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 =================
 Input event codes
 =================
 
 
 The input protocol uses a map of types and codes to express input device values
 to userspace. This document describes the types and codes and how and when they
 may be used.
 
 A single hardware event generates multiple input events. Each input event
 contains the new value of a single data item. A special event type, EV_SYN, is
 used to separate input events into packets of input data changes occurring at
 the same moment in time. In the following, the term "event" refers to a single
 input event encompassing a type, code, and value.
 
 The input protocol is a stateful protocol. Events are emitted only when values
 of event codes have changed. However, the state is maintained within the Linux
 input subsystem; drivers do not need to maintain the state and may attempt to
 emit unchanged values without harm. Userspace may obtain the current state of
 event code values using the EVIOCG* ioctls defined in linux/input.h. The event
 reports supported by a device are also provided by sysfs in
 class/input/event*/device/capabilities/, and the properties of a device are
 provided in class/input/event*/device/properties.
 
 Event types
 ===========
 
 Event types are groupings of codes under a logical input construct. Each
 type has a set of applicable codes to be used in generating events. See the
 Codes section for details on valid codes for each type.
 
 * EV_SYN:
 
   - Used as markers to separate events. Events may be separated in time or in
     space, such as with the multitouch protocol.
 
 * EV_KEY:
 
   - Used to describe state changes of keyboards, buttons, or other key-like
     devices.
 
 * EV_REL:
 
   - Used to describe relative axis value changes, e.g. moving the mouse 5 units
     to the left.
 
 * EV_ABS:
 
   - Used to describe absolute axis value changes, e.g. describing the
     coordinates of a touch on a touchscreen.
 
 * EV_MSC:
 
   - Used to describe miscellaneous input data that do not fit into other types.
 
 * EV_SW:
 
   - Used to describe binary state input switches.
 
 * EV_LED:
 
   - Used to turn LEDs on devices on and off.
 
 * EV_SND:
 
   - Used to output sound to devices.
 
 * EV_REP:
 
   - Used for autorepeating devices.
 
 * EV_FF:
 
   - Used to send force feedback commands to an input device.
 
 * EV_PWR:
 
   - A special type for power button and switch input.
 
 * EV_FF_STATUS:
 
   - Used to receive force feedback device status.
 
 Event codes
 ===========
 
 Event codes define the precise type of event.
 
 EV_SYN
 ------
 
 EV_SYN event values are undefined. Their usage is defined only by when they are
 sent in the evdev event stream.
 
 * SYN_REPORT:
 
   - Used to synchronize and separate events into packets of input data changes
     occurring at the same moment in time. For example, motion of a mouse may set
     the REL_X and REL_Y values for one motion, then emit a SYN_REPORT. The next
     motion will emit more REL_X and REL_Y values and send another SYN_REPORT.
 
 * SYN_CONFIG:
 
   - TBD
 
 * SYN_MT_REPORT:
 
   - Used to synchronize and separate touch events. See the
     multi-touch-protocol.txt document for more information.
 
 * SYN_DROPPED:
 
   - Used to indicate buffer overrun in the evdev client's event queue.
     Client should ignore all events up to and including next SYN_REPORT
     event and query the device (using EVIOCG* ioctls) to obtain its
     current state.
 
 EV_KEY
 ------
 
 EV_KEY events take the form KEY_<name> or BTN_<name>. For example, KEY_A is used
 to represent the 'A' key on a keyboard. When a key is depressed, an event with
 the key's code is emitted with value 1. When the key is released, an event is
 emitted with value 0. Some hardware send events when a key is repeated. These
 events have a value of 2. In general, KEY_<name> is used for keyboard keys, and
 BTN_<name> is used for other types of momentary switch events.
 
 A few EV_KEY codes have special meanings:
 
 * BTN_TOOL_<name>:
 
   - These codes are used in conjunction with input trackpads, tablets, and
     touchscreens. These devices may be used with fingers, pens, or other tools.
     When an event occurs and a tool is used, the corresponding BTN_TOOL_<name>
     code should be set to a value of 1. When the tool is no longer interacting
     with the input device, the BTN_TOOL_<name> code should be reset to 0. All
     trackpads, tablets, and touchscreens should use at least one BTN_TOOL_<name>
     code when events are generated. Likewise all trackpads, tablets, and
     touchscreens should export only one BTN_TOOL_<name> at a time. To not break
     existing userspace, it is recommended to not switch tool in one EV_SYN frame
     but first emitting the old BTN_TOOL_<name> at 0, then emit one SYN_REPORT
     and then set the new BTN_TOOL_<name> at 1.
 
 * BTN_TOUCH:
 
     BTN_TOUCH is used for touch contact. While an input tool is determined to be
     within meaningful physical contact, the value of this property must be set
     to 1. Meaningful physical contact may mean any contact, or it may mean
     contact conditioned by an implementation defined property. For example, a
     touchpad may set the value to 1 only when the touch pressure rises above a
     certain value. BTN_TOUCH may be combined with BTN_TOOL_<name> codes. For
     example, a pen tablet may set BTN_TOOL_PEN to 1 and BTN_TOUCH to 0 while the
     pen is hovering over but not touching the tablet surface.
 
 Note: For appropriate function of the legacy mousedev emulation driver,
 BTN_TOUCH must be the first evdev code emitted in a synchronization frame.
 
 Note: Historically a touch device with BTN_TOOL_FINGER and BTN_TOUCH was
 interpreted as a touchpad by userspace, while a similar device without
 BTN_TOOL_FINGER was interpreted as a touchscreen. For backwards compatibility
 with current userspace it is recommended to follow this distinction. In the
 future, this distinction will be deprecated and the device properties ioctl
 EVIOCGPROP, defined in linux/input.h, will be used to convey the device type.
 
 * BTN_TOOL_FINGER, BTN_TOOL_DOUBLETAP, BTN_TOOL_TRIPLETAP, BTN_TOOL_QUADTAP:
 
   - These codes denote one, two, three, and four finger interaction on a
     trackpad or touchscreen. For example, if the user uses two fingers and moves
     them on the touchpad in an effort to scroll content on screen,
     BTN_TOOL_DOUBLETAP should be set to value 1 for the duration of the motion.
     Note that all BTN_TOOL_<name> codes and the BTN_TOUCH code are orthogonal in
     purpose. A trackpad event generated by finger touches should generate events
     for one code from each group. At most only one of these BTN_TOOL_<name>
     codes should have a value of 1 during any synchronization frame.
 
 Note: Historically some drivers emitted multiple of the finger count codes with
 a value of 1 in the same synchronization frame. This usage is deprecated.
 
 Note: In multitouch drivers, the input_mt_report_finger_count() function should
 be used to emit these codes. Please see multi-touch-protocol.txt for details.
 
 EV_REL
 ------
 
 EV_REL events describe relative changes in a property. For example, a mouse may
 move to the left by a certain number of units, but its absolute position in
 space is unknown. If the absolute position is known, EV_ABS codes should be used
 instead of EV_REL codes.
 
 A few EV_REL codes have special meanings:
 
 * REL_WHEEL, REL_HWHEEL:
 
   - These codes are used for vertical and horizontal scroll wheels,
     respectively. The value is the number of detents moved on the wheel, the
     physical size of which varies by device. For high-resolution wheels
     this may be an approximation based on the high-resolution scroll events,
     see REL_WHEEL_HI_RES. These event codes are legacy codes and
     REL_WHEEL_HI_RES and REL_HWHEEL_HI_RES should be preferred where
     available.
 
 * REL_WHEEL_HI_RES, REL_HWHEEL_HI_RES:
 
   - High-resolution scroll wheel data. The accumulated value 120 represents
     movement by one detent. For devices that do not provide high-resolution
     scrolling, the value is always a multiple of 120. For devices with
     high-resolution scrolling, the value may be a fraction of 120.
 
     If a vertical scroll wheel supports high-resolution scrolling, this code
     will be emitted in addition to REL_WHEEL or REL_HWHEEL. The REL_WHEEL
     and REL_HWHEEL may be an approximation based on the high-resolution
     scroll events. There is no guarantee that the high-resolution data
     is a multiple of 120 at the time of an emulated REL_WHEEL or REL_HWHEEL
     event.
 
 EV_ABS
 ------
 
 EV_ABS events describe absolute changes in a property. For example, a touchpad
 may emit coordinates for a touch location.
 
 A few EV_ABS codes have special meanings:
 
 * ABS_DISTANCE:
 
   - Used to describe the distance of a tool from an interaction surface. This
     event should only be emitted while the tool is hovering, meaning in close
     proximity of the device and while the value of the BTN_TOUCH code is 0. If
     the input device may be used freely in three dimensions, consider ABS_Z
     instead.
   - BTN_TOOL_<name> should be set to 1 when the tool comes into detectable
     proximity and set to 0 when the tool leaves detectable proximity.
     BTN_TOOL_<name> signals the type of tool that is currently detected by the
     hardware and is otherwise independent of ABS_DISTANCE and/or BTN_TOUCH.
 
 * ABS_MT_<name>:
 
   - Used to describe multitouch input events. Please see
     multi-touch-protocol.txt for details.
 
 * ABS_PRESSURE/ABS_MT_PRESSURE:
 
    - For touch devices, many devices converted contact size into pressure.
      A finger flattens with pressure, causing a larger contact area and thus
      pressure and contact size are directly related. This is not the case
      for other devices, for example digitizers and touchpads with a true
      pressure sensor ("pressure pads").
 
      A device should set the resolution of the axis to indicate whether the
      pressure is in measurable units. If the resolution is zero, the
      pressure data is in arbitrary units. If the resolution is non-zero, the
      pressure data is in units/gram. For example, a value of 10 with a
      resolution of 1 represents 10 gram, a value of 10 with a resolution of
      1000 represents 10 microgram.
 
 EV_SW
 -----
 
 EV_SW events describe stateful binary switches. For example, the SW_LID code is
 used to denote when a laptop lid is closed.
 
 Upon binding to a device or resuming from suspend, a driver must report
 the current switch state. This ensures that the device, kernel, and userspace
 state is in sync.
 
 Upon resume, if the switch state is the same as before suspend, then the input
 subsystem will filter out the duplicate switch state reports. The driver does
 not need to keep the state of the switch at any time.
 
 EV_MSC
 ------
 
 EV_MSC events are used for input and output events that do not fall under other
 categories.
 
 A few EV_MSC codes have special meaning:
 
 * MSC_TIMESTAMP:
 
   - Used to report the number of microseconds since the last reset. This event
     should be coded as an uint32 value, which is allowed to wrap around with
     no special consequence. It is assumed that the time difference between two
     consecutive events is reliable on a reasonable time scale (hours).
     A reset to zero can happen, in which case the time since the last event is
     unknown.  If the device does not provide this information, the driver must
     not provide it to user space.
 
 EV_LED
 ------
 
 EV_LED events are used for input and output to set and query the state of
 various LEDs on devices.
 
 EV_REP
 ------
 
 EV_REP events are used for specifying autorepeating events.
 
 EV_SND
 ------
 
 EV_SND events are used for sending sound commands to simple sound output
 devices.
 
 EV_FF
 -----
 
 EV_FF events are used to initialize a force feedback capable device and to cause
 such device to feedback.
 
 EV_PWR
 ------
 
 EV_PWR events are a special type of event used specifically for power
 management. Its usage is not well defined. To be addressed later.
 
 Device properties
 =================
 
 Normally, userspace sets up an input device based on the data it emits,
 i.e., the event types. In the case of two devices emitting the same event
 types, additional information can be provided in the form of device
 properties.
 
 INPUT_PROP_DIRECT + INPUT_PROP_POINTER
 --------------------------------------
 
 The INPUT_PROP_DIRECT property indicates that device coordinates should be
 directly mapped to screen coordinates (not taking into account trivial
 transformations, such as scaling, flipping and rotating). Non-direct input
 devices require non-trivial transformation, such as absolute to relative
 transformation for touchpads. Typical direct input devices: touchscreens,
 drawing tablets; non-direct devices: touchpads, mice.
 
 The INPUT_PROP_POINTER property indicates that the device is not transposed
 on the screen and thus requires use of an on-screen pointer to trace user's
 movements.  Typical pointer devices: touchpads, tablets, mice; non-pointer
 device: touchscreen.
 
 If neither INPUT_PROP_DIRECT or INPUT_PROP_POINTER are set, the property is
 considered undefined and the device type should be deduced in the
 traditional way, using emitted event types.
 
 INPUT_PROP_BUTTONPAD
 --------------------
 
 For touchpads where the button is placed beneath the surface, such that
 pressing down on the pad causes a button click, this property should be
 set. Common in Clickpad notebooks and Macbooks from 2009 and onwards.
 
 Originally, the buttonpad property was coded into the bcm5974 driver
 version field under the name integrated button. For backwards
 compatibility, both methods need to be checked in userspace.
 
 INPUT_PROP_SEMI_MT
 ------------------
 
 Some touchpads, most common between 2008 and 2011, can detect the presence
 of multiple contacts without resolving the individual positions; only the
 number of contacts and a rectangular shape is known. For such
 touchpads, the SEMI_MT property should be set.
 
 Depending on the device, the rectangle may enclose all touches, like a
 bounding box, or just some of them, for instance the two most recent
 touches. The diversity makes the rectangle of limited use, but some
 gestures can normally be extracted from it.
 
 If INPUT_PROP_SEMI_MT is not set, the device is assumed to be a true MT
 device.
 
 INPUT_PROP_TOPBUTTONPAD
 -----------------------
 
 Some laptops, most notably the Lenovo 40 series provide a trackstick
 device but do not have physical buttons associated with the trackstick
 device. Instead, the top area of the touchpad is marked to show
 visual/haptic areas for left, middle, right buttons intended to be used
 with the trackstick.
 
 If INPUT_PROP_TOPBUTTONPAD is set, userspace should emulate buttons
 accordingly. This property does not affect kernel behavior.
 The kernel does not provide button emulation for such devices but treats
 them as any other INPUT_PROP_BUTTONPAD device.
 
 INPUT_PROP_ACCELEROMETER
 ------------------------
 
 Directional axes on this device (absolute and/or relative x, y, z) represent
 accelerometer data. Some devices also report gyroscope data, which devices
 can report through the rotational axes (absolute and/or relative rx, ry, rz).
 
 All other axes retain their meaning. A device must not mix
 regular directional axes and accelerometer axes on the same event node.
 
 Guidelines
 ==========
 
 The guidelines below ensure proper single-touch and multi-finger functionality.
 For multi-touch functionality, see the multi-touch-protocol.rst document for
 more information.
 
 Mice
 ----
 
 REL_{X,Y} must be reported when the mouse moves. BTN_LEFT must be used to report
 the primary button press. BTN_{MIDDLE,RIGHT,4,5,etc.} should be used to report
 further buttons of the device. REL_WHEEL and REL_HWHEEL should be used to report
 scroll wheel events where available.
 
 Touchscreens
 ------------
 
 ABS_{X,Y} must be reported with the location of the touch. BTN_TOUCH must be
 used to report when a touch is active on the screen.
 BTN_{MOUSE,LEFT,MIDDLE,RIGHT} must not be reported as the result of touch
 contact. BTN_TOOL_<name> events should be reported where possible.
 
 For new hardware, INPUT_PROP_DIRECT should be set.
 
 Trackpads
 ---------
 
 Legacy trackpads that only provide relative position information must report
 events like mice described above.
 
 Trackpads that provide absolute touch position must report ABS_{X,Y} for the
 location of the touch. BTN_TOUCH should be used to report when a touch is active
 on the trackpad. Where multi-finger support is available, BTN_TOOL_<name> should
 be used to report the number of touches active on the trackpad.
 
 For new hardware, INPUT_PROP_POINTER should be set.
 
 Tablets
 -------
 
 BTN_TOOL_<name> events must be reported when a stylus or other tool is active on
 the tablet. ABS_{X,Y} must be reported with the location of the tool. BTN_TOUCH
 should be used to report when the tool is in contact with the tablet.
 BTN_{STYLUS,STYLUS2} should be used to report buttons on the tool itself. Any
 button may be used for buttons on the tablet except BTN_{MOUSE,LEFT}.
 BTN_{0,1,2,etc} are good generic codes for unlabeled buttons. Do not use
 meaningful buttons, like BTN_FORWARD, unless the button is labeled for that
 purpose on the device.
 
 For new hardware, both INPUT_PROP_DIRECT and INPUT_PROP_POINTER should be set.

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