Question/Discussion on PointerDevice and other device capabilities classes

[SetTrend]

At Retrieve pointer properties it reads:

Note The values returned by the properties discussed here are based on all detected pointer devices: Boolean properties return non-zero if at least one device supports a specific capability, and numeric properties return the maximum value exposed by any one pointer device.

So ...

IReadOnlyList<PointerDevice> pointerDevices = Windows.Devices.Input.PointerDevice.GetPointerDevices();

... returns a list of PointerDevice objects, and each and every object in this list returns the same information?

• Why should it make sense to provide a list if each item in the list always returns the same values?

• Why do the different capabilities classes only provide a union set of all a device class' features?

• Doesn't UWP provide features to identify particular pointer, keyboard, touch, mouse devices and their features?

• There are specialized keyboards on the market, servicing special purposes. Shouldn't the KeyboardCapabilities class provide more properties than just KeyboardPresent. For accounting, for example, it makes a difference whether a numeric keypad is available or not.

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Document Details

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• ID: 1641e1a8-9b76-2985-3e12-49e20b79581d
• Version Independent ID: 30097945-bda2-fd54-9f39-871a79aac7f8
• Content: Identify input devices - UWP applications
• Content Source: windows-apps-src/design/input/identify-input-devices.md
• Product: uwp
• Technology: design
• GitHub Login: @Karl-Bridge-Microsoft
• Microsoft Alias: kbridge

[StephenLPeters]

PointerDevice is a part of Windows.UI.dll so I don't think that WinUI owns this? I'm moving it to project reunion but if that is wrong feel free to put it back on us and I'll find the right owner.