curs_getstr(3x) curs_getstr(3x)
getstr, getnstr, wgetstr, wgetnstr, mvgetstr, mvgetnstr,
mvwgetstr, mvwgetnstr - accept character strings from
curses terminal keyboard
#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);
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 point-
ed to by the character pointer str.
wgetnstr reads at most n characters, thus preventing a
possible overflow of the input buffer. Any attempt to en-
ter 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 pre-
vious character (typically a left motion).
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_RE-
SIZE rather than OK or ERR.
Functions with a "mv" prefix first perform a cursor move-
ment using wmove, and return an error if the position is
outside the window, or if the window pointer is null.
Note that getstr, mvgetstr, and mvwgetstr may be macros.
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 im-
plementation 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 "spe-
cial 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.
curses(3x), curs_getch(3x), curs_variables(3x).
curs_getstr(3x)