C - Unformatted I/O Function

C language provide us console input/output functions. As the name says, the console input/output functions allow us to -

Read the input from the keyboard by the user accessing the console.
Display the output to the user at the console.

Note :

any primitive data type

There are two kinds of console input/output functions :

No.	Functions
1	*Formatted input/output functions.*
2	*Unformatted input/output functions.*

Formatted input/output functions

single or multiple

formatted input functions

Unformatted input/output functions

Unformatted console input/output functions are used to read a single input from the user at console and it also allows us to display the value in the output to the user at the console.

Some of the most important formatted console input/output functions are -

Functions	Description
getch()	Reads a single character from the user at the console, without echoing it.
getche()	Reads a single character from the user at the console, and echoing it.
getchar()	Reads a single character from the user at the console, and echoing it, but needs an Enter key to be pressed at the end.
gets()	Reads a single string entered by the user at the console.
puts()	Displays a single string's value at the console.
putch()	Displays a single character value at the console.
putchar()	Displays a single character value at the console.

Why the functions are called unformatted console I/O functions?

While calling any of the unformatted console input/output functions, we do not have to use any format specifiers in them, to read or display a value. Hence, these functions are named unformatted console I/O functions. In the next article, we are going to explain unformatted input functions by coding examples, so please, stay tuned!.