6.1.1750
KEY
 
CORE
 
( -- char )

Receive one character char, a member of the implementation-defined character set. Keyboard events that do not correspond to such characters are discarded until a valid character is received, and those events are subsequently unavailable.

All standard characters can be received. Characters received by KEY are not displayed.

Any standard character returned by KEY has the numeric value specified in 3.1.2.1 Graphic characters. Programs that require the ability to receive control characters have an environmental dependency.

Rationale:
Use of KEY indicates that the application is processing primitive characters. Some input devices, e.g., keyboards, may provide more information than can be represented as a primitive character and such an event may be received as an implementation-specific sequence of primitive characters.

See A.10.6.2.1305 EKEY.