W3C Web Events Working Group
Web Events Working Group
What are Touch Events?
Touch events, also known as multitouch events, are scriptable input actions which typically use a pen or finger on a touch-sensitive surface to manipulate the user interface of the device; this is distinct from a keyboard or mouse interface. Touch events may be input onto an external tablet, on an electronic whiteboard writing surface, on a projected wall or table, or directly on the screen of a mobile device such as a smartphone.
What are User-Action Events?
User-action events
, also known as
semantic events
intentional events
representational events
, and other names, are high-level input actions which capture and report the intent of the user's action directly, rather than reporting the associated hardware input event which triggered the action. Any one of these events may be activated by many different means, such as a combination of keys, a menu selection, a mouse click, or a touch gesture, but all refer to the same intent. For example, when a user wishes to undo an action, they may type
ctrl/cmd+z
, select the
undo
command from the
edit
menu with their mouse, or shake their smartphone, but all of these physical actions would be represented on the higher level by an
undo
event. This higher-level of abstraction makes it easier for webapp developers to make a single app which works across different devices without needing to recode for each input device, and it also helps with accessibility.
The W3C Web Events Working Group was closed on 5 November 2013, having successfully published the
Touch Events specification
as a Recommendation, as well as the
Touch Events Extensions Note
non-normative addendum.
Errata, comments, and questions about the Touch Events specification can be directed to the
Touch Events Community Group
. More advanced work on touch, pointer and mouse events continues in the
Pointer Events Working Group
The W3C Web Events Working Group was
chartered
to develop specifications for physical multitouch interface events (including such related interface as pen-tablets, electronic whiteboards, and similar input devices), as well as for higher-level events which encapsulate touch interfaces, keyboard input, mouse control, and other input devices, into a single simple, consistent model that defines
user actions
(such as
zoom-in
scroll
redo
undo
, and so forth).
This group works in public, with details in the
WG's
Work Mode
document
and the
WG's Wiki
A detailed list of this group's
publications and their status
will be available in one of the W3C's
CVS or Mercurial
systems.
The W3C Team Contact for the Web Events Working Group is
Doug Schepers
The Chair of the Working Group is
Art Barstow
Upcoming Meetings
To be determined.
News
W3C Launches Web Events Working Group
28 October 2010
Archive
W3C today launches the
Web Events Working Group
, whose
chartered
mission is to provide methods to enable the use of multi-touch and pen-tablet input on devices of all types. Web browsers and mobile devices are making increasing use of touch-sensitive inputs, such as with a screen, trackpad, or tablet interface, as the primary or supplementary interface for web applications. A related class of devices, including drawing tablets, interactive surfaces, pen devices, digital whiteboards, and spatial sensors, are also becoming more Web-enabled, driving the need to account for a wider range of capability than simple touch interfaces. The aim of this group is to determine an appropriate set of functionality to standardize, and to define those features in way that may be deployed quickly, widely, and interoperably. Learn more about the
Rich Web Client Activity
Web Events WG Microblog Feed
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