mndaily@ux.acs.umn.edu (Linda Seebach) (11/27/90)
Ok, I know this sounds stupid. However: I have been looking, for ages, for a way of doing a non-waiting getchar. Normally, getchar() waits until you give it a carriage return. If you are in cbreak/raw mode (or something equivalent) it waits until you hit a key. Is there any portable call (i.e., one that can be expected to work on most computers, without hardware hacks) that will return *whether or not* you have hit a key, and return a meaningful value? I would like to have such a routine so I can check to see what the user wants to do without halting my program. How is this done, pray tell? --SeebS-- -- mndaily under *NO CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER* speaks for the Minnesota Daily. Posts signed "--SeebS--" have no connection to Linda Seebach. Any similarities to persons living or dead are ... oops
henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) (11/28/90)
In article <2773@ux.acs.umn.edu> mndaily@ux.acs.umn.edu (Linda Seebach) writes: >...Is there any portable call (i.e., one that can be expected to work >on most computers, without hardware hacks) that will return *whether or not* >you have hit a key, and return a meaningful value? See the Frequently Asked Questions list. (Hint: the answer is "no".) -- "I'm not sure it's possible | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology to explain how X works." | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry
ok@goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au (Richard A. O'Keefe) (11/28/90)
In article <2773@ux.acs.umn.edu>, mndaily@ux.acs.umn.edu (Linda Seebach) writes: > Ok, I know this sounds stupid. However: > I have been looking, for ages, for a way of doing a non-waiting getchar. There isn't any portable way of doing it in C, because some of the operating systems C is available on cannot do it. The best you can do is make up two names (kb_getch, kb_ready, perhaps) and write an implementation for each of the systems you are concerned with. Perhaps it is time the net collaborated to produce model implementations of these functions for MS-DOS, OS/2, VMS, BSD, S5, put them on a mail server somewhere, and added the location to the FAQ? -- I am not now and never have been a member of Mensa. -- Ariadne.
drack@titan.tsd.arlut.utexas.edu (Dave Rackley) (11/28/90)
>> Ok, I know this sounds stupid. However: >> I have been looking, for ages, for a way of doing a non-waiting getchar. > There isn't any portable way of doing it in C, because some of the > operating systems C is available on cannot do it. The best you can do > is make up two names (kb_getch, kb_ready, perhaps) and write an > implementation for each of the systems you are concerned with. > Perhaps it is time the net collaborated to produce model implementations > of these functions for MS-DOS, OS/2, VMS, BSD, S5, put them on a mail > server somewhere, and added the location to the FAQ? 1. I have it for VMS. If there is interest I'll post it. 2. MS-Quick C v2.5 has the code for MS-DOS in a sample program, tools.c! -- DISCLAIMER? I don't know anything 'bout any ol' disclaimer! +=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+ | David Rackley | | | Applied Research Laboratories | Remember, you can tuna fish, | | The University of Texas | But you can't tuna piano! | | Austin, TX. 78758 | | +=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+