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(3X) 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)