[3.15] gh-156234: Fix and rewrite the curses documentation on reading (GH-156235) (#156279)

Author: serhiy-storchaka

Doc/library/curses.rst

@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ Linux and the BSD variants of Unix.
 
    Whenever the documentation mentions a *character* it can be specified
    as an integer, a one-character Unicode string or a one-byte byte string.
+   An integer is the code of a single encoded byte, optionally combined with
+   attributes and a color pair, as returned by :meth:`window.inch`.
 
    Whenever the documentation mentions a *character string* it can be specified
    as a Unicode string or a byte string.
@@ -502,8 +504,8 @@ The module :mod:`!curses` defines the following functions:
 .. function:: putp(str)
 
    Equivalent to ``tputs(str, 1, putchar)``; emit the value of a specified
-   terminfo capability for the current terminal.  Note that the output of :func:`putp`
-   always goes to standard output.
+   terminfo capability, a bytes object, for the current terminal.
+   Note that the output of :func:`putp` always goes to standard output.
 
    :func:`setupterm` (or :func:`initscr`) must be called first.
 
@@ -674,7 +676,7 @@ The module :mod:`!curses` defines the following functions:
 .. function:: tparm(str[, ...])
 
    Instantiate the bytes object *str* with the supplied parameters, where *str* should
-   be a parameterized string obtained from the terminfo database.  For example,
+   be a parameterized byte string obtained from the terminfo database.  For example,
    ``tparm(tigetstr("cup"), 5, 3)`` could result in ``b'\033[6;4H'``, the exact
    result depending on terminal type.  Up to nine integer parameters may be supplied.
 
@@ -695,7 +697,8 @@ The module :mod:`!curses` defines the following functions:
 
 .. function:: unctrl(ch)
 
-   Return a bytes object which is a printable representation of the character *ch*.
+   Return a bytes object which is a printable representation of the character *ch*;
+   any attributes and color pair are ignored.
    Control characters are represented as a caret followed by the character, for
    example as ``b'^C'``. Printing characters are left as they are.
 
@@ -704,6 +707,9 @@ The module :mod:`!curses` defines the following functions:
 
    Push *ch* so the next :meth:`~window.getch` will return it.
 
+   *ch* may be an integer (a key code or the code of an encoded byte), a byte,
+   or a string of length 1 which encodes to a single byte.
+
    .. note::
 
       Only one *ch* can be pushed before :meth:`!getch` is called.
@@ -721,6 +727,9 @@ The module :mod:`!curses` defines the following functions:
 
    Push *ch* so the next :meth:`~window.get_wch` will return it.
 
+   *ch* may be an integer (a character code, not a key code) or a string of
+   length 1.
+
    .. note::
 
       Only one *ch* can be pushed before :meth:`!get_wch` is called.
@@ -1001,27 +1010,58 @@ Window objects
 
 .. method:: window.getch([y, x])
 
-   Get a character. Note that the integer returned does *not* have to be in ASCII
-   range: function keys, keypad keys and so on are represented by numbers higher
-   than 255.  In no-delay mode, return ``-1`` if there is no input, otherwise
-   wait until a key is pressed.
+   Read a key press, after moving the cursor to *y*, *x* if specified,
+   and return it as an integer.
+   The window is refreshed first if it is not a pad and was modified since
+   the last refresh.
+   Wait until a key is pressed, or return ``-1`` if the read is non-blocking
+   or times out (see :meth:`nodelay` and :meth:`timeout`).
+
+   An ordinary key is returned as the code of a single byte of its encoding
+   in the current locale,
+   so a character encoded with several bytes takes several calls.
+   For example, in a UTF-8 locale ``'é'`` is read as ``195``, then ``169``.
+   Use :meth:`get_wch` to read it as a single character.
+
+   In keypad mode (see :meth:`keypad`) function keys and other special keys
+   are returned as one of the :ref:`KEY_* constants <curses-key-constants>`,
+   which cannot be mistaken for an ordinary key.
+   Otherwise, or if their escape sequence does not arrive in time
+   (see :meth:`notimeout` and :func:`set_escdelay`),
+   their bytes are returned one at a time.
+
+   In echo mode (see :func:`echo`) the key is added to the window as by
+   :meth:`addch`; special keys are not echoed.
 
 
 .. method:: window.get_wch([y, x])
 
-   Get a wide character. Return a character for most keys, or an integer for
-   function keys, keypad keys, and other special keys.
-   In no-delay mode, raise an exception if there is no input.
+   Read a key press, after moving the cursor to *y*, *x* if specified,
+   and return it as a one-character :class:`str`.
+   The window is refreshed first if it is not a pad and was modified since
+   the last refresh.
+   Wait until a key is pressed, or raise :exc:`error` if the read is
+   non-blocking or times out (see :meth:`nodelay` and :meth:`timeout`).
+
+   In keypad mode (see :meth:`keypad`) function keys and other special keys
+   are returned as one of the :ref:`KEY_* constants <curses-key-constants>`,
+   an integer.
+   Otherwise, or if their escape sequence does not arrive in time
+   (see :meth:`notimeout` and :func:`set_escdelay`),
+   their characters are returned one at a time.
+
+   In echo mode (see :func:`echo`) the key is added to the window as by
+   :meth:`addch`; special keys are not echoed.
 
    .. versionadded:: 3.3
 
 
 .. method:: window.getkey([y, x])
 
-   Get a character, returning a string instead of an integer, as :meth:`getch`
-   does. Function keys, keypad keys and other special keys return a multibyte
-   string containing the key name.  In no-delay mode, raise an exception if
-   there is no input.
+   Read a key press as :meth:`getch` does, but return it as a :class:`str`:
+   an ordinary key as a one-character string, the byte decoded as Latin-1,
+   and a special key as its name, such as ``'KEY_UP'`` (see :func:`keyname`).
+   Raise :exc:`error` instead of returning ``-1`` if there is no input.
 
 
 .. method:: window.getmaxyx()
@@ -1041,8 +1081,11 @@ Window objects
             window.getstr(y, x)
             window.getstr(y, x, n)
 
-   Read a bytes object from the user, with primitive line editing capacity.
-   At most *n* characters are read;
+   Read a line of input from the user, with primitive line editing capacity,
+   after moving the cursor to *y*, *x* if specified.
+   Return it as a bytes object, in the encoding of the current locale
+   and without the terminating newline.
+   At most *n* bytes are read;
    *n* defaults to and cannot exceed 2047.
 
    .. versionchanged:: 3.14
@@ -1144,12 +1187,11 @@ Window objects
 .. method:: window.instr([n])
             window.instr(y, x[, n])
 
-   Return a bytes object of characters, extracted from the window starting at the
-   current cursor position, or at *y*, *x* if specified, and stopping at the end
-   of the line. Attributes and color information are stripped
-   from the characters.  If *n* is specified, :meth:`instr` returns a string
-   at most *n* characters long (exclusive of the trailing NUL).
-   The maximum value for *n* is 2047.
+   Read the text of the window from the current cursor position,
+   or from *y*, *x* if specified, to the end of the line,
+   and return it as a bytes object, in the encoding of the current locale.
+   Attributes and color pairs are stripped.
+   At most *n* bytes are read; *n* defaults to and cannot exceed 2047.
 
    .. versionchanged:: 3.14
       The maximum value for *n* was increased from 1023 to 2047.
@@ -1173,6 +1215,8 @@ Window objects
    If *flag* is ``True``, escape sequences generated by some keys (keypad,  function keys)
    will be interpreted by :mod:`!curses`. If *flag* is ``False``, escape sequences will be
    left as is in the input stream.
+   Keypad mode is disabled by default, but :func:`wrapper` enables it for the
+   main window.
 
 
 .. method:: window.leaveok(flag)
@@ -1525,6 +1569,8 @@ by some methods.
 |                         | color-pair field information  |
 +-------------------------+-------------------------------+
 
+.. _curses-key-constants:
+
 Keys are referred to by integer constants with names starting with  ``KEY_``.
 The exact keycaps available are system dependent.
 

Modules/_cursesmodule.c

@@ -1747,18 +1747,25 @@ _curses.window.getch
     ]
     /
 
-Get a character code from terminal keyboard.
+Read a key press and return it as an integer.
 
-The integer returned does not have to be in ASCII range: function
-keys, keypad keys and so on return numbers higher than 256.  In
-no-delay mode, -1 is returned if there is no input, else getch()
-waits until a key is pressed.
+Wait until a key is pressed, or return -1 if the read is
+non-blocking or times out.
+
+An ordinary key is returned as the code of a single byte of its
+encoding in the current locale, so a character encoded with several
+bytes takes several calls.  Use get_wch() to read it as a single
+character.
+
+In keypad mode function keys and other special keys are returned as
+one of the KEY_* constants, which cannot be mistaken for an ordinary
+key.  Otherwise their bytes are returned one at a time.
 [clinic start generated code]*/
 
 static PyObject *
 _curses_window_getch_impl(PyCursesWindowObject *self, int group_right_1,
                           int y, int x)
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=e1639e87d545e676 input=0dc5ff40e079787a]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=e1639e87d545e676 input=882ddab9b41afbbd]*/
 {
     int rtn;
 
@@ -1795,18 +1802,18 @@ _curses.window.getkey
     ]
     /
 
-Get a character (string) from terminal keyboard.
+Read a key press and return it as a str.
 
-Returning a string instead of an integer, as getch() does.  Function
-keys, keypad keys and other special keys return a multibyte string
-containing the key name.  In no-delay mode, an exception is raised
-if there is no input.
+Read as getch() does, but return an ordinary key as a one-character
+string, the byte decoded as Latin-1, and a special key as its name,
+such as 'KEY_UP'.  Raise curses.error instead of returning -1 if
+there is no input.
 [clinic start generated code]*/
 
 static PyObject *
 _curses_window_getkey_impl(PyCursesWindowObject *self, int group_right_1,
                            int y, int x)
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=8490a182db46b10f input=bd24a7da1ed9c73b]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=8490a182db46b10f input=f054cf034c69e879]*/
 {
     int rtn;
 
@@ -1851,16 +1858,20 @@ _curses.window.get_wch
     ]
     /
 
-Get a wide character from terminal keyboard.
+Read a key press and return it as a one-character str.
+
+Wait until a key is pressed, or raise curses.error if the read is
+non-blocking or times out.
 
-Return a character for most keys, or an integer for function keys,
-keypad keys, and other special keys.
+In keypad mode function keys and other special keys are returned as
+one of the KEY_* constants, an integer.  Otherwise their characters
+are returned one at a time.
 [clinic start generated code]*/
 
 static PyObject *
 _curses_window_get_wch_impl(PyCursesWindowObject *self, int group_right_1,
                             int y, int x)
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=9f4f86e91fe50ef3 input=dd7e5367fb49dc48]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=9f4f86e91fe50ef3 input=77eb2da426ebe71f]*/
 {
     int ct;
     wint_t rtn;
@@ -1928,14 +1939,14 @@ curses_clinic_parse_optional_xy_n(PyObject *args,
 
 PyDoc_STRVAR(_curses_window_getstr__doc__,
 "getstr([[y, x,] n=2047])\n"
-"Read a string from the user, with primitive line editing capacity.\n"
+"Read a line of input and return it as a bytes object.\n"
 "\n"
 "  y\n"
 "    Y-coordinate.\n"
 "  x\n"
 "    X-coordinate.\n"
 "  n\n"
-"    Maximal number of characters.");
+"    Maximal number of bytes.");
 
 static PyObject *
 PyCursesWindow_getstr(PyObject *op, PyObject *args)
@@ -2180,21 +2191,19 @@ _curses_window_inch_impl(PyCursesWindowObject *self, int group_right_1,
 
 PyDoc_STRVAR(_curses_window_instr__doc__,
 "instr([y, x,] n=2047)\n"
-"Return a string of characters, extracted from the window.\n"
+"Return the text of the window as a bytes object.\n"
 "\n"
 "  y\n"
 "    Y-coordinate.\n"
 "  x\n"
 "    X-coordinate.\n"
 "  n\n"
-"    Maximal number of characters.\n"
+"    Maximal number of bytes.\n"
 "\n"
-"Return a string of characters, extracted from the window starting\n"
-"at the current cursor position, or at y, x if specified, and\n"
-"stopping at the end of the line.  Attributes and color\n"
-"information are stripped from the characters.  If n is specified,\n"
-"instr() returns a string at most n characters long (exclusive of\n"
-"the trailing NUL).");
+"Read from the current cursor position, or from y, x if specified, to\n"
+"the end of the line, and return the text in the encoding of the\n"
+"current locale, with attributes and color pairs stripped.  At most n\n"
+"bytes are read.");
 
 static PyObject *
 PyCursesWindow_instr(PyObject *op, PyObject *args)
@@ -5109,15 +5118,16 @@ _curses.unctrl
     ch: object
     /
 
-Return a string which is a printable representation of the character ch.
+Return a bytes object which is a printable representation of ch.
 
-Control characters are displayed as a caret followed by the character,
-for example as ^C.  Printing characters are left as they are.
+Control characters are displayed as a caret followed by the
+character, for example as ^C.  Printing characters are left as they
+are.  Any attributes and color pair are ignored.
 [clinic start generated code]*/
 
 static PyObject *
 _curses_unctrl(PyObject *module, PyObject *ch)
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=8e07fafc430c9434 input=cd1e35e16cd1ace4]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=8e07fafc430c9434 input=6732d59733d3ed5b]*/
 {
     chtype ch_;