7. Kodi Input

7. Kodi Input

If the event isn't handled by the Game API, it is sent to a default controller (basically a Xbox 360 controller). The default controller translates it to a key for the file joystick.xml.

joystick.xml belongs to Kodi's keymap system. It maps a standardized Xbox 360 controller to Kodi actions. It looks something like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<keymap>
  <global>
    <joystick>
      <a>Select</a>
      <b>Back</b>
      <x>ContextMenu</x>
      <y>FullScreen</y>
      <start>ActivateWindow(PlayerControls)</start>
      <back>Back</back>
      <left>Left</left>
      <right>Right</right>
      <up>Up</up>
      <down>Down</down>
      <leftthumbbutton>Screenshot</leftthumbbutton>
      <rightthumbbutton>ActivateWindow(ShutdownMenu)</rightthumbbutton>
      <leftstickleft>AnalogSeekBack</leftstickleft>
      <leftstickright>AnalogSeekForward</leftstickright>
      <rightstickup>VolumeUp</rightstickup>
      <rightstickdown>VolumeDown</rightstickdown>
      <guide>ActivateWindow(Home)</guide>
      <lefttrigger>ScrollUp</lefttrigger>
      <righttrigger>ScrollDown</righttrigger>
    </joystick>
  </global>
</keymap>

Previously, this was 4,000 lines of XML across many files that encoded a large database of how the buttons/hats/axes reported by the driver map to Kodi actions depending on driver name and platform. This mass of data has been moved to a peripheral add-on; joystick keymapping is now a much more pleasant experience.