Copyright 1989 AT&T
Portions Copyright (c) 1996, Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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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);
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().
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: (Row 1) A1 up A3 (Row 2) left B2 right (Row 3) 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 |
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 attributes(7) for descriptions of the following attributes:
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
| MT-Level Unsafe |
curs_inopts (3CURSES), curs_move (3CURSES), curs_refresh (3CURSES), curses (3CURSES), attributes (7)
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.