curs_getstr(3)
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.
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.