Readchar

Readchar is a small, cross-platform Python library designed to read a single character from standard input without requiring the user to press Enter. It targets interactive command-line interfaces, simple menus, and small text-based programs.

The core feature of Readchar is the readchar() function, which reads one character from standard input. It abstracts platform differences between Windows and POSIX systems, returning ordinary characters as strings and exposing special keys through a separate module, readchar.key. This module provides constants for common keys such as UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, ENTER, BACKSPACE, and ESC, allowing developers to handle input in a portable, readable way.

Installation is straightforward via pip: pip install readchar. Typical usage involves importing the library, reading a key, and comparing it to either direct characters or the readchar.key constants. For example, one can repeatedly read keys to drive a text-based menu or navigation system.

Readchar is aimed at lightweight use cases where a full curses-based interface would be excessive. It serves as a lean alternative for implementing keyboard shortcuts and simple controls in terminal applications. Developers should be aware that some platforms deliver certain keys as escape sequences; Readchar provides constants to help manage these portably, though handling may vary across environments.

The project is open-source and available on the Python Package Index (PyPI) as well as its source repository. It has found adoption in educational and hobby projects that require quick, direct keyboard input in the terminal.