The JavaWorld experts answer your most pressing Java questions -- every week Q: In a pure Java application how can you read standard input one character at a time (raw, unbuffered)? A: If the application has a GUI, it is possible to use a Component like java.awt.TextField to check each character as it is typed. If the application is command-line based, the only portable way to read a single character from standard input through Java is to call System.in.read(). However, this call will block until the user types the key at the end of a line, at which point the whole line is available for read(). Random Walk Computing is the largest Java/CORBA consulting boutique in New York, focusing on solutions for the financial enterprise. Known for their leading-edge Java expertise, Random Walk consultants publish and speak about Java in some of the most respected forums in the world.