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)