ncurses 4.1

[ncurses.git] / man / form.3x

'\" t
.TH forms 3X ""
.SH NAME
\fBforms\fR - curses extension for programming forms
.SH SYNOPSIS
\fB#include <form.h>\fR
.br
.SH DESCRIPTION
The \fBforms\fR library provides terminal-independent facilities for composing
form screens on character-cell terminals.  The library includes: field
routines, which create and modify form fields; and form routines, which group
fields into forms, display forms on the screen, and handle interaction with the
user.

The \fBforms\fR library uses the \fBcurses\fR libraries, and a curses
initialization routine such as \fBinitscr\fR must be called before using any of
these functions.  To use the \fBforms\fR library, link with the options
\fB-lform -lcurses\fR.

.SS Current Default Values for Field Attributes

The \fBforms\fR library maintains a default value for field attributes.  You
can get or set this default by calling the appropriate \fBget_\fR or \fBset_\fR
routine with a \fBNULL\fR field pointer.  Changing this default with a
\fBset_\fR function affects future field creations, but does not change the
rendering of fields already created.

.SS Routine Name Index

The following table lists each \fBform\fR routine and the name of
the manual page on which it is described.

.TS 
l l
l l .
\fBcurses\fR Routine Name       Manual Page Name
=
\fBcurrent_field\fR     form_page(3X)
\fBdata_ahead\fR        form_data(3X)
\fBdata_behind\fR       form_data(3X)
\fBdup_field\fR form_field_new(3X)
\fBdynamic_fieldinfo\fR form_field_info(3X)
\fBfield_arg\fR form_field_validation(3X)
\fBfield_back\fR        form_field_attributes(3X)
\fBfield_buffer\fR      form_field_buffer(3X)
\fBfield_count\fR       form_field(3X)
\fBfield_fore\fR        form_field_attributes(3X)
\fBfield_index\fR       form_page(3X)
\fBfield_info\fR        form_field_info(3X)
\fBfield_init\fR        form_hook(3X)
\fBfield_just\fR        form_field_just(3X)
\fBfield_opts\fR        form_field_opts(3X)
\fBfield_opts_off\fR    form_field_opts(3X)
\fBfield_opts_on\fR     form_field_opts(3X)
\fBfield_pad\fR form_field_attributes(3X)
\fBfield_status\fR      form_field_buffer(3X)
\fBfield_term\fR        form_hook(3X)
\fBfield_type\fR        form_field_validation(3X)
\fBfield_userptr\fR     form_field_userptr(3X)
\fBform_driver\fR       form_driver(3X)
\fBform_fields\fR       form_field(3X)
\fBform_init\fR form_hook(3X)
\fBform_opts\fR form_opts(3X)
\fBform_opts_off\fR     form_opts(3X)
\fBform_opts_on\fR      form_opts(3X)
\fBform_page\fR form_page(3X)
\fBform_request_by_name\fR      form_requestname(3X)
\fBform_request_name\fR form_requestname(3X)
\fBform_sub\fR  form_win(3X)
\fBform_term\fR form_hook(3X)
\fBform_userptr\fR      form_userptr(3X)
\fBform_win\fR  form_win(3X)
\fBfree_field\fR        form_field_new(3X)
\fBfree_form\fR form_new(3X)
\fBlink_field\fR        form_field_new(3X)
\fBlink_fieldtype\fR    link_fieldtype(3X)
\fBmove_field\fR        form_field(3X)
\fBnew_field\fR form_field_new(3X)
\fBnew_form\fR  form_new(3X)
\fBnew_page\fR  form_new_page(3X)
\fBpos_form_cursor\fR   form_cursor(3X)
\fBpost_form\fR form_post(3X)
\fBscale_form\fR        form_win(3X)
\fBset_current_field\fR form_page(3X)
\fBset_field_back\fR    form_field_attributes(3X)
\fBset_field_buffer\fR  form_field_buffer(3X)
\fBset_field_fore\fR    form_field_attributes(3X)
\fBset_field_init\fR    form_hook(3X)
\fBset_field_just\fR    form_field_just(3X)
\fBset_field_opts\fR    form_field_opts(3X)
\fBset_field_pad\fR     form_field_attributes(3X)
\fBset_field_status\fR  form_field_buffer(3X)
\fBset_field_term\fR    form_hook(3X)
\fBset_field_type\fR    form_field_validation(3X)
\fBset_field_userptr\fR form_field_userptr(3X)
\fBset_fieldtype_arg\fR form_fieldtype(3X)
\fBset_fieldtype_choice\fR      form_fieldtype(3X)
\fBset_form_fields\fR   form_field(3X)
\fBset_form_init\fR     form_hook(3X)
\fBset_form_opts\fR     form_field_opts(3X)
\fBset_form_page\fR     form_page(3X)
\fBset_form_sub\fR      form_win(3X)
\fBset_form_term\fR     form_hook(3X)
\fBset_form_userptr\fR  form_userptr(3X)
\fBset_form_win\fR      form_win(3X)
\fBset_max_field\fR     form_field_buffer(3X)
\fBset_new_page\fR      form_new_page(3X)
\fBunpost_form\fR       form_post(3X)
.TE
.SH RETURN VALUE
Routines that return pointers return \fBNULL\fR on error.  Routines that return
an integer return one of the following error codes:
.TP 5
\fBE_OK\fR
The routine succeeded.
.TP 5
\fBE_CONNECTED\fR
The field is already connected to a form.
.TP 5
\fBE_SYSTEM_ERROR\fR
System error occurred (see \fBerrno\fR).
.TP 5
\fBE_BAD_ARGUMENT\fR
Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument.
.TP 5
\fBE_POSTED\fR
The form is already posted.
.TP 5
\fBE_BAD_STATE\fR
Routine was called from an initialization or termination function.
.TP 5
\fBE_NO_ROOM\fR
Form is too large for its window.
.TP 5
\fBE_NOT_POSTED\fR
The form has not been posted.
.TP 5
\fBE_UNKNOWN_COMMAND\fR
The form driver code saw an unknown request code.
.TP 5
\fBE_INVALID_FIELD\fR
Contents of a field are not valid.
.TP 5
\fBE_NOT_CONNECTED\fR
No fields are connected to the form.
.TP 5
\fBE_REQUEST_DENIED\fR
The form driver could not process the request.
.SH SEE ALSO
\fBcurses\fR(3X) and 3X pages whose names begin "form_" for detailed
descriptions of the entry points.
.SH NOTES
The header file \fB<form.h>\fR automatically includes the header files
\fB<curses.h>\fR and \fB<eti.h>\fR.

In your library list, libform.a should be before libncurses.a; that is,
you want to say `-lform -lncurses', not the other way around (which would
give you a link error using GNU \fBld\fR(1) and many other linkers).
.SH PORTABILITY
These routines emulate the System V forms library.  They were not supported on
Version 7 or BSD versions.
.SH AUTHORS
Juergen Pfeifer.  Manual pages and adaptation for ncurses by Eric
S. Raymond.
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