlers.

Input pipeline

An input pipeline manages InputDeviceBindings and InputHandlers.

• An InputDeviceBinding represents a connection to a physical input device (e.g. mouse, keyboard).
• An InputHandler represents a client of InputEvents.

An input pipeline routes input from physical devices to various clients by doing the following:

1. Detects and binds to new input devices as they appear in /dev/class/input-report.
2. Propagates InputEvents through InputHandlers.

Session authors are responsible for setting up input pipelines. More details on how can be found in input_pipeline.rs.

InputDeviceBinding

An InputDeviceBinding does the following:

1. Connects to an InputReport file located at /dev/class/input-report/XXX.
2. Generates InputEvents from the DeviceDescriptor and incoming InputReports.

The input pipeline creates and owns InputDeviceBindings as new input peripherals are connected to a device.

InputHandler

When an InputHandler receives an InputEvent, it does at least one of the following:

• Forwards the InputEvent to the relevant client component.
• Outputs a vector of InputEvents for the next InputHandler to process.

InputHandlers must satisfy at least one of these conditions, but otherwise their implementation details can vary.

The developer guide includes an example implementation of an InputHandler.