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curs_getch(3) Library Functions Manual curs_getch(3) NAME curs_getch, getch, wgetch, mvgetch, mvwgetch, ungetch - Get (or push back) characters from a Curses terminal keyboard LIBRARY Curses Library (libcurses.a, libcurses.so) SYNOPSIS #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); STANDARDS Interfaces documented on this reference page conform to industry stan- dards as follows: getch, wgetch, mvgetch, mvwgetch: XPG4, XPG4-UNIX ungetch: XPG4-UNIX Refer to the standards(5) reference page for more information about in- dustry standards and associated tags. DESCRIPTION The getch, wgetch, mvgetch, and mvwgetch routines read a character from the terminal associated with the Curses window. In no-delay mode, if no input is waiting, these routines return the value ERR. In delay mode, the program waits until the system passes text through to the program. In cbreak mode, the program waits until after one character. In nocbreak mode, the program waits until after the first newline. 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 is also be echoed into the designated window. If the window is not a pad and has been moved or modified since the last call to wrefresh, wrefresh is called before another character is read. If keypad is TRUE and the user presses a function key, Curses returns the token for that function key is returned instead of the raw charac- ters. The curses.h file defines possible function keys with integers beginning with 0401 and names beginning with KEY_. If these routines receive a character (such as escape) that could be the beginning of a function key, Curses sets a timer. If the remainder of the sequence does not come in within the designated time, the routines pass the character to the application; otherwise, they return the value for the function key. For this reason, many terminals experience a delay be- tween the time a user presses the escape key and the time the escape is returned to the program. Since tokens returned by these routines are outside the ASCII range, the tokens 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 the *getch functions if keypad has been enabled. All of these keys may not be supported on a particular terminal. In other words, the routines do not return a function key 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. tab(@); lfHBw(1.0i) lfHBw(3.0i) lw(1.0i) lw(3.0i) . _ Name@Key name _ KEY_BREAK@Break key T{ KEY_DOWN KEY_UP KEY_LEFT KEY_RIGHT T}@The four arrow keys KEY_HOME@T{ Home key (upward+left arrow) T} KEY_BACKSPACE@Backspace KEY_F0@T{ Function keys; space for 64 keys is reserved. T} KEY_F(n)@T{ For 0 <= n <= 63 T} KEY_DL@Delete line KEY_IL@Insert line KEY_DC@Delete character KEY_IC@T{ Insert char or enter insert mode T} KEY_EIC@T{ Exit insert char mode T} KEY_CLEAR@Clear screen KEY_EOS@T{ Clear to end-of-screen T} KEY_EOL@T{ Clear to end-of-line T} KEY_SF@T{ Scroll one line forward T} KEY_SR@T{ Scroll one line backward (in reverse) T} 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@T{ Home down or bottom (lower left). The keypad is arranged like this: A1 up A3 left B2 right C1 down C3 T} 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@T{ Shifted delete character key T} 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@T{ Shifted previous key T} KEY_SPRINT@Shifted print key KEY_SREDO@Shifted redo key KEY_SREPLACE@Shifted replace key KEY_SRIGHT@Shifted right-arrow key 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 _ NOTES The header file curses.h automatically includes the header file stdio.h. Programmers should not use the escape key for a single-character func- tion. When using getch, wgetch, mvgetch, or mvwgetch, applications should not use nocbreak mode and echo mode at the same time. Depending on the state of the tty driver when each character is typed, the program may produce undesirable results. [Digital] If the ESCDELAY environment variable is set, these functions wait for the specified time period between the escape and following key sequence that indicate a function key. Setting this delay time is use- ful when function-key sequences are being transferred over a slow net- work. However, the ESCDELAY environment variable is non-standard, so portable applications should not depend on its availability. Note that getch, mvgetch, and mvwgetch may be macros. RETURN VALUES All routines return the integer ERR upon failure and OK upon successful completion. RELATED INFORMATION Functions: curses(3), curs_inopts(3), curs_move(3), curs_refresh(3) Others: standards(5) delim off curs_getch(3)