---
name: "inchstr"
section: "3x"
platform: "linux"
package: "ncurses"
version: "6.6-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/curs_inchstr/3x"
---

# inchstr(3x)

get a curses character string from a window

Part of [curs\_inchstr(3x)](/curs_inchstr/3x.md).

## NAME

**inchstr**, **inchnstr**, **winchstr**, **winchnstr**, **mvinchstr**, **mvinchnstr**, **mvwinchstr**, **mvwinchnstr** - get a *curses* character string from a 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

**winchstr** **extracts a** *curses* **character string from a** *curses* **window** *win*, **starting at the cursor and stopping at the end of the line,** **and stores it in** *chstr*, **terminating it with a null** *curses* **character.** **winchnstr** **does the same,** **but copies at most** *n* *curses* **characters from** *win*. **A negative** *n* **implies no limit;** **winchnstr** **then works like** **winchstr**. **ncurses(3X) describes the variants of these functions.**

## RETURN VALUE

**These functions return** **OK** **on success and** **ERR** **on failure.**

**In** *ncurses*, **these functions fail if**

- •

  **the** *curses* **screen has not been initialized,**

- •

  **(for functions taking a** *WINDOW* **pointer argument)** *win* **is a null pointer,** **or**

- •

  *chstr* **is a null pointer.**

**Functions prefixed with “mv” first perform cursor movement and** **fail if the position** (*y*, *x*) **is outside the window boundaries.**

## NOTES

**All of these functions except** **winchnstr** **may be implemented as macros.**

**Reading a line that overflows the array pointed to by** *chstr* **and its variants causes undefined results.** **Instead,** **use the** *n*-infixed **functions with a positive** *n* **argument no larger than the size of the buffer backing** *chstr*.

## EXTENSIONS

**inchnstr**, **winchnstr**, **mvinchnstr**, **and** **mvwinchnstr**'s **acceptance of negative** *n* **values is an** *ncurses* **extension.**

## PORTABILITY

**Applications employing** *ncurses* **extensions should condition their use on the visibility of the** **NCURSES\_VERSION** **preprocessor macro.**

**X/Open Curses Issue 4 describes these functions.** **It specifies no error conditions for them.** **It characterizes the strings stored by these functions as containing** **“at most** *n* **elements” from a window,** **but does not specify whether the string stored by these functions is** **null-terminated.**

**SVr4 does not document whether it null-terminates the** *curses* **character string it stores** **in** *chstr*, **and does not document whether a trailing null** *curses* **character counts** **toward the length limit** *n*.

**SVr4 describes a successful return value only as** **“an integer value other than** *ERR*”.

## HISTORY

**SVr3.1 (1987)** **introduced these functions.**

## SEE ALSO

**curs\_in\_wchstr(3X) describes comparable functions of the** *ncurses* **library in its wide-character configuration** (*ncursesw*).

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