Q38023: Reading the ESC Key from the Keyboard with _gets

Article: Q38023
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 5.10
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | | mspl13_c
Last Modified: 15-NOV-1988

When the ESC key is pressed when entering a keyboard string to be read
with the run-time library function _gets, it clears the keyboard
buffer, and the only characters that are read by the _gets function
are those pressed after the ESC key.

This is a DOS command line feature. The _gets function does not
receive the input of the command line until the ENTER key is pressed.
Pressing the ESC key clears the keyboard buffer. If you need to accept
the ESC key stroke, use the _getc function.

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