1curs_getch(3CURSES) Curses Library Functions curs_getch(3CURSES)
2
6 curs_getch, getch, wgetch, mvgetch, mvwgetch, ungetch - get (or push
7 back) characters from curses terminal keyboard
8
10 cc [ flag ... ] file ... -lcurses [ library ... ]
11 #include <curses.h>
12 int getch(void);
14 int wgetch(WINDOW *win);
17 int mvgetch(int y, int x);
20 int mvwgetch(WINDOW *win, int y, int x);
23 int ungetch(int ch);
26
29 With the getch(), wgetch(), mvgetch(), and mvwgetch() routines a char‐
30 acter is read from the terminal associated with the window. In no-delay
31 mode, if no input is waiting, the value ERR is returned. In delay mode,
32 the program waits until the system passes text through to the program.
33 Depending on the setting of cbreak(), this is after one character
34 (cbreak mode), or after the first newline (nocbreak mode). In half-
35 delay mode, the program waits until a character is typed or the speci‐
36 fied timeout has been reached. Unless noecho() has been set, the char‐
37 acter will also be echoed into the designated window.
38 If the window is not a pad, and it has been moved or modified since the
41 last call to wrefresh(), wrefresh() will be called before another char‐
42 acter is read.
43 If keypad() is TRUE, and a function key is pressed, the token for that
46 function key is returned instead of the raw characters. Possible func‐
47 tion keys are defined in <curses.h> with integers beginning with 0401,
48 whose names begin with KEY_. If a character that could be the beginning
49 of a function key (such as escape) is received, curses sets a timer. If
50 the remainder of the sequence does not come in within the designated
51 time, the character is passed through; otherwise, the function key
52 value is returned. For this reason, many terminals experience a delay
53 between the time a user presses the escape key and the escape is
54 returned to the program. Since tokens returned by these routines are
55 outside the ASCII range, they are not printable.
56 The ungetch() routine places ch back onto the input queue to be
59 returned by the next call to wgetch().
60 Function Keys
62 The following function keys, defined in <curses.h>, might be returned
63 by getch() if keypad() has been enabled. Note that not all of these may
64 be supported on a particular terminal if the terminal does not transmit
65 a unique code when the key is pressed or if the definition for the key
66 is not present in the terminfo database.
67 Name Key name
72 ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
73 KEY_BREAK Break key
74 KEY_DOWN The four arrow keys ...
75 KEY_UP
76 KEY_LEFT
77 KEY_RIGHT
78 KEY_HOME Home key (upward+left arrow)
79 KEY_BACKSPACE Backspace
80 KEY_F0 Function keys; space for 64 keys
81 is reserved.
82 KEY_F(n) For 0 ≤ n ≤ 63
83 KEY_DL Delete line
84 KEY_IL Insert line
85 KEY_DC Delete character
86 KEY_IC Insert char or enter insert mode
87 KEY_EIC Exit insert char mode
88 KEY_CLEAR Clear screen
89 KEY_EOS Clear to end of screen
90 KEY_EOL Clear to end of line
91 KEY_SF Scroll 1 line forward
92 KEY_SR Scroll 1 line backward (reverse)
93 KEY_NPAGE Next page
94 KEY_PPAGE Previous page
95 KEY_STAB Set tab
96 KEY_CTAB Clear tab
97 KEY_CATAB Clear all tabs
98 KEY_ENTER Enter or send
99 KEY_SRESET Soft (partial) reset
100 KEY_RESET Reset or hard reset
101 KEY_PRINT Print or copy
102 KEY_LL Home down or bottom (lower
103 left). Keypad is arranged like
104 this: (Row 1) A1 up A3 (Row
105 2) left B2 right (Row 3) C1
106 down C3
107 KEY_A1 Upper left of keypad
108 KEY_A3 Upper right of keypad
109 KEY_B2 Center of keypad
110 KEY_C1 Lower left of keypad
111 KEY_C3 Lower right of keypad
112 KEY_BTAB Back tab key
113 KEY_BEG Beg(inning) key
114 KEY_CANCEL Cancel key
115 KEY_CLOSE Close key
116 KEY_COMMAND Cmd (command) key
117 KEY_COPY Copy key
118 KEY_CREATE Create key
119 KEY_END End key
120 KEY_EXIT Exit key
121 KEY_FIND Find key
122 KEY_HELP Help key
123 KEY_MARK Mark key
124 KEY_MESSAGE Message key
125 KEY_MOVE Move key
126 KEY_NEXT Next object key
127 KEY_OPEN Open key
128 KEY_OPTIONS Options key
129 KEY_PREVIOUS Previous object key
130 KEY_REDO Redo key
131 KEY_REFERENCE Reference key
132 KEY_REFRESH Refresh key
134 KEY_REPLACE Replace key
135 KEY_RESTART Restart key
136 KEY_RESUME Resume key
137 KEY_SAVE Save key
138 KEY_SBEG Shifted beginning key
139 KEY_SCANCEL Shifted cancel key
140 KEY_SCOMMAND Shifted command key
141 KEY_SCOPY Shifted copy key
142 KEY_SCREATE Shifted create key
143 KEY_SDC Shifted delete char key
144 KEY_SDL Shifted delete line key
145 KEY_SELECT Select key
146 KEY_SEND Shifted end key
147 KEY_SEOL Shifted clear line key
148 KEY_SEXIT Shifted exit key
149 KEY_SFIND Shifted find key
150 KEY_SHELP Shifted help key
151 KEY_SHOME Shifted home key
152 KEY_SIC Shifted input key
153 KEY_SLEFT Shifted left arrow key
154 KEY_SMESSAGE Shifted message key
155 KEY_SMOVE Shifted move key
156 KEY_SNEXT Shifted next key
157 KEY_SOPTIONS Shifted options key
158 KEY_SPREVIOUS Shifted prev key
159 KEY_SPRINT Shifted print key
160 KEY_SREDO Shifted redo key
161 KEY_SREPLACE Shifted replace key
162 KEY_SRIGHT Shifted right arrow
163 KEY_SRSUME Shifted resume key
164 KEY_SSAVE Shifted save key
165 KEY_SSUSPEND Shifted suspend key
166 KEY_SUNDO Shifted undo key
167 KEY_SUSPEND Suspend key
168 KEY_UNDO Undo key
169
172 All routines return the integer ERR upon failure. The ungetch() rou‐
173 tine returns an integer value other than ERR upon successful comple‐
174 tion. The other routines return the next input character or function
175 key code upon successful completion.
176
178 See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
179 ┌─────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┐
184 │ ATTRIBUTE TYPE │ ATTRIBUTE VALUE │
185 ├─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┤
186 │MT-Level │Unsafe │
187 └─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────┘
188
190 curs_inopts(3CURSES), curs_move(3CURSES), curs_refresh(3CURSES),
191 curses(3CURSES), attributes(5)
192
194 The header <curses.h> automatically includes the headers <stdio.h> and
195 <unctrl.h>.
196 Use of the escape key for a single character function is discouraged.
199 When using getch(), wgetch(), mvgetch(), or mvwgetch(), nocbreak mode
202 (nocbreak()) and echo mode (echo()) should not be used at the same
203 time. Depending on the state of the tty driver when each character is
204 typed, the program may produce undesirable results.
205 Note that getch(), mvgetch(), and mvwgetch() may be macros.
208SunOS 5.11 31 Dec 1996 curs_getch(3CURSES)