How to skip getchar in C?

[cprogdude]

Hi,
I would like to read an input from keyboard using getchar. However, if no input (No Carriage return/new line none whatsoever) is given after say, 5 seconds, I would like to skip the getchar and move on. How do I do this in C. I'm using GNU compiler set.


Thanks,

[Rubberman]

Usually you would use select() with a timeout. You can also bake your own using an interrupt timer and signal handler, but select() with timeout is better, IMO. I've done it both ways, which depending upon the situation. The nice thing about select() is that it can wait for input from more than one socket or file descriptor at a time, so you can wait for keyboard input as well as a message from the network or elsewhere.

[cprogdude]

Usually you would use select() with a timeout. You can also bake your own using an interrupt timer and signal handler, but select() with timeout is better, IMO. I've done it both ways, which depending upon the situation. The nice thing about select() is that it can wait for input from more than one socket or file descriptor at a time, so you can wait for keyboard input as well as a message from the network or elsewhere.

Thanks man. But I could only say whether there's any input from Keyboard or not. I couldn't get what's fed from keyboard.

[cprogdude]

Thanks man. But I could only say whether there's any input from Keyboard or not. I couldn't get what's fed from keyboard.

Never mind man. I had the wrong macro set in. It's working now. Thanks.

[Rubberman]

Ok. The select() function will only tell you that there is data to be read. You still need to read it. I would suggest using read() instead of getchar().

[cprogdude]

Ok. The select() function will only tell you that there is data to be read. You still need to read it. I would suggest using read() instead of getchar().

Got it sir. I'm facing another problem right now. I'm unable to flush my input streams. fflush(stdin) failed on me. Any other solution.

Thanks,

[Rubberman]

Have you tried putting the streams (stdin) into unbuffered mode (using tcsetattr() functions)? Also, the tc...() functions use fd's, not FILE*. So, how are you trying to flush your input streams?