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JSI Tip 7775. Getkey and Getvar freeware.
Jerold Schulman
February 24, 2004
1 Min Read
Bill Stewart's site contains:
Download here: getkv11.zip (86,723 bytes; 03 Apr 2006)
Getkey and getvar are two handy programs that provide a batch file script author to get keystroke or line input from a user. MS-DOS and Win32 console versions of both utilities are included.
Getkey is similar to the choice utility that come free with Windows 9x/Me or in the Windows NT Resource Kit, except that it's less noisy and has more features.
Getvar allows a batch file to read a line of input into an environment variable. Some will note that the cmd.exe command set /p (in Windows 2000 and later) can do this, but it is not as flexible as getvar.
The below list summarizes why getkey might be preferable to choice:
Both DOS and Win32 console versions are included.
It doesn't beep if you type a key that's not in the list. (Personally, I find that behavior really annoying.)
It has a mode that waits for an Enter keystroke after typing the key (I have found many users that can't keep from pressing Enter after they type a key).
It has a "quiet" mode that does not display the selected keystroke or move to the next line on the screen.
The below list summarizes why getvar might be preferable to set /p:
Both DOS and Win32 console versions are included.
Supports masked (password-style) input.
Supports numeric-only input.
Allows you to limit the length of the input string.
Supports uppercase-only input.
Has a timeout feature; useful if a script needs to run unattended.
Many people have found the DOS versions to be very useful on DOS boot disks or CDs.
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