# Only input and no window?

**URL:** <https://discourse.glfw.org/t/only-input-and-no-window/335>\
**Category:** support\
**Created:** [April 2, 2005, 8:02am UTC](https://discourse.glfw.org/t/only-input-and-no-window/335 "2005-04-02T08:02:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/glfw/original/1X/b8cdefe6b61b8d5aee6c43b2c56e9cf5eabecfe4.svg) [@system](https://discourse.glfw.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 8:02am UTC](https://discourse.glfw.org/t/only-input-and-no-window/335/1 "2005-04-02T08:02:00Z")

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**nobody** wrote on [Saturday, April 02, 2005](https://sourceforge.net/p/glfw/discussion/247562/thread/469fdef0/#068a):

I have been converting my direct input code into glfw, but I am not getting input from the kb or mouse. So just a little question: Can I use glfw for input only or do i need to let glfw create my window?

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/glfw/original/1X/b8cdefe6b61b8d5aee6c43b2c56e9cf5eabecfe4.svg) [@system](https://discourse.glfw.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 2:22pm UTC](https://discourse.glfw.org/t/only-input-and-no-window/335/2 "2005-04-04T14:22:00Z")

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**[shenron\_fr](https://sourceforge.net/u/shenron_fr/)** wrote on [Monday, April 04, 2005](https://sourceforge.net/p/glfw/discussion/247562/thread/469fdef0/#2d0e):

You don’t need to create a window, you can use glfw for input i you want, make sure you initialise glfw and look at the examples and documentation to know how to do this

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/glfw/original/1X/b8cdefe6b61b8d5aee6c43b2c56e9cf5eabecfe4.svg) [@system](https://discourse.glfw.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 2:55pm UTC](https://discourse.glfw.org/t/only-input-and-no-window/335/3 "2005-04-04T14:55:24Z")

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**[shenron\_fr](https://sourceforge.net/u/shenron_fr/)** wrote on [Monday, April 04, 2005](https://sourceforge.net/p/glfw/discussion/247562/thread/469fdef0/#ecaf):

… what i say is probably an error, maybe i do this wrong but after posting my answer i remember my first attempt and i test it again  
it seems glfw catch inputs in his own window so i think glfw can’t be used alone instead of direct input

maybe in a future version ? (when multiple windows can be used)

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/glfw/original/1X/b8cdefe6b61b8d5aee6c43b2c56e9cf5eabecfe4.svg) [@system](https://discourse.glfw.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 9:41pm UTC](https://discourse.glfw.org/t/only-input-and-no-window/335/4 "2005-04-17T21:41:13Z")

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**[marcus256](https://sourceforge.net/u/marcus256/)** wrote on [Sunday, April 17, 2005](https://sourceforge.net/p/glfw/discussion/247562/thread/469fdef0/#ecaf/6ded):

I suppose that you could get mouse and keyboard input without a window on most systems somehow (e.g. DirectInput under Windows), but that’s both unlogical from a design point of view (especially when multiple windows are supported), and unportable.

I can think of no program that would benefit from the ability of reading user input without giving some kind of graphical response to this input action (i.e. a window/graphicless application). If you want to use GLFW solely for input, and have the graphics displayed with some alternate API, I think you are on the wrong track. Then using DirectInput directly is a better option (sorry, no pun intended).

In short: it won’t happen. 😉