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PRAGMA PROGRAM REFERENCE MANUAL
Index
All Operation

Expand All      ADDENDUM
INPUT KEY INK Standard Verb Input/Output Operation
Target = LENGTH (LT)

Waits for a key to be pressed and does not do anything while waiting.
It is recommended to be used when the program demands a key to be pressed to
go on, like in menus.
If no data is ready from the keyboard, INPUT KEY will stop executing until
data is ready, therefore not wasting CPU time in a multiuser system.
LENGTH contains 1 for any regular, 2 for extended key pressed.

INPUT KEY into the noun NOUN

NOUN is the noun you want the key value to be written to.



SEE ALSO: INPUT LAYOUT / INPUT / INPUT NUMBER

DISCUSSION


INPUT KEY allows one key input without a terminating return. It will wait for a key to be pressed and the inputted key will not echo to the screen. If no keyboard data is ready, the program will not complete its work until a key has been pressed.

When the key has been pressed, the destination noun will receive the one character, and length will be 1. If an extended key is input, the noun will receive both bytes, and LENGTH will be 2. Extended keys are all the keys that do not display anything, such as function keys and their CRTL and ALT states.


INPUT KEY should always be used when a program demands a key to be pressed, like in a menu. INPUT KEY will minimize CPU time while waiting for the key to be pressed. This is especially important in a multiuser system like UNIX, where it is important to maximize system throughput and INPUT LAYOUT 0 should be used as little as possible.


The return codes of the extended keys can be determined in the utilities section of the online help. Be aware that the program displays control characters as a caret (^), and not as an underline, like you will have to write when using INPUT KEY.


 

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