getch

SYNOPSIS

   #include <ocurses.h>
   

   int getch()

• getch reads a single character from the current terminal.

• getch returns the value of the character or ERR on end of file, receipt of signals, or non-blocking read with no input.

• getch is a macro.

• See the discussions of echo, noecho, cbreak, nocbreak, raw, noraw, halfdelay, nodelay, and keypad below and in curses(3ocurses).

EXAMPLE

   #include <ocurses.h>
   

   main()
   {
      int ch;
   

      initscr();
      cbreak();
          /* Explained later in the section "Input Options" */
      addstr("Press any character:  ");
      refresh();
      ch = getch();
      printw("\n\n\nThe character entered was a '%c'.\n", ch);
      refresh();
      endwin();
   }

The output from this program follows. The first refresh sends the addstr character string from stdscr to the terminal:

   Press any character:  []
   
   

Now assume that a w is typed at the keyboard. getch accepts the character and assigns it to ch. Finally, the second refresh is called and the screen appears as follows:

   Press any character:  w
   
   
   The character entered was a 'w'.
   
   
   $[]

For another example of getch, see ``The show program''.