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Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center

InputString[]

interactively reads in a character string.

InputString[prompt]

requests input, displaying prompt as a "prompt".

InputString[prompt,init]

in a notebook front end uses init as the initial contents of the input field.

Details and Options
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Applications  
See Also
Tech Notes
Related Guides
History
Cite this Page

InputString

InputString[]

interactively reads in a character string.

InputString[prompt]

requests input, displaying prompt as a "prompt".

InputString[prompt,init]

in a notebook front end uses init as the initial contents of the input field.

Details and Options

  • InputString returns what it reads as a string, without evaluation.
  • The operation of InputString may vary from one computer system to another. When a Wolfram System front end is used, InputString typically works through a dialog box.
  • When no front end is used, InputString reads from standard input.
  • If the standard input is a file, then InputString returns EndOfFile if you try to read past the end of the file.
  • On systems with textual input, InputString[] uses ? as a prompt.
  • When InputString is evaluated, the Wolfram System stops until the input has been read.
  • With a notebook front end, InputString by default puts up a dialog window with a standard appearance.
  • The prompt given can be text, graphics or any expression.
  • InputString takes notebook options. The default settings include WindowFloating->False, WindowSize->All, and WindowTitle->None.
  • InputString by default puts up a dialog in the middle of the main display screen. Explicit settings for WindowMargins override this.
  • The options for InputField can be given directly as options to InputString to control the properties of the input field.
  • InputString[prompt] is equivalent to InputString[prompt,""].

Examples

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Basic Examples  (2)

Get a string from input:

Wolfram Language code: InputString[]

Encode an input string:

Wolfram Language code: {b, e} = Sort[ToCharacterCode["az"]]; cipher = Thread[RandomSample[Range[b, e]] -> Range[b, e]];
Wolfram Language code: enc = FromCharacterCode[ToCharacterCode[InputString[]] /. cipher]

Decode:

Wolfram Language code: FromCharacterCode[ToCharacterCode[enc] /. Map[Reverse, cipher]]

Applications  (1)

Make a password dialog:

Wolfram Language code: InputString["Password:", FieldMasked -> True]
Wolfram Research (1988), InputString, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InputString.html (updated 2014).

Text

Wolfram Research (1988), InputString, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InputString.html (updated 2014).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1988. "InputString." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2014. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InputString.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1988). InputString. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InputString.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_inputstring, author="Wolfram Research", title="{InputString}", year="2014", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InputString.html}", note=[Accessed: 06-October-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_inputstring, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={InputString}, year={2014}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InputString.html}, note=[Accessed: 06-October-2026]}