What is the difference between getch() and getchar()?

Question

What is the exact difference between the getch and getchar functions?

Answer 1

• getchar is standard C, found in stdio.h. It reads one character from stdin(the standard input stream = console input on most systems). It is a blocking call, since it requires the user to type a character then press enter. It echoes user input to the screen.

• getc(stdin) is 100% equivalent to getchar, except it can also be use for other input streams.

• getch is non-standard, typically found in the old obsolete MS DOS header conio.h. It works just like getchar except it isn't blocking after the first keystroke, it allows the program to continue without the user pressing enter. It does not echo input to the screen.

• getche is the same as getch, also non-standard, but it echoes input to the screen.