getchar

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File input/output


Functions
File access
(C11)
(C95)
Direct input/output
Unformatted input/output
getchar
(until C11)(since C11)
(C95)(C95)
(C95)
(C95)(C95)
(C95)
(C95)
(C95)
(C95)
Formatted input
Formatted output
File positioning
Error handling
Operations on files
 
Defined in header <stdio.h>
int getchar();

Reads the next character from stdin.

Equivalent to getc(stdin).

Contents

[edit] Parameters

(none)

[edit] Return value

The obtained character on success or EOF on failure.

If the failure has been caused by end-of-file condition, additionally sets the eof indicator (see feof()) on stdin. If the failure has been caused by some other error, sets the error indicator (see ferror()) on stdin.

[edit] Example

getchar with error checking

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
 
int main(void)
{ 
    int ch;
    while ((ch=getchar()) != EOF)   /* read/print "abcde" from stdin */
          printf("%c", ch);
 
    /* Test reason for reaching EOF. */
    if (feof(stdin))          /* if failure caused by end-of-file condition */
       puts("End of file reached");
    else if (ferror(stdin))   /* if failure caused by some other error      */
         {
            perror("getchar()");
            fprintf(stderr,"getchar() failed in file %s at line # %d\n", __FILE__,__LINE__-9);
            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
         }
 
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

Output:

abcde
End of file reached

[edit] References

  • C11 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2011):
  • 7.21.7.6 The getchar function (p: 332)
  • C99 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1999):
  • 7.19.7.6 The getchar function (p: 298)
  • C89/C90 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1990):
  • 4.9.7.6 The getchar function

[edit] See also

gets a character from a file stream
(function)
C++ documentation for getchar