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

# curs\_instr(3x)

get a string of characters from a curses window

## NAME

**instr**, **innstr**, **winstr**, **winnstr**, **mvinstr**, **mvinnstr**, **mvwinstr**, **mvwinnstr** - get a string of characters from a **curses** window

## SYNOPSIS

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

**int instr(char \*str);**\
 **int innstr(char \*str, int n);**\
 **int winstr(WINDOW \*win, char \*str);**\
 **int winnstr(WINDOW \*win, char \*str, int n);**\
 **int mvinstr(int y, int x, char \*str);**\
 **int mvinnstr(int y, int x, char \*str, int n);**\
 **int mvwinstr(WINDOW \*win, int y, int x, char \*str);**\
 **int mvwinnstr(WINDOW \*win, int y, int x, char \*str, int n);**\

## DESCRIPTION

These routines return a string of characters in *str*, extracted starting at the current cursor position in the named window. Attributes are stripped from the characters.  The four functions with *n* as the last argument return a leading substring at most *n* characters long (exclusive of the trailing NUL).

## RETURN VALUE

All of the functions return **ERR** upon failure, or the number of characters actually read into the string.

X/Open defines no error conditions. In this implementation, if the window parameter is null or the str parameter is null, a zero is returned.

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 **winnstr** may be macros.

## PORTABILITY

SVr4 does not document whether a length limit includes or excludes the trailing NUL.

The ncurses library extends the XSI description by allowing a negative value for *n*. In this case, the functions return the string ending at the right margin.

## SEE ALSO

**curses**(3X).