OK, I've got a detent encoder... What now?

Gents (and at least one lady reader :-)
OK, so we make and encoder, use a stepper, use a US digital encoder
or some such. Now what? How do you propose to get your G-code driver
to use it? Whip out a new module in EMC? Get Yeager or Art to add
functionality to their programs? I'm curious how are you intend to
integrate this encoder/clicker into your configuration or is this
purely theoretical?

Roger