October 17, 2007 CURSES_KEYNAME 3

### NAME

curses_keyname, keyname - curses report key name routine

### LIBRARY

Curses Library (libcurses, -lcurses)

### SYNOPSIS

```char *` keyname(```int key`)

### DESCRIPTION

The function keyname(``) generates a character string containing a description of the key specified in ```key`.

The string is formatted according to the following table:

Description | Key range | String format
```Control character` | `0 - 31` | `^X`
```Visible character` | `32 - 126` | `X`
```Delete character` | `127` | `^?`
```Meta + control character` | `128 - 158` | `M-^X`
```Meta + visible character` | `159 - 254` | `M-X`
```Meta + delete character` | `255` | `M-^?`
```Named key` | `KEY_MIN - KEY_MAX` | `KEY_EXIT`
```Unknown key` | `` | `-1`

### SEE ALSO

curses_input(3)

### NOTE

The return value of keyname(``) is a static buffer, which will be overwritten on a subsequent call.

### STANDARDS

The NetBSD Curses library complies with the X/Open Curses specification, part of the Single Unix Specification.

### HISTORY

These functions first appeared in NetBSD2.0.