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.\" $Id: curs_getstr.3x,v 1.19 2010/12/04 18:36:44 tom Exp $
.TH curs_getstr 3X ""
.na
.hy 0
.SH NAME
\fBgetstr\fR,
\fBgetnstr\fR,
\fBwgetstr\fR,
\fBwgetnstr\fR,
\fBmvgetstr\fR,
\fBmvgetnstr\fR,
\fBmvwgetstr\fR,
\fBmvwgetnstr\fR \- accept character strings from \fBcurses\fR terminal keyboard
.ad
.hy
.SH SYNOPSIS
\fB#include <curses.h>\fR
.sp
\fBint getstr(char *str);\fR
.br
\fBint getnstr(char *str, int n);\fR
.br
\fBint wgetstr(WINDOW *win, char *str);\fR
.br
\fBint wgetnstr(WINDOW *win, char *str, int n);\fR
.br
\fBint mvgetstr(int y, int x, char *str);\fR
.br
\fBint mvwgetstr(WINDOW *win, int y, int x, char *str);\fR
.br
\fBint mvgetnstr(int y, int x, char *str, int n);\fR
.br
\fBint mvwgetnstr(WINDOW *, int y, int x, char *str, int n);\fR
.br
.SH DESCRIPTION
The function \fBgetstr\fR is equivalent to a series of calls to \fBgetch\fR,
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 \fIstr\fR.
.PP
\fBwgetnstr\fR reads at most \fIn\fR 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 \fBgetnstr\fR function reads
from the \fIstdscr\fR default window.
.PP
The user's erase and kill characters are interpreted.  If keypad
mode is on for the window, \fBKEY_LEFT\fR and \fBKEY_BACKSPACE\fR
are both considered equivalent to the user's kill character.
.PP
Characters input are echoed only if \fBecho\fR is currently on.  In that case,
backspace is echoed as deletion of the previous character (typically a left
motion).
.SH RETURN VALUE
All routines return the integer \fBERR\fR upon failure and an \fBOK\fR (SVr4
specifies only "an integer value other than \fBERR\fR") upon successful
completion.
.PP
X/Open defines no error conditions.
.PP
In this implementation,
these functions return an error
if the window pointer is null, or
if its timeout expires without having any data.
.PP
This implementation provides an extension as well.
If a SIGWINCH interrupts the function, it will return \fBKEY_RESIZE\fP
rather than \fBOK\fP or \fBERR\fP.
.PP
Functions with a "mv" prefix first perform a cursor movement using
\fBwmove\fP, and return an error if the position is outside the window,
or if the window pointer is null.
.SH NOTES
Note that \fBgetstr\fR, \fBmvgetstr\fR, and \fBmvwgetstr\fR may be macros.
.SH 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 \fBwgetch\fR call returns an ERR.
.PP
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, \fIetc\fR.) 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).
.PP
The functions \fBgetnstr\fR, \fBmvgetnstr\fR, and \fBmvwgetnstr\fR were
present but not documented in SVr4.
.SH SEE ALSO
\fBcurses\fR(3X),
\fBcurs_getch\fR(3X),
\fBcurs_variables\fR(3X).