Intercepting Ctrl C in a Java CLI Application

Programmers often seek to intercept the Ctrl C keystroke within CLI applications. This action, typically associated with terminating the process, can be valuable in implementing graceful application shutdown or other custom behavior.

Multi-Platform Solution

Unfortunately, finding a standardized solution across different operating systems proves challenging. However, there are platform-specific approaches available:

Unix-like Systems:

Utilize SignalHandler to capture the SIGINT signal generated by Ctrl C. See the linked article (as a PDF) for more information.

Windows:

Employ the Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook() method. This approach allows for custom code execution before the JVM fully terminates.

Using Console's readLine()

While it is possible to use Console's readLine() method to read characters from standard input, it lacks the ability to intercept Ctrl C. Consider using a dedicated library or low-level system-dependent mechanisms for intercepting the keystroke.