getstr(3ncurses)

NAME

   getstr, getnstr, wgetstr, wgetnstr, mvgetstr, mvgetnstr, mvwgetstr,
   mvwgetnstr - accept character strings from curses terminal keyboard

SYNOPSIS

   #include <curses.h>

   int getstr(char *str);
   int getnstr(char *str, int n);
   int wgetstr(WINDOW *win, char *str);
   int wgetnstr(WINDOW *win, char *str, int n);
   int mvgetstr(int y, int x, char *str);
   int mvwgetstr(WINDOW *win, int y, int x, char *str);
   int mvgetnstr(int y, int x, char *str, int n);
   int mvwgetnstr(WINDOW *, int y, int x, char *str, int n);

DESCRIPTION

   The function getstr is equivalent to a series of calls to getch,  until
   a  newline or carriage return is received (the terminating character is
   not included in the returned string).  The resulting value is placed in
   the area pointed to by the character pointer str.

   wgetnstr  reads  at  most  n  characters,  thus  preventing  a possible
   overflow of the input buffer.  Any attempt  to  enter  more  characters
   (other  than the terminating newline or carriage return) causes a beep.
   Function keys also cause a beep and are ignored.  The getnstr  function
   reads from the stdscr default window.

   The  user's  erase and kill characters are interpreted.  If keypad mode
   is on for the window, KEY_LEFT and KEY_BACKSPACE  are  both  considered
   equivalent to the user's kill character.

   Characters  input  are  echoed  only  if echo is currently on.  In that
   case, backspace  is  echoed  as  deletion  of  the  previous  character
   (typically a left motion).

RETURN VALUE

   All  routines  return  the  integer  ERR  upon  failure and an OK (SVr4
   specifies only "an integer  value  other  than  ERR")  upon  successful
   completion.

   X/Open defines no error conditions.

   In  this  implementation, these functions return an error if the window
   pointer is null, or if its timeout expires without having any data.

   This implementation provides an  extension  as  well.   If  a  SIGWINCH
   interrupts  the  function,  it will return KEY_RESIZE rather than OK or
   ERR.

   Functions with a "mv" prefix first  perform  a  cursor  movement  using
   wmove, and return an error if the position is outside the window, or if
   the window pointer is null.

NOTES

   Note that getstr, mvgetstr, and mvwgetstr may be macros.

PORTABILITY

   These functions are described in the  XSI  Curses  standard,  Issue  4.
   They  read  single-byte  characters only.  The standard does not define
   any error conditions.  This implementation returns ERR  if  the  window
   pointer is null, or if the lower-level wgetch call returns an ERR.

   SVr3  and  early  SVr4  curses  implementations did not reject function
   keys; the SVr4.0 documentation claimed that  "special  keys"  (such  as
   function  keys,  "home"  key,  "clear"  key,  etc.)  are "interpreted",
   without giving details.  It  lied.   In  fact,  the  `character'  value
   appended to the string by those implementations was predictable but not
   useful (being, in fact, the low-order eight  bits  of  the  key's  KEY_
   value).

   The  functions  getnstr, mvgetnstr, and mvwgetnstr were present but not
   documented in SVr4.

SEE ALSO

   ncurses(3NCURSES), getch(3NCURSES), curses_variables(3NCURSES).

                                                          getstr(3NCURSES)

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