I'm real new to C programming

[doctor2001]

Just wondering if someone can help me a little...
I am trying to make a Dos application that executes in the autoexec.bat. The program will run, and if a funtion key is pressed it will run a batch file. If it is not pressed it will self-terminate and comtinue to load Windows. I am a newbie to C programming and this is what I have so far...

# include <stdio.h>
# include <stdlib.h>

main ( )
{

system(&quot;cls&quot;
system(&quot;run&quot; run is the batch file
}

Could someone tell me how to use a keypress function and then I could put it into an if statement...I think.


Thanks I advance...I trying o learn on my own !!!

 

[OSR]

Use the getch() function, it stands for getChar. Getting the F6 btn I'm unsure about but it probably entails using the ascii codes to get it. Rocco is the BOY!!

M O T I V A T E!

 

[michaelkrauklis]

http://www.teletechnics.com/reference/ascii_codes.html

This site has the extended ascii keyboard codes you might need. MYenigmaSELF
myenigmaself@yahoo.com

http://myenigmaself.gaiden.com

 

[programsecrets]

The table myenigmaself pointed you to indicates that normal keys only return a single character. However, function keys (or other special keys) return two characters. Whenever two characters are returned, the first one will always be a NULL character, represented by numeric zero (0) (or by this &quot;character&quot; '\0').

So using getch() as 'Rod says, test the first returned character to see if it's a null. If it isn't, then the user pressed a normal character. If it *is* null, there is another character in the input buffer that you must read to find out which special key was pressed. In the following example, the &quot;else&quot; statements really are unneeded (unless you want to do something special), but are included to make things clearer:

char cMyChar;

/* program stops until a key is pressed */
cMyChar = getch();

if (cMyChar == 0)
{
/* first character was a NULL, so there is another */
/* character in the input buffer... let's read it */
cMyChar = getch();

if (cMyChar == 64)
{
/* In this example, F6 is the two character */
/* sequence (0, 64) you are looking for, so */
/* go ahead and run your batch command */
system(&quot;run&quot;
}
else
{
/* a different special character was pressed, */
/* so ignore it and continue booting... */
}
}
else
{
/* a normal character was pressed, */
/* so ignore it and continue booting... */
}

Hope this helps... However, just be aware that using the getch() function requires the user to press *some* key even if they don't want to run the batch file. Also, in this example, the batch file will *only* be run if the user presses the F6 key.