About getch() (already read the f.a.q.)

Just to clarify, getch is windows platform only, regardless of version? (ie. winme,
xp, win98).

No matter what I've read, there's no piece of code out there that I've found that actually mimics getch; getch, does what I need it to do in spite of it being c and by many accounts, bad to use.

*Mods, feel free to del this topic (hopefully, after I've received a sat. response).

No, getch() is specific to Microsoft's compilers (and perhaps Borland's), not Windows. GCC for Windows doesn't have it. I don't think there's an MS compiler for any platform other than Windows (they don't use VC++ for their Mac software, I think), but if there were, it would probably have getch() too.

Thanks for replying. The only alternative I've managed to cobble together is below. I liked getch since it erased user input error (multiple characters).

Code:

---

char getMenuChoice()
{
string menugrab;
std::cout<< "(D)iamond \n";
std::cout<< "(C)ube \n";
std::cout<< "(S)phere  \n";
std::cout<< "(P)lane \n";
std::cout<< "(H)edra \n";
std::cout<< "(O)blong \n";
std::cout<< " \n";
std::cout<< "(Q)uit  \n";
std::cout<< "  \n";
std::cout<< "Enter Choice: ";
std::cin >> menugrab;
 void uppercase(string &s);
    {
    for (int j=0; j<menugrab.length(); ++j)
    menugrab[j]=toupper(menugrab[j]);
    }
if (menugrab.length() > 1)
    {
    menugrab.erase(1); //not certain of pos:: 0 or 1? string count starts at 0?
    }
char* c = new char[menugrab.length() + 1];
  for( int i = 0; i <menugrab.length(); i++ )  //change string menugrab to *char
  c[i] = menugrab[i];
  c[menugrab.length()] = '\0';
 return* c;  //char c needed and used for switch case
 }

---

return toupper( menugrab[0] );

I mean,
> void uppercase(string &s);
What's this doing - commenting on the next couple of lines?

> char* c = new char[menugrab.length() + 1];
Since you return *c rather than c, this is a memory leak.

> menugrab.erase(1);
Does this make menugrab.length() == 1 ?

You convert a long string to upper case
You then trim it to a single char
You then allocate space for exactly 2 characters
You finally return the first element of the array (and leak the memory)

> I need it to do in spite of it being c and by many accounts, bad to use.
But the cin you have also has the backspace/erase features doesn't it (up until the user presses return right) ?

Or are you thinking about the "getch() returns without the user having to press return" type of interface?

Quote:

---

Since you return *c rather than c, this is a memory leak.

---

Tried to do that, but if I attempted to compile c without assigning a cast it wouldn't compile and if I did, the menu would crash. All of these questions raised is in part why I want to use getch; it works, eliminates user input error and isn't driving me loco the way the code uptop is doing.

I don't see what your problem is then, because in a standalone test, it works fine.

Code:

---

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using std::string;

char getMenuChoice()
{
    string menugrab;
    std::cout<< "(D)iamond \n";
    std::cout<< "(C)ube \n";
    std::cout<< "(S)phere  \n";
    std::cout<< "(P)lane \n";
    std::cout<< "(H)edra \n";
    std::cout<< "(O)blong \n";
    std::cout<< " \n";
    std::cout<< "(Q)uit  \n";
    std::cout<< "  \n";
    std::cout<< "Enter Choice: ";
    std::cin >> menugrab;
    return toupper(menugrab[0]);
}
int main ( ) {
    std::cout << getMenuChoice() << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

$ ./a.exe
(D)iamond
(C)ube
(S)phere
(P)lane
(H)edra
(O)blong

(Q)uit

Enter Choice: diamond
D


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Well, apparently I don't have a problem then. I was under the impression that you couldn't use a std::string as a comparative for switch case (had to be # or char).

Thanks. I'm still rather confused, but I'll get over it....