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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"`getpass`'s `echo_char` should be restricted to a single ASCII character","articleBody":"# Bug report\n\n### Bug description:\n\nRunning `getpass.getpass(echo_char=\"***\")` works until a character is entered, at which point a traceback error occurs.\n\n```python\nimport getpass\ngetpass.getpass(echo_char=\"***\")\n```\n\n```text\nPassword: Traceback (most recent call last):\n  File \"\u003cpython-input-10\u003e\", line 1, in \u003cmodule\u003e\n    getpass.getpass(echo_char=\"***\")\n    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n  File \"...\\pythoncore-3.14-64\\Lib\\getpass.py\", line 129, in win_getpass\n    msvcrt.putwch(echo_char)\n    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^\nTypeError: putwch(): argument must be a unicode character, not a string of length 3\n```\n\nValidation should occur upon input for this argument, and `getpass` should raise a `ValueError` stating: \"'echo_char' must be a single-character **ASCII** string, not a string of length 3\" (with ASCII only being bolded in this write-up for emphasis that a Unicode character cannot be used).\n\nAdditionally, the error message language should be revised when a non-ASCII string is entered:\n\n```python\nimport getpass\ngetpass.getpass(echo_char=\"Æ\")\n```\n\n```text\nTraceback (most recent call last):\n  File \"\u003cpython-input-11\u003e\", line 1, in \u003cmodule\u003e\n    getpass.getpass(echo_char=\"Æ\")\n    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n  File \"...\\pythoncore-3.14-64\\Lib\\getpass.py\", line 109, in win_getpass\n    _check_echo_char(echo_char)\n    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^\n  File \"...\\pythoncore-3.14-64\\Lib\\getpass.py\", line 149, in _check_echo_char\n    raise ValueError(\"'echo_char' must be a printable ASCII string, \"\n                     f\"got: {echo_char!r}\")\nValueError: 'echo_char' must be a printable ASCII string, got: 'Æ'\n```\n\nBetter language would be: \"'echo_char' must be a single-character ASCII string, got: 'Æ'\".\n\nWith agreement, I can submit a pull request.\n\n### CPython versions tested on:\n\n3.14\n\n### Operating systems tested on:\n\nWindows\n\n\u003c!-- gh-linked-prs --\u003e\n### Linked PRs\n* gh-138591\n* gh-138988\n\u003c!-- /gh-linked-prs --\u003e\n","author":{"url":"https://github.com/bkjoh","@type":"Person","name":"bkjoh"},"datePublished":"2025-09-04T21:17:24.000Z","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":"https://schema.org/CommentAction","userInteractionCount":11},"url":"https://github.com/138514/cpython/issues/138514"}