Re: [pointerevents] Stylus eraser: should it be a new pointerType instead of a button state?

Cross-posting Dave Fleck's [recent 
response](https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-pointer-events/2016JulSep/0300.html)
 that I missed:

> > On Aug 27, 2016, at 4:49 AM, Patrick H.Lauke via GitHub 
<sysbot+gh@w3.org> wrote:
> > 
> > So if I understand the current situation correctly: in 
Windows/Edge, 
> > erasing has been implemented/forced as a modifier key that's tied 
> > specifically to pressure on the digitizer (in the case of the 
Surface 
> > Pen, pressing eraser button while hovering has no effect, and it 
only 
> > acts as modifier once the tip touches the screen; in the case of 
the 
> > Wacom stylus, having the stylus flipped - which at low level is 
> > distinguished as being an erased mode switch - has no effect, and 
the 
> > hovering eraser is treated exactly the same as a hovering writing 
tip,
> > and only once the eraser has any pressure it's translated into a 
pen 
> > action with eraser modifier).
> 
> Backing up a bit.
> At the hardware HID protocol level there’s three bits of interest 
here:
> Invert = pen inverted or erase button depressed
> Tip = pressure on tip but no Invert
> Erase = pressure on tip while Inverted
> 
> What the system does with these:
> Tip -> left click
> Erase -> left click
> Invert ->  (sorry, this list is incomplete)
>       Mac: pointerType = Eraser
>       Windows Wintab: cursor number = 2 and orientation = -90 
degrees and TPS_INVERT is set in pkStatus
>       Windows: PointerPoint Properties IsEraser or IsInverted
>       X11: erase device send events
> 
> > The question for me is: are Microsoft likely to change the model 
and 
> > treat the eraser button not as a modifier, but as a means of 
switching
> > into "eraser mode", changing the `pointerType` to something new 
like 
> > `eraser`? Or will PE somehow have to cater for both models (eraser
 as 
> > modifier vs eraser as its own tool/type)?
> 
> “eraser mode” is a “modifier” as opposed to an action.
> 
> This behavior is ages old and highly unlikely to change.
> 
> I think the suggestion of having an eraser pointer type caters to 
both models.
> 
> I’ll be off the grid for the next week and a half so sorry if I 
don’t follow up.
> 

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Received on Tuesday, 30 August 2016 17:52:19 UTC