getch(3X)

NAME

getch, wgetch, mvgetch, mvwgetch — get a single-byte character from the terminal

SYNOPSIS

#include <curses.h>

int getch(void);

int mvgetch(int y, int x);

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

int wgetch(WINDOW *win);

DESCRIPTION

These functions read a single-byte character from the terminal associated with the current or specified window. The results are unspecified if the input is not a single-byte character. If keypad() is enabled, these functions respond to the pressing of a function key by returning the corresponding KEY_ value defined in <curses.h>.

Processing of terminal input is subject to the general rules described in Input Processing in curses_intro(3X).

If echoing is enabled, then the character is echoed as though it were provided as an input argument to insch(), except for the following characters:

<backspace>, <left-arrow> and the current erase character:	The input is interpreted as specified in `specialchars` and then the character at the resulting cursor position is deleted as though `delch()` were called, except that if the cursor was originally in the first column of the line, then the user is alerted as though `beep()` were called.
Function keys	The user is alerted as though `beep()` were called. Information concerning the function keys is not returned to the caller.

If the current or specified window is not a pad, and it has been moved or modified since the last refresh operation, then it will be refreshed before another character is read.

RETURN VALUE

Upon successful completion, these functions return the single-byte character, KEY_ value, or ERR.

If in nodelay mode and no data is available, ERR is returned.

ERRORS

No errors are defined.

APPLICATION USAGE

Applications should not define the escape key by itself as a single-character function.

When using these functions, nocbreak mode (nocbreak()) and echo mode (echo()) should not be used at the same time. Depending on the state of the terminal when each character is typed, the program may produce undesirable results.

CHANGE HISTORY

First released in X/Open Curses, Issue 2.

X/Open Curses, Issue 4

The entry is rewritten for clarity. The argument list for the getch() function is explicitly declared as void.

getch(3X)

Technical documentation

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