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TPC_E_INVALID_INPUT_RECT
Meaning and numerical form
TPC_E_INVALID_INPUT_RECT is HRESULT 2147746329 (0x80040219; signed -2147220967). AllStat records its meaning as “TabletPC inking error code. An invalid input rectangle was specified”. In practical terms, it is returned when an ink or recognition operation receives an input rectangle whose geometry is invalid for the requested context.
The severity bit in 0x80040219 is set, so this result is a failure result rather than a success or informational status. Its facility is 4 (FACILITY_ITF) and its low 16-bit code is 537 (0x0219). Those fields classify the value but do not identify the component instance, call, object or input that produced it.
Where the failure belongs
This result belongs to Tablet PC ink, stylus and recognition. Tablet PC APIs span device enumeration, RealTimeStylus packet queues, ink-object lifetime and recognizer-specific capabilities. The numerical facility does not identify which Tablet PC layer produced the result. The decisive condition is this: an ink or recognition operation receives an input rectangle whose geometry is invalid for the requested context. Record the first native producer instead of relying only on a framework exception translated several layers later.
Do not infer from this result alone that reinstalling, rebooting or repeating the whole workflow is appropriate. Because it can cross process and language boundaries, its correction depends on the object identity, lifecycle generation, input and state at the first failing call.
Evidence to collect
A useful this result record includes the native API or interface method, component or CLSID, process and thread IDs, architecture, apartment where relevant, operation correlation ID, elapsed time, input identity, and the first state-changing event before failure. When diagnosing it, preserve IErrorInfo, an inner HRESULT, Win32 status, device event or provider message when available.
- Capture 1 for it: all four rectangle coordinates before marshaling.
- Capture 2 for it: source coordinate space, DPI and transform matrix.
- Capture 3 for it: target window bounds and recognizer guide configuration.
Telemetry for it should retain types, lengths, hashes, stable opaque identifiers and lifecycle generations while redacting content and credentials. This makes repeated incidents comparable without exposing ink content, packet data, account details or recognizer input.
Likely causes
- Possible cause 1 for it: left and right or top and bottom coordinates are reversed.
- Possible cause 2 for it: the rectangle is empty when a non-empty guide is required.
- Possible cause 3 for it: coordinate conversion mixes screen, client or ink-space units.
Diagnostic sequence
- Capture it at the first native return and identify the exact object and method.
- Confirm that the observed path matches this the condition: an ink or recognition operation receives an input rectangle whose geometry is invalid for the requested context.
- compare the live state with the method contract before changing configuration.
- collect the code-specific evidence listed above and preserve any more specific preceding error.
- change one evidence-backed cause at a time, then repeat the smallest operation that can prove the correction.
- Add a regression check that distinguishes it from the related outcomes described below.
Practical scenario
A per-monitor-DPI conversion produces a negative-width recognition guide after a window moves between displays; normalizing the transformed rectangle removes it. The result scenario narrows the result to a reproducible contract boundary and supplies a concrete before-and-after test.
Correction and retry boundary
- Corrective action 1 for it: normalize and validate rectangle geometry after every coordinate conversion.
- Corrective action 2 for it: use the documented coordinate space for the API.
- Corrective action 3 for it: recompute bounds after DPI or display changes.
Retry guidance for it. Retry immediately only after supplying a corrected rectangle; unchanged geometry will fail deterministically. A it retry must avoid this hazard: replay stale strokes, reorder stylus packets or reuse an invalid recognizer context. It must also preserve the evidence needed to locate the original producer of it.
Difference from nearby HRESULTs
E_INVALIDARG is a general argument failure; it identifies rectangle geometry in the Tablet PC contract. Keep these outcomes separate in logs, exception mappings, user messages, dashboards and automated retry policy.
Developer and operational guidance
Code handling it should log the failed stage before cleanup, keep ownership and lifecycle transitions explicit, and avoid converting every failure into a generic message. Tests for it should cover the primary cause, one adjacent HRESULT and the retry boundary so a future change cannot turn a deterministic contract failure into an uncontrolled loop.
Operational repair for it should use supported device, Tablet PC component, recognizer and application lifecycle paths. Avoid unsupported configuration edits or component replacement unless evidence identifies that layer. Retain the original trace and a post-fix trace so the result can be attributed and the change reversed.
Official Microsoft references
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