1curs_getstr(3X) curs_getstr(3X)
2
6 getstr, getnstr, wgetstr, wgetnstr, mvgetstr, mvgetnstr, mvwgetstr,
7 mvwgetnstr - accept character strings from curses terminal keyboard
8
10 #include <curses.h>
11 int getstr(char *str);
13 int getnstr(char *str, int n);
14 int wgetstr(WINDOW *win, char *str);
15 int wgetnstr(WINDOW *win, char *str, int n);
16 int mvgetstr(int y, int x, char *str);
17 int mvwgetstr(WINDOW *win, int y, int x, char *str);
18 int mvgetnstr(int y, int x, char *str, int n);
19 int mvwgetnstr(WINDOW *, int y, int x, char *str, int n);
20
22 The function getstr is equivalent to a series of calls to getch, until
23 a newline or carriage return is received (the terminating character is
24 not included in the returned string). The resulting value is placed in
25 the area pointed to by the character pointer str.
26 wgetnstr reads at most n characters, thus preventing a possible over‐
28 flow of the input buffer. Any attempt to enter more characters (other
29 than the terminating newline or carriage return) causes a beep. Func‐
30 tion keys also cause a beep and are ignored. The getnstr function
31 reads from the stdscr default window.
32 The user's erase and kill characters are interpreted. If keypad mode
34 is on for the window, KEY_LEFT and KEY_BACKSPACE are both considered
35 equivalent to the user's kill character.
36 Characters input are echoed only if echo is currently on. In that
38 case, backspace is echoed as deletion of the previous character (typi‐
39 cally a left motion).
40
42 All routines return the integer ERR upon failure and an OK (SVr4 speci‐
43 fies only “an integer value other than ERR”) upon successful comple‐
44 tion.
45 X/Open defines no error conditions.
47 In this implementation, these functions return an error if the window
49 pointer is null, or if its timeout expires without having any data.
50 This implementation provides an extension as well. If a SIGWINCH in‐
52 terrupts the function, it will return KEY_RESIZE rather than OK or ERR.
53 Functions with a “mv” prefix first perform a cursor movement using
55 wmove, and return an error if the position is outside the window, or if
56 the window pointer is null.
57
59 Note that getstr, mvgetstr, and mvwgetstr may be macros.
60
62 These functions are described in the XSI Curses standard, Issue 4.
63 They read single-byte characters only. The standard does not define
64 any error conditions. This implementation returns ERR if the window
65 pointer is null, or if the lower-level wgetch(3X) call returns an ERR.
66 SVr3 and early SVr4 curses implementations did not reject function
68 keys; the SVr4.0 documentation claimed that “special keys” (such as
69 function keys, “home” key, “clear” key, etc.) are “interpreted”, with‐
70 out giving details. It lied. In fact, the “character” value appended
71 to the string by those implementations was predictable but not useful
72 (being, in fact, the low-order eight bits of the key's KEY_ value).
73 The functions getnstr, mvgetnstr, and mvwgetnstr were present but not
75 documented in SVr4.
76
78 curses(3X), curs_getch(3X), curs_variables(3X).
79 curs_getstr(3X)