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Name

curs_getch, getch, wgetch, mvgetch, mvwgetch, ungetch - get (or push back) characters from curses terminal keyboard

Synopsis

cc [ flag ... ] file ... -lcurses [ library .. ]

#include <curses.h>

int getch(void);

int wgetch(WINDOW *win);

int mvgetch(int y, int x);

int mvwgetch(WINDOW *win, int y, int x);

int ungetch(int ch);

MT-Level

Unsafe

Description

With the getch(), wgetch(), mvgetch(), and mvwgetch() routines a character is read from the terminal associated with the window. In no-delay mode, if no input is waiting, the value ERR is returned. In delay mode, the program waits until the system passes text through to the program. Depending on the setting of cbreak(), this is after one character (cbreak mode), or after the first newline (nocbreak mode). In half-delay mode, the program waits until a character is typed or the specified timeout has been reached. Unless noecho() has been set, the character will also be echoed into the designated window.

If the window is not a pad, and it has been moved or modified since the last call to wrefresh(), wrefresh() will be called before another character is read.

If keypad() is TRUE , and a function key is pressed, the token for that function key is returned instead of the raw characters. Possible function keys are defined in <curses.h> with integers beginning with 0401, whose names begin with KEY _. If a character that could be the beginning of a function key (such as escape) is received, curses sets a timer. If the remainder of the sequence does not come in within the designated time, the character is passed through; otherwise, the function key value is returned. For this reason, many terminals experience a delay between the time a user presses the escape key and the escape is returned to the program. Since tokens returned by these routines are outside the ASCII range, they are not printable.

The ungetch() routine places ch back onto the input queue to be returned by the next call to wgetch().

Function Keys

The following function keys, defined in <curses.h>, might be returned by getch() if keypad() has been enabled. Note that not all of these may be supported on a particular terminal if the terminal does not transmit a unique code when the key is pressed or if the definition for the key is not present in the terminfo database. 


Name    Key name

KEY_BREAK    Break key
KEY_DOWN    The four arrow keys ...
KEY_UP    
KEY_LEFT    
KEY_RIGHT    
KEY_HOME    Home key (upward+left arrow)
KEY_BACKSPACE    Backspace
KEY_F0    Function keys; space for 64 keys is reserved.
KEY_F(n)    For 0 <= n <= 63
KEY_DL    Delete line
KEY_IL    Insert line
KEY_DC    Delete character
KEY_IC    Insert char or enter insert mode
KEY_EIC    Exit insert char mode
KEY_CLEAR    Clear screen
KEY_EOS    Clear to end of screen
KEY_EOL    Clear to end of line
KEY_SF    Scroll 1 line forward
KEY_SR    Scroll 1 line backward (reverse)
KEY_NPAGE    Next page
KEY_PPAGE    Previous page
KEY_STAB    Set tab
KEY_CTAB    Clear tab
KEY_CATAB    Clear all tabs
KEY_ENTER    Enter or send
KEY_SRESET    Soft (partial) reset
KEY_RESET    Reset or hard reset
KEY_PRINT    Print or copy
KEY_LL    Home down or bottom (lower left).
    Keypad is arranged like this:
         A1    up    A3
        left   B2   right
         C1   down   C3
KEY_A1    Upper left of keypad
KEY_A3    Upper right of keypad
KEY_B2    Center of keypad
KEY_C1    Lower left of keypad
KEY_C3    Lower right of keypad
KEY_BTAB    Back tab key
KEY_BEG    Beg(inning) key
KEY_CANCEL    Cancel key
KEY_CLOSE    Close key
KEY_COMMAND    Cmd (command) key
KEY_COPY    Copy key
KEY_CREATE    Create key
KEY_END    End key
KEY_EXIT    Exit key
KEY_FIND    Find key
KEY_HELP    Help key
KEY_MARK    Mark key
KEY_MESSAGE    Message key
KEY_MOVE    Move key
KEY_NEXT    Next object key
KEY_OPEN    Open key
KEY_OPTIONS    Options key
KEY_PREVIOUS    Previous object key
KEY_REDO    Redo key
KEY_REFERENCE    Reference key
KEY_REFRESH    Refresh key
KEY_REPLACE    Replace key
KEY_RESTART    Restart key
KEY_RESUME    Resume key
KEY_SAVE    Save key
KEY_SBEG    Shifted beginning key
KEY_SCANCEL    Shifted cancel key
KEY_SCOMMAND    Shifted command key
KEY_SCOPY    Shifted copy key
KEY_SCREATE    Shifted create key
KEY_SDC    Shifted delete char key
KEY_SDL    Shifted delete line key
KEY_SELECT    Select key
KEY_SEND    Shifted end key
KEY_SEOL    Shifted clear line key
KEY_SEXIT    Shifted exit key
KEY_SFIND    Shifted find key
KEY_SHELP    Shifted help key
KEY_SHOME    Shifted home key
KEY_SIC    Shifted input key
KEY_SLEFT    Shifted left arrow key
KEY_SMESSAGE    Shifted message key
KEY_SMOVE    Shifted move key
KEY_SNEXT    Shifted next key
KEY_SOPTIONS    Shifted options key
KEY_SPREVIOUS    Shifted prev key
KEY_SPRINT    Shifted print key
KEY_SREDO    Shifted redo key
KEY_SREPLACE    Shifted replace key
KEY_SRIGHT    Shifted right arrow
KEY_SRSUME    Shifted resume key
KEY_SSAVE    Shifted save key
KEY_SSUSPEND    Shifted suspend key
KEY_SUNDO    Shifted undo key
KEY_SUSPEND    Suspend key
KEY_UNDO    Undo key

Return Values

All routines return the integer ERR upon failure. The ungetch() routine returns an integer value other than ERR upon successful completion. The other routines return the next input character or function key code upon successful completion.

See Also

curs_inopts(3X) , curs_move(3X) , curs_refresh(3X) , curses(3X)

Notes

The header <curses.h> automatically includes the headers <stdio.h> and <unctrl.h>.

Use of the escape key for a single character function is discouraged.

When using getch(), wgetch(), mvgetch(), or mvwgetch(), nocbreak mode (nocbreak()) and echo mode (echo()) should not be used at the same time. Depending on the state of the tty driver when each character is typed, the program may produce undesirable results.

Note that getch(), mvgetch(), and mvwgetch() may be macros.

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