* Richard Bytheway -- Monday 30 June 2003 10:20:
> To get both fine step and constant rate modes, could it be 
> implemented something like the standard PC keyboard interface?
> That is you get a single "click" if you press the button for
> less than 0.2 second or so, and only after that does it go
> into "bananas per second" mode.    

IMHO not necessary. Let me explain: The ominous patch does

 - not affect the analog axes =at all=
 - not affect ordinary buttons =at all=
 - only throttle "repeatable" buttons to a constant trigger
   rate, so as to make the step sizes CPU independent; This
   trigger rate could well be 50 or 100 Hz if deemed
   necessary.

What are repeatable buttons used for?

 - to let a digital input device (regular button, or digital hat
   switch) emulate an analog device

I looked through all joystick config files and here is what
repeatable buttons are used for:

 - set the view direction & elevation via hat switch
 - set rudder & elevator & aileron trim
 - set engine boost & mixture & propeller pitch
 - set rudder (only in my own joystick file :-)

Emulating an analog axis with two buttons is only a workaround
for a missing real analog device. It can in any case only be
used for things that don't require smoother operation than
can be guaranteed by constant 50 or 100 Hz trigger rate,
given that the time from starting to push the button until
the contacts are closed is arbitrary, and that you never
know the current position and state. (I have to use a third
button to center the rudder. How smooth can the rudder operation
be made even on a 20 GHz computer, if it relies on three buttons
and a human?  ;-)

But again: all this won't be a problem for =me=. I know how
to fix it for my computer, and it'll be a while until I can
afford a faster one, anyway. So, in fact, I don't really care.
(Maybe the thousand users are what matters ...)

m.

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