special function detection

Hi. i need to do a console aplication in c that uses special function keys. But it seems that keys like (ctrl, alt, etc) are not being passed to the app. and the special function keys just write garbage onto the screen. Any guidelines? I'm programming under linux.
i would also appreciate some advices about this for simple 16-bits console aplications for windows. once i did a program that used the special function keys but it was made in asm and i checked bios memory areas. i suposse there must be a way to detect this keys at some more upper level. For example when you press a f? key under DOS the system send two characters to the buffer the first one is 00 and the second is the key-code so you can use two getch() to detect the key. Something like that for the ctrl + ?
thanks in advance

Hi

If you just want to detect a control character "man iscntrl" will give you something.

I am also looking for a UNIX function that can be used istead of DOS getch() :) (here is the thread http://cboard.cprogramming.com/showthread.php?t=76309 ).

If you are using in ncurses there is a getch() function does the same thing as DOS version. You have to call noecho() if you don't want to display the character being typed.

there is a way to make a "getch" function in linux, i use something like this.

Code:

---

int getch() {
  int c;
  system(stty -echo);
  c = getchar();
  system(stty echo);
  return c;
}

---

hope it helps you;

Hi

Thanks for the code but it just embeds getchar() into a function! So, it still requires an extra CR! This is not I actually want!

ok. my fault, i hadn'r read your post. now i see

> I'm programming under linux.
I would suggest you look at the ncurses package, which wraps the screen/keyboard in a slightly more capable interface.

> i would also appreciate some advices about this for simple 16-bits console aplications for windows
What are you using - turboC as your compiler?
If your OS is NT/2K/XP, then your console is 32 bit.

i know how to use ncurses but i don't see much use for the ncurses functionality in my project. just want to receive and process especial and control keys to perform some simple tasks not graphical ones.
and i'm using TC under the old DOS. so indeed my application will be a 16-bit one.

Code:

---

int getch() {
  int c;
  system(stty -echo);
  c = getchar();
  system(stty echo);
  return c;
}

---

I presume you meant to put quotes around system()s' arguments:

Code:

---

int getch() {
  int c;
  system("stty -echo");
  c = getchar();
  system("stty echo");
  return c;
}

---

Quote:

---

and i'm using TC under the old DOS.

---

WHY? I would use Dev-C++ if I were you.

Quote:

---

just want to receive and process especial and control keys to perform some simple tasks not graphical ones.

---

There's an FAQ on the subject (or rather several) in order of usefulness:

• http://faq.cprogramming.com/cgi-bin/...&id=1043284392
• http://faq.cprogramming.com/cgi-bin/...&id=1043284392
• http://faq.cprogramming.com/cgi-bin/...&id=1043284385