INKEY

The ''INKEY' (or INKEY$) capture a single character typed by the user without having to press enter. In other words, the program is "listening" to the keyboard and, as soon as a key is pressed, "captures" it and stores it in a variable.

Unlike the INPUT command, which requires the user to press enter after typing, INKEY reads the character as soon as it is pressed. If no key has been pressed, INKEY$ returns an empty string (""). The captured character is stored in a string variable.

It is used to create interactive games where the user can control the character or objects by pressing specific keys, to create text menus where the user can select an option by pressing a letter or number or to create programs that respond to external events, such as pressing a key to start or stop an action.

The INKEY$ only reads one character at a time. To read a complete string, you must use other commands or techniques. The command does not usually display the pressed character on the screen.

EXAMPLE

 IF INKEY$ = "A" THEN
    PRINT "A has been pressed!"
 ENDIF