Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!olivea!samsung!sdd.hp.com!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!bin
From: bin@primate.wisc.edu (Brain in Neutral)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.programmer
Subject: Distinquishing escape key from arrow and function keys
Message-ID: <4193@uakari.primate.wisc.edu>
Date: 10 Apr 91 17:44:24 GMT
Organization: Cafe Limbo
Lines: 23

I have a program where the escape key is significant, but I also
want to be able to use the arrow and functions keys (which typically also
begin with escape).  I would be interested in how any of you solve this
problem.

My solution (if you can call it that): when an escape character is seen,
keep reading until
	(i) characters read entirely match some special key.  return some
		value (I use values >= 0200) to indicate such.
	(ii) characters read fail to match any special key character sequence.
		return escape to caller and save any other characters read
		to a pushback queue.
	(iii) timeout after brief wait and neither (i) nor (ii) obtain.
		return escape to caller and save any other characters read
		to a pushback queue.

On a BSD system, select() does the timeout nicely.  I'm not so familiar
with System V.  Do you use the MIN and TIME special control character
values in the termio.c_cc[] array?  What about under POSIX?

-- 
Paul DuBois                               "The 'C' shell usually doesn't
dubois@primate.wisc.edu                   have job control." -- LAN TIMES