{{fbdoc item="title" value="INKEY"}}----
Returns a string representing the first key waiting in the keyboard buffer

{{fbdoc item="syntax"}}##
	[[KeyPgDeclare|declare]] [[KeyPgFunction|function]] **Inkey** ( ) [[KeyPgAs|as]] [[KeyPgString|string]]
##
{{fbdoc item="usage"}}##
	//result// = **Inkey**[$]
##
{{fbdoc item="ret"}}
	The first character found in the keyboard buffer, or an empty string (##"####"##) if none found.

{{fbdoc item="desc"}}
	Peeks into the keyboard buffer and returns a ##[[KeyPgString|String]]## representation of the first character, if any, found. The key is then removed from the buffer, and is not echoed to the screen. If the keyboard buffer is empty, an empty string (##"####"##) is immediately returned without waiting for keys.
	
	If the key is in the ASCII character set, a one-character ##[[KeyPgString|String]]## consisting of that character is returned. If the key is an "extended" one (numeric pad, cursors, functions) a two-character ##[[KeyPgString|String]]## is returned, the first of which is the extended character  (//See dialect differences below//)
	
	The ""Shift"", ""Ctrl"", ""Alt"", and ""AltGr"" keys can't be read independently by this function as they never enter the keyboard buffer (although, perhaps obviously, Shift-A will be reported by ##**Inkey**## differently than Control-A et cetera; Alt-A is an extended key a la the above).
	
	See also ##[[KeyPgInputnum|Input()]]## or ##[[KeyPgGetkey|Getkey]]##, or ##[[KeyPgSleep|Sleep]]## to wait for a key press if the keyboard buffer is empty.

{{fbdoc item="ex"}}
{{fbdoc item="filename" value="examples/manual/input/inkey.bas"}}%%(freebasic)
print "press q to quit"
do
	sleep 1, 1
loop until inkey = "q"
%%
{{fbdoc item="filename" value="examples/manual/input/inkeyext.bas"}}%%(freebasic)
'' Compile with -lang fblite or qb

#lang "fblite"

#if __FB_LANG__ = "qb"
#define EXTCHAR Chr$(0)
#else
#define EXTCHAR Chr(255)
#endif

Dim k As String

Print "Press a key, or Escape to end"
Do

	k = Inkey$

	Select Case k

		Case "A" To "Z", "a" To "z": Print "Letter: " & k
		Case "1" To "9":             Print "Number: " & k

		Case Chr$(32): Print "Space"

		Case Chr$(27): Print "Escape"

		Case Chr$(9): Print "Tab"

		Case Chr$(8): Print "Backspace"

		Case Chr$(32) To Chr$(127)
			Print "Printable character: " & k

		Case EXTCHAR & "G": Print "Up Left / Home"
		Case EXTCHAR & "H": Print "Up"
		Case EXTCHAR & "I": Print "Up Right / PgUp"

		Case EXTCHAR & "K": Print "Left"
		Case EXTCHAR & "L": Print "Center"
		Case EXTCHAR & "M": Print "Right"

		Case EXTCHAR & "O": Print "Down Left / End"
		Case EXTCHAR & "P": Print "Down"
		Case EXTCHAR & "Q": Print "Down Right / PgDn"

		Case EXTCHAR & "R": Print "Insert"
		Case EXTCHAR & "S": Print "Delete"


		Case EXTCHAR & "k": Print "Close window / Alt-F4"

		Case EXTCHAR & Chr$(59) To EXTCHAR & Chr$(68)
			Print "Function key: F" & Asc(k, 2) - 58

		Case EXTCHAR & Chr$(133) To EXTCHAR & Chr$(134)
			Print "Function key: F" & Asc(k, 2) - 122

		Case Else
			If Len(k) = 2 Then
				Print Using "Extended character: chr$(###, ###)"; Asc(k, 1); Asc(k, 2)
			ElseIf Len(k) = 1 Then
				Print Using "Character chr$(###)"; Asc(k)
			End If

	End Select

	If k = Chr$(27) Then Exit Do

	Sleep 1, 1

Loop
%%

{{fbdoc item="lang"}}
	- The extended character is ##[[KeyPgChr|Chr]](255)## in the //[[CompilerOptlang|-lang fb]]// and //[[CompilerOptlang|-lang fblite]]// dialects.
		- In the //[[CompilerOptlang|-lang qb]]// dialect, the extended character depends on how the keyword is written. If the QB form ##**Inkey$**## is used, the extended character is ##[[KeyPgChr|Chr]](0)##.  If it is referenced as ##**""__Inkey""**##, the extended char is ##[[KeyPgChr|Chr]](255)##.
		- In all other dialects, the extended char is always ##[[KeyPgChr|Chr]](255)##.
	- The string type suffix "$" is obligatory in the //[[CompilerOptlang|-lang qb]]// dialect.
	- The string type suffix "$" is optional in the //[[CompilerOptlang|-lang fblite]]// dialect.
	- The string type suffix "$" is forbidden in the //[[CompilerOptlang|-lang fb]]// dialect.

{{fbdoc item="diff"}}
	- None in the //[[CompilerOptlang|-lang qb]]// dialect.
	- QBasic returned a ##[[KeyPgChr|Chr]](0)## as the first character for an extended key, but ""FreeBASIC"" returns ##[[KeyPgChr|Chr]](255)## as the first character in the //[[CompilerOptlang|-lang fb]]// and //[[CompilerOptlang|-lang fblite]]// dialects.

{{fbdoc item="see"}}
	- ##[[KeyPgSleep|Sleep]]##
	- ##[[KeyPgGetkey|Getkey]]##
	- ##[[KeyPgInputnum|Input()]]##
	- ##[[KeyPgMultikey|Multikey]]##

{{fbdoc item="back" value="CatPgInput|User Input"}}