INKEY$ in console mode

[blametroi]

I'm reviving some old text mode programs where I used INKEY$ to deal with single character input such as with a Y-or-N response to a question. When run to a console window, it doesn't work. I went over the wiki page and see a mention of using _DEST _CONSOLE but that doesn't seem to change anything.

Here's a minimal sample program using some of the INKEY$ code from the wiki. If the first two lines are uncommented, the program does not respond to any keypress.

It looks as if the program window, as opposed to console window, is intercepting the keypresses and not sending them through to the console. You can see this if you just use "$CONSOLE" instead of "$CONSOLE:ONLY". If you give the program window focus, the keypresses go through.

Any guidance? Thanks.

Code: QB64: [Select]

1. '$CONSOLE:ONLY
2. '_DEST _CONSOLE
3.  
4. DO
5.     PRINT "Do you want to continue? (Y/N): "; 'semicolon saves position for user entry
6.     DO: K$ = UCASE$(INKEY$) 'change any user key press to uppercase
7.     LOOP UNTIL K$ = "Y" OR K$ = "N"
8.     PRINT K$ 'print valid user entry
9.     IF K$ = "N" THEN END
10. LOOP
11.  

[bplus]

hmm... looks like INKEY$ not available to CONSOLE, INPUT works but not what is wanted:

Code: QB64: [Select]

1. $CONSOLE:ONLY
2. _DEST _CONSOLE
3. DO
4.     PRINT "Do you want to continue? (Y/N): "; 'semicolon saves position for user entry
5.     INPUT ""; K$
6.     K$ = UCASE$(K$)
7.     'DO
8.     '    _DELAY .01  'put console window in front
9.     '    K$ = UCASE$(INKEY$) 'change any user key press to uppercase
10.     'LOOP UNTIL K$ = "Y" OR K$ = "N"
11.     PRINT K$ 'print valid user entry
12.     IF K$ = "N" THEN END
13. LOOP
14.  
15.  
16.  

[bplus]

_KEYHIT and _KEYDOWN don't seem to work in $CONSOLE:ONLY either.

[Pete]

Windows API call would be my way to attack it.

Pete

[bplus]

Man! all that just because you don't want an additional enter button press. ;-))

[bplus]

Hey could you job outsource with a key press routine in a hidden SHELL? Return back with the Y or N or whatever...

[Raven_Singularity]

Just write a low-level keyboard driver.  :clownface:


Edit:
To be clear, this was a joke, not an actual suggestion.  :-)

[blametroi]

Meh. I know how to do the various alternatives, I was hoping to avoid breaking out of the core language. The doc on the wiki says it should work. This was a pretty common practice in BASIC programming back in the day.

I'll cast about and see if I can find the wndproc for the program window. I think it should pass the wm_keypress type messages on but seems not to do so.