[SOLVED] getch function

RLN37 · 08-21-2011, 12:07 PM

I think I understand that getch() is a function in conio.h.
And that conio.h is not included with gcc for Ubuntu.
But I still need getch(). Can I use a copy of the conio.h file
that is said to be available on a Windows system? If not, how
can I get hold of a useable version of conio.h?

Thanks for the help.

Baseball Bob

tronayne · 08-21-2011, 01:10 PM

From the getch() manual page:

Code:

NAME
       getch, wgetch, mvgetch, mvwgetch, ungetch, has_key - get (or push back) characters
       from curses terminal keyboard

SYNOPSIS
       #include <curses.h>

       int getch(void);
       int wgetch(WINDOW *win);
       int mvgetch(int y, int x);
       int mvwgetch(WINDOW *win, int y, int x);
       int ungetch(int ch);
       int has_key(int ch);

You will find, in The C Programming Language, both the fist and second editions, a demonstration of a getch() function (on page 79 of, yup, both editions). Note that you would not actually use this function in practice, it's for illustration purposes only.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>              /* needed for printf() */

#define BUFSIZE 100

char    buf [BUFSIZE];          /* buffer for ungetch() */
int     bufptr = 0;             /* next free position in buf */

int     getch (void)            /* get a (possibly pushed back) character */
{
        return (bufptr > 0) ? buf [--bufptr] : getchar ();
}

void    ungetch (int c)         /* push character back on input                 */
{
        if (bufptr >= BUFSIZE)
                printf ("ungetch: too many characters\n");
        else
                buf [bufptr++] = c;
        return;
}

Hope this helps some.