| For this to work (without creating a new or highly modified server) the
entire screen needs have a window mapped to it that will accept the
button press events and will not allow any other window to grab the
buttons.
This is not feasible for any environment where more than one
application runs, or even where the user expects to interact with the
window manager. One of the central paradigms of DECwindows and X is
that screens, keyboards, and mice are shared among applications.
If only part of the tablet were dedicated to the application, and its
window were in a fixed place then the rest of the screen would be
usable to other applications and this might work.
Using an industry-standard tablet connected to the comm port's RS-232
interface, you are more likely to have a more modular approach to
creating this application and a more satisfied customer.
In my experience with tablets, the legend on the template is typically
too small to read clearly and there's too much movement of the eyes
from tablet to screen, screen to tablet since there is no tactile
feedback as there is with a keyboard. The type of menus that tablets
are used for can be input much faster with pulldown and popup menus.
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You may wish to consider using something like a knob-box or button-box.
I'm not real sure as to what is available, but I do know items like this
exist.
In fact, in X11R4 there is a prototype extension/standard (XInput I think)
that supposedly is there for such items as those mentioned above. I don't
know all the details though.
Maybe this can help do what you want :^).
-=> Jim <=-
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