curs_getch(3ocurses)

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

Synopsis

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

#include <ocurses.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);

Description

The getch, wgetch, mvgetch, and mvwgetch routines read a character 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 ocurses.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 ocurses.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 LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO 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 Ref(erence) 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

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`	Ref(erence) 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 and an integer value other than ERR
upon successful completion.

References

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

Notices

The header file ocurses.h automatically includes the header files stdio.h and unctrl.h.

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

When using getch, wgetch, mvgetch, or mvwgetch, nocbreak mode and echo mode 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.