---
name: "curs_inchstr"
section: "3x"
platform: "macos"
package: "ncurses"
version: "79"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["linux", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/curs_inchstr/3x"
---

# curs\_inchstr(3x)

get a string of characters (and attributes) from a curses window

## NAME

**inchstr**, **inchnstr**, **winchstr**, **winchnstr**, **mvinchstr**, **mvinchnstr**, **mvwinchstr**, **mvwinchnstr** - get a string of characters (and attributes) from a **curses** window

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<curses.h\>**

**int inchstr(chtype \*chstr);**\
 **int inchnstr(chtype \*chstr, int n);**\
 **int winchstr(WINDOW \*win, chtype \*chstr);**\
 **int winchnstr(WINDOW \*win, chtype \*chstr, int n);**\
 **int mvinchstr(int y, int x, chtype \*chstr);**\
 **int mvinchnstr(int y, int x, chtype \*chstr, int n);**\
 **int mvwinchstr(WINDOW \*win, int y, int x, chtype \*chstr);**\
 **int mvwinchnstr(WINDOW \*win, int y, int x, chtype \*chstr, int n);**\

## DESCRIPTION

These routines return a NULL-terminated array of **chtype** quantities, starting at the current cursor position in the named window and ending at the right margin of the window.  The four functions with *n* as the last argument, return a leading substring at most *n* characters long (exclusive of the trailing (chtype)0). Constants defined in **\<curses.h\>** can be used with the **&** (logical AND) operator to extract the character or the attribute alone from any position in the *chstr* \[see **curs\_inch**(3X)\].

## RETURN VALUE

All routines return the integer **ERR** upon failure and an integer value other than **ERR** upon successful completion (the number of characters retrieved, exclusive of the trailing 0).

No error conditions are defined. If the *chstr* parameter is null, no data is returned, and the return value is zero.

Functions with a "mv" prefix first perform a cursor movement using **wmove**, and return an error if the position is outside the window, or if the window pointer is null.

## NOTES

Note that all routines except **winchnstr** may be macros.  SVr4 does not document whether the result string is zero-terminated; it does not document whether a length limit argument includes any trailing 0; and it does not document the meaning of the return value.

## PORTABILITY

These functions are described in the XSI Curses standard, Issue 4.  It is no more specific than the SVr4 documentation on the trailing 0.  It does specify that the successful return of the functions is **OK**.

## SEE ALSO

**curses**(3X), **curs\_inch**(3X).

Comparable functions in the wide-character (ncursesw) library are described in **curs\_in\_wchstr**(3X).