Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!killer!vector!chip
From: chip@vector.UUCP (Chip Rosenthal)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: INKEY$ [Was: printf, data presentation]
Message-ID: <686@vector.UUCP>
Date: 11 Jan 89 03:59:57 GMT
References: <19@xenlink.UUCP> <225800106@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: chip@vector.UUCP (Chip Rosenthal)
Organization: Dallas Semiconductor
Lines: 16

In article <225800106@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu> mcdonald@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu writes:
>>From my recollection of BASIC, INKEY$ has two main uses:
>/*   (long discussion deleted)   */
>The important point is that some such function should be a
>STANDARD C (ANSI C) function

No, that isn't the important point.  Such a procedure is generally used
for busy loops, and this is a bad idea.  If you are waiting for a keystroke,
then use c_cc[VMIN]=1.  If you are waiting for a one of a number of
assynchronous events, then fork processes to block on the various events
and signal the parent to handle it.

Since busy waiting is a bad idea, so is formalizing it in a standard.
-- 
Chip Rosenthal     chip@vector.UUCP    |      Choke me in the shallow water
Dallas Semiconductor   214-450-5337    |         before I get too deep.