- The <EM>ncurses</EM> library routines give the user a terminal-independent
- method of updating character screens with reasonable optimization.
- This implementation is "new curses" (<EM>ncurses</EM>) and is the approved
- replacement for 4.4BSD classic curses, which has been discontinued.
- This describes <EM>ncurses</EM> version 6.4 (patch 20240120).
-
- The <EM>ncurses</EM> library emulates the curses library of System V Release 4
- Unix ("SVr4"), and XPG4 (X/Open Portability Guide) curses (also known
- as XSI curses). XSI stands for X/Open System Interfaces Extension.
- The <EM>ncurses</EM> library is freely redistributable in source form.
+ The "new curses" library offers the programmer a terminal-independent
+ means of reading keyboard and mouse input and updating character-cell
+ terminals with output optimized to minimize screen updates. <EM>ncurses</EM>
+ replaces the <EM>curses</EM> libraries from System V Release 4 Unix ("SVr4") and
+ 4.4BSD Unix, the development of which ceased in the 1990s. This
+ describes <EM>ncurses</EM> version 6.4 (patch 20240323).
+
+ <EM>ncurses</EM> permits control of the terminal screen's contents; abstraction
+ and subdivision thereof with <EM>windows</EM> and <EM>pads</EM>; the reading of terminal
+ input; control of terminal input and output options; environment query
+ routines; color manipulation; the definition and use of <EM>soft</EM> <EM>label</EM>
+ keys; <EM>terminfo</EM> capabilities; a <EM>termcap</EM> compatibility interface; and
+ access to low-level terminal-manipulation routines.
+
+ <EM>ncurses</EM> implements the standard interface described by X/Open Curses
+ Issue 7. In many behavioral details not standardized by X/Open,
+ <EM>ncurses</EM> emulates the <EM>curses</EM> library of SVr4 and provides numerous
+ useful extensions.