NAME

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

SYNOPSIS

cc [ flag... ] file... -I /usr/xpg4/include  -L  /usr/xpg4/lib \
 -R  /usr/xpg4/lib  -lcurses  [ library... ]
c89 [ flag... ] file... -lcurses [ library... ]
#include <curses.h>
int getch(void);

int wgetch(WINDOW *win);

int mvgetch(int y, int x);

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

PARAMETERS

win

Is a pointer to the window associated with the terminal from which the character is to be read.

y

Is the y (row) coordinate for the position of the character to be read.

x

Is the x (column) coordinate for the position of the character to be read.

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(3XCURSES) 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 on the keypad(3XCURSES) manual page.

If echoing is enabled, then the character is echoed as though it were provided as an input argument to addch(3XCURSES), except for the following characters:

<backspace>

The input is interpreted as follows: unless the cursor already was in column 0, <backspace> moves the cursor one column toward the start of the current line and any characters after the <backspace> are added or inserted starting there. The character at the resulting cursor position it then deleted as though delch(3XCURSES) were called, except that if the cursor was originally in the first column of the line, the user is alerted as though beep(3XCURSES) 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 modified since the last refresh operation, then it will be refreshed before another character is read.

Constant Values for Function Keys

The following is a list of tokens for function keys that are returned by the getch() set of functions if keypad handling is enabled (some terminals may not support all tokens).

Constant	Description
KEY_BREAK	Break key
KEY_DOWN	The down arrow key
KEY_UP	The up arrow key
KEY_LEFT	The left arrow key
KEY_RIGHT	The right arrow key
KEY_HOME	Home key
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 backwards
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)
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_BEG	Beginning 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	Reference 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_SMESSAGES	Shifted messages key
KEY_SMOVE	Shifted move key
KEY_SNEXT	Shifted next key
KEY_SOPTIONS	Shifted options key
KEY_SPREVIOUS	Shifted previous key
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

RETURN VALUES

Upon successful completion, these functions return the single-byte character, KEY_ value, or ERR. When in the nodelay mode and no data is available, ERR is returned.

ERRORS

No errors are defined.

USAGE

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

When using these functions, nocbreak mode (cbreak(3XCURSES)) and echo mode (echo(3XCURSES)) should not be used at the same time. Depending on the state of the terminal when each character is typed, the application may produce undesirable results.

ATTRIBUTES

See attributes(7) for descriptions of the following attributes:

ATTRIBUTE TYPE	ATTRIBUTE VALUE
Interface Stability	Standard
MT-Level	Unsafe