INF: Return Value for getch() on Extended Characters

ID Number: Q57888

5.10 6.00 6.00a 6.00ax 7.00 | 5.10 6.00 6.00a

MS-DOS | OS/2

Summary:

In Microsoft C versions 5.0, 5.1, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0ax, and C/C++ version

7.0, when reading extended characters, you must make two calls to

getch() because the first call returns a value indicating that the key

is an extended character. The second call returns the actual key code.

When you are reading an extended character, the first return value

will be either 0xE0 or 0x00, depending on which extended key is

pressed.

More Information:

Sample Code

-----------

#include <stdio.h>

#include <conio.h>

void main(void)

{

int ch, scan;

do {

ch = getch(); /* 1st getch() gets ASCII code */

printf("Character is %d\n", ch);

if (ch == 0x00 || 0XE0) { /* if extended key */

scan = getch(); /* 2nd getch() gets "scan code" */

printf("\tExtended character: scan is %d\n", scan);

}

} while (ch != 27); /* exit loop on ESC */

}

For a discussion of keystrokes and scan codes, refer to "The New Peter

Norton Programmer's Guide to the IBM PC & PS/2," by Peter Norton and

Richard Wilton.

Additional reference words: 5.00 5.10 6.00 6.00a 6.00ax 7.00