Element: pointerdown event
==========================

The `pointerdown` event is fired when a pointer becomes active. For mouse, it is fired when the device transitions from no buttons pressed to at least one button pressed. For touch, it is fired when physical contact is made with the digitizer. For pen, it is fired when the stylus makes physical contact with the digitizer.

**Note:** For touchscreen browsers that allow direct manipulation, a `pointerdown` event triggers implicit pointer capture, which causes the target to capture all subsequent pointer events as if they were occurring over the capturing target. Accordingly, `pointerover`, `pointerenter`, `pointerleave`, and `pointerout` **will not fire** as long as this capture is set. The capture can be released manually by calling `element.releasePointerCapture` on the target element, or it will be implicitly released after a `pointerup` or `pointercancel` event.

Syntax
------

Use the event name in methods like `addEventListener()`, or set an event handler property.


```js
addEventListener("pointerdown", (event) => {});

onpointerdown = (event) => {};
```

Event type
----------

A `PointerEvent`. Inherits from `Event`.

Event

UIEvent

MouseEvent

PointerEventEvent properties
----------------

*This interface inherits properties from `MouseEvent` and `Event`.*

`PointerEvent.altitudeAngle` Read only  
Experimental

Represents the angle between a transducer (a pointer or stylus) axis and the X-Y plane of a device screen.

`PointerEvent.azimuthAngle` Read only  
Experimental

Represents the angle between the Y-Z plane and the plane containing both the transducer (a pointer or stylus) axis and the Y axis.

`PointerEvent.pointerId` Read only 

A unique identifier for the pointer causing the event.

`PointerEvent.width` Read only 

The width (magnitude on the X axis), in CSS pixels, of the contact geometry of the pointer.

`PointerEvent.height` Read only 

The height (magnitude on the Y axis), in CSS pixels, of the contact geometry of the pointer.

`PointerEvent.pressure` Read only 

The normalized pressure of the pointer input in the range `0` to `1`, where `0` and `1` represent the minimum and maximum pressure the hardware is capable of detecting, respectively.

`PointerEvent.tangentialPressure` Read only 

The normalized tangential pressure of the pointer input (also known as barrel pressure or cylinder stress) in the range `-1` to `1`, where `0` is the neutral position of the control.

`PointerEvent.tiltX` Read only 

The plane angle (in degrees, in the range of `-90` to `90`) between the Y–Z plane and the plane containing both the pointer (e.g. pen stylus) axis and the Y axis.

`PointerEvent.tiltY` Read only 

The plane angle (in degrees, in the range of `-90` to `90`) between the X–Z plane and the plane containing both the pointer (e.g. pen stylus) axis and the X axis.

`PointerEvent.twist` Read only 

The clockwise rotation of the pointer (e.g. pen stylus) around its major axis in degrees, with a value in the range `0` to `359`.

`PointerEvent.pointerType` Read only 

Indicates the device type that caused the event (mouse, pen, touch, etc.).

`PointerEvent.isPrimary` Read only 

Indicates if the pointer represents the primary pointer of this pointer type.

Examples
--------

Using `addEventListener()`:


```js
const para = document.querySelector("p");

para.addEventListener("pointerdown", (event) => {
  console.log("Pointer down event");
});
```


Using the `onpointerdown` event handler property:


```js
const para = document.querySelector("p");

para.onpointerdown = (event) => {
  console.log("Pointer down event");
};
```

Specifications
--------------

| Specification |
| --- |
| Pointer Events # the-pointerdown-event |
| Pointer Events # dom-globaleventhandlers-onpointerdown |

Browser compatibility
---------------------

BCD tables only load in the browser with JavaScript enabled. Enable JavaScript to view data.

See also
--------

* Related events
    + `gotpointercapture`
    + `lostpointercapture`
    + `pointerover`
    + `pointerenter`
    + `pointerdown`
    + `pointermove`
    + `pointerup`
    + `pointercancel`
    + `pointerout`
    + `pointerleave`
    + `pointerrawupdate`