#### 21.2.17 read-char [Function]

`read-char` &optional input-stream eof-error-p eof-value recursive-p ⇒ char

#### Arguments and Values::

input-stream—an input stream designator. The default is standard input.

eof-error-p—a generalized boolean. The default is true.

eof-value—an object. The default is nil.

recursive-p—a generalized boolean. The default is false.

char—a character or the eof-value.

#### Description::

read-char returns the next character from input-stream.

When input-stream is an echo stream, the character is echoed on input-stream the first time the character is seen. Characters that are not echoed by read-char are those that were put there by unread-char and hence are assumed to have been echoed already by a previous call to read-char.

If recursive-p is true, this call is expected to be embedded in a higher-level call to read or a similar function used by the Lisp reader.

If an end of file_2 occurs and eof-error-p is false, eof-value is returned.

#### Examples::

     (with-input-from-string (is "0123")
        (do ((c (read-char is) (read-char is nil 'the-end)))
            ((not (characterp c)))
         (format t "~S " c)))
     |>  #\0 #\1 #\2 #\3
    ⇒  NIL

#### Affected By::

*standard-input*, *terminal-io*.

#### Exceptional Situations::

If an end of file_2 occurs before a character can be read, and eof-error-p is true, an error of type end-of-file is signaled.

#### See Also::

read-byte ,

read-sequence ,

write-char , read

#### Notes::

The corresponding output function is write-char.