Get key press in windows console

Question

I found this piece of code online:

CHAR getch() {
    DWORD mode, cc;
    HANDLE h = GetStdHandle( STD_INPUT_HANDLE );

    if (h == NULL) {
        return 0         


        

Answer 1

you have a lot of ways to get the keyboard inputs

you can use GetAsyncKeyState https://msdn.microsoft.com/fr-fr/library/windows/desktop/ms646293(v=vs.85).aspx or GetKeyState https://msdn.microsoft.com/fr-fr/library/windows/desktop/ms646301.aspx

which are far better than getch

Answer 2

If stuff like control and alt keys, these are virtual key strokes, they are supplements to characters. You will need to use ReadConsoleInput. But you will get it all, the mouse also. So you really need to filter and return a structure from the call so you know if it is the likes of ctrl-A Alt-A. Filter repeats if you don't want them.

This may need work, don't know what you are after...

bool getconchar( KEY_EVENT_RECORD& krec )
{
    DWORD cc;
    INPUT_RECORD irec;
    HANDLE h = GetStdHandle( STD_INPUT_HANDLE );

    if (h == NULL)
    {
        return false; // console not found
    }

    for( ; ; )
    {
        ReadConsoleInput( h, &irec, 1, &cc );
        if( irec.EventType == KEY_EVENT
            &&  ((KEY_EVENT_RECORD&)irec.Event).bKeyDown
            )//&& ! ((KEY_EVENT_RECORD&)irec.Event).wRepeatCount )
        {
            krec= (KEY_EVENT_RECORD&)irec.Event;
            return true;
        }
    }
    return false; //future ????
}

int main( )
{
    KEY_EVENT_RECORD key;
    for( ; ; )
    {
        getconchar( key );
        std::cout << "key: " << key.uChar.AsciiChar
            << " code:  " << key.wVirtualKeyCode << std::endl;
    }
}

ReadConsoleInput function

INPUT_RECORD structure

KEY_EVENT_RECORD structure

Virtual-Key Codes