curs_initscr 3x

NAME

       initscr,  newterm, endwin, isendwin, set_term, delscreen -
       curses screen initialization and manipulation routines

SYNOPSIS

       #include <curses.h>

       WINDOW *initscr(void);
       int endwin(void);
       bool isendwin(void);
       SCREEN *newterm(char *type, FILE *outfd, FILE *infd);
       SCREEN *set_term(SCREEN *new);
       void delscreen(SCREEN* sp);

DESCRIPTION

       initscr is normally the first curses routine to call  when
       initializing  a program.  A few special routines sometimes
       need to be called before it; these are  slk_init,  filter,
       ripoffline,  use_env.  For multiple-terminal applications,
       newterm may be called before initscr.

       The initscr code determines the terminal type and initial-
       izes  all curses data structures.  initscr also causes the
       first call to refresh to  clear  the  screen.   If  errors
       occur,  initscr  writes  an  appropriate  error message to
       standard error and exits; otherwise, a pointer is returned
       to stdscr.

       A  program  that  outputs to more than one terminal should
       use the newterm  routine  for  each  terminal  instead  of
       initscr.  A program that needs to inspect capabilities, so
       it can continue to run in a line-oriented mode if the ter-
       minal cannot support a screen-oriented program, would also
       use newterm.  The routine newterm should  be  called  once
       for each terminal.  It returns a variable of type SCREEN *
       which should be saved as a  reference  to  that  terminal.
       The  arguments  are the type of the terminal to be used in
       place of $TERM, a file pointer for output to the terminal,
       and  another  file pointer for input from the terminal (if
       type is NULL, $TERM will be used).  The program must  also
       call  endwin  for  each terminal being used before exiting
       from curses.  If newterm is called more than once for  the
       same  terminal, the first terminal referred to must be the
       last one for which endwin is called.

       A program should always  call  endwin  before  exiting  or
       escaping  from  curses  mode  temporarily.   This  routine
       restores tty modes, moves the cursor to  the  lower  left-
       hand corner of the screen and resets the terminal into the
       proper non-visual mode.  Calling refresh or doupdate after
       a  temporary  escape  causes  the program to resume visual
       mode.

       The isendwin routine  returns  TRUE  if  endwin  has  been
       called without any subsequent calls to wrefresh, and FALSE
       otherwise.

       The set_term routine is used to switch  between  different
       terminals.   The screen reference new becomes the new cur-
       rent terminal.  The previous terminal is returned  by  the
       routine.   This  is  the  only  routine  which manipulates
       SCREEN pointers; all other routines affect only  the  cur-
       rent terminal.

       The  delscreen  routine  frees storage associated with the
       SCREEN data structure.  The endwin  routine  does  not  do
       this, so delscreen should be called after endwin if a par-
       ticular SCREEN is no longer needed.

RETURN VALUE

       endwin returns the integer ERR upon failure  and  OK  upon
       successful completion.

       Routines that return pointers always return NULL on error.

NOTES

       Note that initscr and newterm may be macros.

PORTABILITY

       These functions are described in the XSI Curses  standard,
       Issue 4.  It specifies that portable applications must not
       call initscr more than once.

       Old versions of curses, e.g., BSD 4.4, may have returned a
       null  pointer  from  initscr  when  an  error is detected,
       rather than exiting.  It is safe but  redundant  to  check
       the return value of initscr in XSI Curses.

SEE ALSO

       curses(3x),       curs_kernel(3x),       curs_refresh(3x),
       curs_slk(3x), curs_util(3x)