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

# curs\_inwstr(3x)

get a string of wchar\_t characters from a curses window

## NAME

**inwstr**, **innwstr**, **winwstr**, **winnwstr**, **mvinwstr**, **mvinnwstr**, **mvwinwstr**, **mvwinnwstr** - get a string of **wchar\_t** characters from a curses window

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <curses.h>

int inwstr(wchar_t *str);
int innwstr(wchar_t *str, int n);
int winwstr(WINDOW *win, wchar_t *str);
int winnwstr(WINDOW *win, wchar_t *str, int n);
int mvinwstr(int y, int x, wchar_t *str);
int mvinnwstr(int y, int x, wchar_t *str, int n);
int mvwinwstr(WINDOW *win, int y, int x, wchar_t *str);
int mvwinnwstr(WINDOW *win, int y, int x, wchar_t *str, int n);
```

## DESCRIPTION

These routines return a string of **wchar\_t** characters in *wstr*, 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* bytes long (exclusive of the trailing NUL). Transfer stops at the end of the current line, or when *n* bytes have been stored at the location referenced by *wstr*.

If the size *n* is not large enough to store a complete character, an error is generated.

## NOTES

Note that all routines except **winnwstr** may be macros.

## RETURN VALUE

All routines return **ERR** upon failure. Upon successful completion, the \***inwstr** routines return **OK**, and the \***innwstr** routines return the number of characters read into the string.

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.

## SEE ALSO

**curses**(3X), **curs\_instr**(3X), **curs\_in\_wchstr**(3X)