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-<H1 class="no-header">curs_terminfo 3x 2023-12-30 ncurses 6.4 Library calls</H1>
+<H1 class="no-header">curs_terminfo 3x 2024-01-13 ncurses 6.4 Library calls</H1>
<PRE>
<STRONG><A HREF="curs_terminfo.3x.html">curs_terminfo(3x)</A></STRONG> Library calls <STRONG><A HREF="curs_terminfo.3x.html">curs_terminfo(3x)</A></STRONG>
<STRONG>int</STRONG> <STRONG>mvcur(int</STRONG> <EM>oldrow</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>oldcol</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>newrow</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>newcol</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
- <STRONG>int</STRONG> <STRONG>tigetflag(const</STRONG> <STRONG>char</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG><EM>capname</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
- <STRONG>int</STRONG> <STRONG>tigetnum(const</STRONG> <STRONG>char</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG><EM>capname</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
- <STRONG>char</STRONG> <STRONG>*tigetstr(const</STRONG> <STRONG>char</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG><EM>capname</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
+ <STRONG>int</STRONG> <STRONG>tigetflag(const</STRONG> <STRONG>char</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG><EM>cap-code</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
+ <STRONG>int</STRONG> <STRONG>tigetnum(const</STRONG> <STRONG>char</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG><EM>cap-code</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
+ <STRONG>char</STRONG> <STRONG>*tigetstr(const</STRONG> <STRONG>char</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG><EM>cap-code</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
<STRONG>char</STRONG> <STRONG>*tiparm(const</STRONG> <STRONG>char</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG><EM>str</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> ...<STRONG>);</STRONG>
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-DESCRIPTION">DESCRIPTION</a></H2><PRE>
- These low-level routines must be called by programs that have to deal
- directly with the <EM>terminfo</EM> database to handle certain terminal
- capabilities, such as programming function keys. For all other
- functionality, <EM>curses</EM> routines are more suitable and their use is
- recommended.
+ These low-level functions must be called by programs that deal directly
+ with the <EM>terminfo</EM> database to handle certain terminal capabilities,
+ such as programming function keys. For all other functionality, <EM>curses</EM>
+ functions are more suitable and their use is recommended.
- None of these functions use (or are aware of) multibyte character
+ None of these functions use (or are aware of) multibyte character
strings such as UTF-8.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> Capability names and codes use the POSIX portable character set.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> Capability string values have no associated encoding; they are
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> Capability string values have no associated encoding; they are
strings of 8-bit characters.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Initialization">Initialization</a></H3><PRE>
Initially, <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> should be called. The high-level <EM>curses</EM> functions
- <STRONG>initscr</STRONG> and <STRONG>newterm</STRONG> call <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> to initialize the low-level set of
+ <STRONG>initscr</STRONG> and <STRONG>newterm</STRONG> call <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> to initialize the low-level set of
terminal-dependent variables listed in <STRONG><A HREF="term_variables.3x.html">term_variables(3x)</A></STRONG>.
- Applications can use the terminal capabilities either directly (via
+ Applications can use the terminal capabilities either directly (via
header definitions), or by special functions. The header files
- <EM>curses.h</EM> and <EM>term.h</EM> should be included (in that order) to get the
+ <EM>curses.h</EM> and <EM>term.h</EM> should be included (in that order) to get the
definitions for these strings, numbers, and flags.
- The <EM>terminfo</EM> variables <STRONG>lines</STRONG> and <STRONG>columns</STRONG> are initialized by <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>
- as follows:
+ The <EM>terminfo</EM> variables <STRONG>lines</STRONG> and <STRONG>columns</STRONG> are initialized by <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>
+ as follows.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> If <STRONG>use_env(FALSE)</STRONG> has been called, values for <STRONG>lines</STRONG> and <STRONG>columns</STRONG>
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> If <STRONG>use_env(FALSE)</STRONG> has been called, values for <STRONG>lines</STRONG> and <STRONG>columns</STRONG>
specified in <EM>terminfo</EM> are used.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> Otherwise, if the environment variables <EM>LINES</EM> and <EM>COLUMNS</EM> exist,
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> Otherwise, if the environment variables <EM>LINES</EM> and <EM>COLUMNS</EM> exist,
their values are used. If these environment variables do not exist
- and the program is running in a window, the current window size is
- used. Otherwise, if the environment variables do not exist, the
+ and the program is running in a window, the current window size is
+ used. Otherwise, if the environment variables do not exist, the
values for <STRONG>lines</STRONG> and <STRONG>columns</STRONG> specified in the <EM>terminfo</EM> database are
used.
- Parameterized strings should be passed through <STRONG>tparm</STRONG> to instantiate
- them. All <EM>terminfo</EM> strings (including the output of <STRONG>tparm</STRONG>) should be
- printed with <STRONG>tputs</STRONG> or <STRONG>putp</STRONG>. Call <STRONG>reset_shell_mode</STRONG> to restore the tty
- modes before exiting [see <STRONG><A HREF="curs_kernel.3x.html">curs_kernel(3x)</A></STRONG>].
+ Parameterized strings should be passed through <STRONG>tparm</STRONG> to instantiate
+ them. All <EM>terminfo</EM> strings (including the output of <STRONG>tparm</STRONG>) should be
+ sent to the terminal device with <STRONG>tputs</STRONG> or <STRONG>putp</STRONG>. Call <STRONG>reset_shell_mode</STRONG>
+ to restore the terminal modes before exiting; see <STRONG><A HREF="curs_kernel.3x.html">curs_kernel(3x)</A></STRONG>.
- Programs which use cursor addressing should
+ Programs that use cursor addressing should
<STRONG>o</STRONG> output <STRONG>enter_ca_mode</STRONG> upon startup and
<STRONG>o</STRONG> output <STRONG>exit_ca_mode</STRONG> before exiting.
- Programs which execute shell subprocesses should
+ Programs that execute shell subprocesses should
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> call <STRONG>reset_shell_mode</STRONG> and output <STRONG>exit_ca_mode</STRONG> before the shell is
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> call <STRONG>reset_shell_mode</STRONG> and output <STRONG>exit_ca_mode</STRONG> before the shell is
called and
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> output <STRONG>enter_ca_mode</STRONG> and call <STRONG>reset_prog_mode</STRONG> after returning from
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> output <STRONG>enter_ca_mode</STRONG> and call <STRONG>reset_prog_mode</STRONG> after returning from
the shell.
- The <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> routine reads in the <EM>terminfo</EM> database, initializing the
- <EM>terminfo</EM> structures, but does not set up the output virtualization
- structures used by <EM>curses.</EM> These are its parameters:
+ <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> reads in the <EM>terminfo</EM> database, initializing the <EM>terminfo</EM>
+ structures, but does not set up the output virtualization structures
+ used by <EM>curses.</EM> Its parameters follow.
<EM>term</EM> is the terminal type, a character string. If <EM>term</EM> is null, the
- environment variable <EM>TERM</EM> is used.
+ environment variable <EM>TERM</EM> is read.
<EM>filedes</EM>
- is the file descriptor used for getting and setting terminal
+ is the file descriptor used for getting and setting terminal
I/O modes.
- Higher-level applications use <STRONG><A HREF="curs_initscr.3x.html">newterm(3x)</A></STRONG> for initializing the
- terminal, passing an output <EM>stream</EM> rather than a <EM>descriptor</EM>.
- In curses, the two are the same because <STRONG>newterm</STRONG> calls
- <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>, passing the file descriptor derived from its output
+ Higher-level applications use <STRONG><A HREF="curs_initscr.3x.html">newterm(3x)</A></STRONG> to initialize the
+ terminal, passing an output <EM>stream</EM> rather than a <EM>descriptor.</EM>
+ In <EM>curses,</EM> the two are the same because <STRONG>newterm</STRONG> calls
+ <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>, passing the file descriptor derived from its output
stream parameter.
<EM>errret</EM>
- points to an optional location where an error status can be
- returned to the caller. If <EM>errret</EM> is not null, then <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>
- returns <STRONG>OK</STRONG> or <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> and stores a status value in the integer
- pointed to by <EM>errret</EM>. A return value of <STRONG>OK</STRONG> combined with
+ points to an optional location where an error status can be
+ returned to the caller. If <EM>errret</EM> is not null, then <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>
+ returns <STRONG>OK</STRONG> or <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> and stores a status value in the integer
+ pointed to by <EM>errret.</EM> A return value of <STRONG>OK</STRONG> combined with
status of <STRONG>1</STRONG> in <EM>errret</EM> is normal.
- If <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> is returned, examine <EM>errret</EM>:
+ If <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> is returned, examine <EM>errret:</EM>
- <STRONG>1</STRONG> means that the terminal is hardcopy, cannot be used for
- <EM>curses</EM> applications.
+ <STRONG>1</STRONG> means that the terminal is hardcopy, and cannot be used
+ for <EM>curses</EM> applications.
- <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> determines if the entry is a hardcopy type by
- checking the <STRONG>hc</STRONG> (<STRONG>hardcopy</STRONG>) capability.
+ <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> determines if the entry is a hardcopy type by
+ checking the <STRONG>hardcopy</STRONG> (<STRONG>hc</STRONG>) capability.
- <STRONG>0</STRONG> means that the terminal could not be found, or that it is
- a generic type, having too little information for <EM>curses</EM>
+ <STRONG>0</STRONG> means that the terminal could not be found, or that it is
+ a generic type, having too little information for <EM>curses</EM>
applications to run.
- <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> determines if the entry is a generic type by
- checking the <STRONG>gn</STRONG> (<STRONG>generic_type</STRONG>) capability.
+ <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> determines if the entry is a generic type by
+ checking the <STRONG>generic_type</STRONG> (<STRONG>gn</STRONG>) capability.
<STRONG>-1</STRONG> means that the <EM>terminfo</EM> database could not be found.
- If <EM>errret</EM> is null, <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> prints an error message upon
+ If <EM>errret</EM> is null, <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> reports an error message upon
finding an error and exits. Thus, the simplest call is:
- <STRONG>setupterm((char</STRONG> <STRONG>*)0,</STRONG> <STRONG>1,</STRONG> <STRONG>(int</STRONG> <STRONG>*)0);</STRONG>
+ setupterm((char *)0, 1, (int *)0);
which uses all the defaults and sends the output to <STRONG>stdout</STRONG>.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-The-Terminal-State">The Terminal State</a></H3><PRE>
- The <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> routine stores its information about the terminal in a
- <EM>TERMINAL</EM> structure pointed to by the global variable <STRONG>cur_term</STRONG>. If it
- detects an error, or decides that the terminal is unsuitable (hardcopy
- or generic), it discards this information, making it not available to
+ <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> stores its information about the terminal in a <EM>TERMINAL</EM>
+ structure pointed to by the global variable <STRONG>cur_term</STRONG>. If it detects an
+ error, or decides that the terminal is unsuitable (hardcopy or
+ generic), it discards this information, making it not available to
applications.
- If <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> is called repeatedly for the same terminal type, it will
+ If <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> is called repeatedly for the same terminal type, it will
reuse the information. It maintains only one copy of a given
- terminal's capabilities in memory. If it is called for different
- terminal types, <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> allocates new storage for each set of
+ terminal's capabilities in memory. If it is called for different
+ terminal types, <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> allocates new storage for each set of
terminal capabilities.
- <STRONG>set_curterm</STRONG> sets <STRONG>cur_term</STRONG> to <EM>nterm,</EM> and makes all of the <EM>terminfo</EM>
- Boolean, numeric, and string variables use the values from <EM>nterm.</EM> It
+ <STRONG>set_curterm</STRONG> sets <STRONG>cur_term</STRONG> to <EM>nterm,</EM> and makes all of the <EM>terminfo</EM>
+ Boolean, numeric, and string variables use the values from <EM>nterm.</EM> It
returns the old value of <STRONG>cur_term</STRONG>.
- <STRONG>del_curterm</STRONG> routine frees the space pointed to by <EM>oterm</EM> and makes it
- available for further use. If <EM>oterm</EM> is the same as <STRONG>cur_term</STRONG>,
- references to any of the <EM>terminfo</EM> Boolean, numeric, and string
- variables thereafter may refer to invalid memory locations until
- another <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> has been called.
+ <STRONG>del_curterm</STRONG> frees the space pointed to by <EM>oterm</EM> and makes it available
+ for further use. If <EM>oterm</EM> is the same as <STRONG>cur_term</STRONG>, references to any
+ of the <EM>terminfo</EM> Boolean, numeric, and string variables thereafter may
+ refer to invalid memory locations until another <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> has been
+ called.
- The <STRONG>restartterm</STRONG> routine is similar to <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> and <STRONG>initscr</STRONG>, except
- that it is called after restoring memory to a previous state (for
- example, when reloading a game saved as a core image dump).
- <STRONG>restartterm</STRONG> assumes that the windows and the input and output options
- are the same as when memory was saved, but the terminal type and baud
- rate may be different. Accordingly, <STRONG>restartterm</STRONG> saves various tty
- state bits, calls <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>, and then restores the bits.
+ <STRONG>restartterm</STRONG> is similar to <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> and <STRONG>initscr</STRONG>, except that it is
+ called after restoring memory to a previous state (for example, when
+ reloading a game saved as a core image dump). <STRONG>restartterm</STRONG> assumes that
+ the windows and the input and output options are the same as when
+ memory was saved, but the terminal type and baud rate may be different.
+ Accordingly, <STRONG>restartterm</STRONG> saves various terminal state bits, calls
+ <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>, and then restores the bits.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Formatting-Output">Formatting Output</a></H3><PRE>
- The <STRONG>tparm</STRONG> routine instantiates the string <EM>str</EM> with parameters <EM>pi</EM>. A
- pointer is returned to the result of <EM>str</EM> with the parameters applied.
- Application developers should keep in mind these quirks of the
- interface:
+ <STRONG>tparm</STRONG> instantiates the string <EM>str</EM> with parameters <EM>pi.</EM> A pointer is
+ returned to the result of <EM>str</EM> with the parameters applied. Application
+ developers should keep in mind these quirks of the interface:
<STRONG>o</STRONG> Although <STRONG>tparm</STRONG>'s actual parameters may be integers or strings, the
- prototype expects <STRONG>long</STRONG> (integer) values.
+ prototype expects <EM>long</EM> (integer) values.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> Aside from the <STRONG>set_attributes</STRONG> (<STRONG>sgr</STRONG>) capability, most terminal
capabilities require no more than one or two parameters.
Both <STRONG>tparm</STRONG> and <STRONG>tiparm</STRONG> assume that the application passes parameters
consistent with the terminal description. Two extensions are provided
- as alternatives to deal with untrusted data:
+ as alternatives to deal with untrusted data.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG>tiparm_s</STRONG> is an extension which is a safer formatting function than
- <STRONG>tparm</STRONG> or <STRONG>tiparm</STRONG>, because it allows the developer to tell the curses
+ <STRONG>tparm</STRONG> or <STRONG>tiparm</STRONG>, because it allows the developer to tell the <EM>curses</EM>
library how many parameters to expect in the parameter list, and
which may be string parameters.
The <EM>mask</EM> parameter has one bit set for each of the parameters (up
- to 9) which will be passed as char* rather than numbers.
+ to 9) passed as <EM>char</EM> pointers rather than numbers.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> The extension <STRONG>tiscan_s</STRONG> allows the application to inspect a
- formatting capability to see what the curses library would assume.
+ formatting capability to see what the <EM>curses</EM> library would assume.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Output-Functions">Output Functions</a></H3><PRE>
as <STRONG>$<</STRONG><EM>n</EM><STRONG>></STRONG>, where <EM>n</EM> is a nonnegative integral count of milliseconds. If <EM>n</EM>
exceeds 30,000 (thirty seconds), it is capped at that value.
- The <STRONG>tputs</STRONG> routine interprets time-delay information in the string <EM>str</EM>
- and outputs it, executing the delays:
+ <STRONG>tputs</STRONG> interprets time-delay information in the string <EM>str</EM> and outputs
+ it, executing the delays:
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> The <EM>str</EM> parameter must be a terminfo string variable or the return
- value from <STRONG>tparm</STRONG>, <STRONG>tiparm</STRONG>, <STRONG>tgetstr</STRONG>, or <STRONG>tgoto</STRONG>.
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> The <EM>str</EM> parameter must be a <EM>terminfo</EM> string variable or the return
+ value of <STRONG>tparm</STRONG>, <STRONG>tiparm</STRONG>, <STRONG>tgetstr</STRONG>, or <STRONG>tgoto</STRONG>.
The <STRONG>tgetstr</STRONG> and <STRONG>tgoto</STRONG> functions are part of the <EM>termcap</EM> interface,
- which happens to share this function name with the <EM>terminfo</EM>
- interface.
+ which happens to share these function names with the <EM>terminfo</EM> API.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> <EM>affcnt</EM> is the number of lines affected, or 1 if not applicable.
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> <EM>affcnt</EM> is the number of lines affected, or <STRONG>1</STRONG> if not applicable.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> <EM>putc</EM> is a <EM>putchar</EM>-like function to which the characters are passed,
one at a time.
- If
<STRONG>tputs</STRONG> processes a time-delay, it uses the <STRONG><A HREF="curs_util.3x.html">delay_output(3x)</A></STRONG>
- function, routing any resulting padding characters through this
+ If
<STRONG>tputs</STRONG> processes a time-delay, it uses the <STRONG><A HREF="curs_util.3x.html">delay_output(3x)</A></STRONG>
+ function, routing any resulting padding characters through this
function.
- The <STRONG>putp</STRONG> routine calls <STRONG>tputs(</STRONG><EM>str</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>1,</STRONG> <STRONG>putchar)</STRONG>. The output of <STRONG>putp</STRONG>
- always goes to <STRONG>stdout</STRONG>, rather than the <EM>filedes</EM> specified in <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>.
+ <STRONG>putp</STRONG> calls "<STRONG>tputs(</STRONG><EM>str</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>1,</STRONG> <STRONG>putchar)</STRONG>". The output of <STRONG>putp</STRONG> always goes to
+ <STRONG>stdout</STRONG>, rather than the <EM>filedes</EM> specified in <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>.
- The <STRONG>vidputs</STRONG> routine displays the string on the terminal in the video
- attribute mode <EM>attrs</EM>, which is any combination of the attributes listed
- in <STRONG><A HREF="ncurses.3x.html">curses(3x)</A></STRONG>. The characters are passed to the <EM>putchar</EM>-like function
- <EM>putc</EM>.
+ <STRONG>vidputs</STRONG> displays the string on the terminal in the video attribute mode
+ <EM>attrs,</EM> which is any combination of the attributes listed in <STRONG><A HREF="ncurses.3x.html">curses(3x)</A></STRONG>.
+ The characters are passed to the <EM>putchar</EM>-like function <EM>putc.</EM>
- The <STRONG>vidattr</STRONG> routine is like the <STRONG>vidputs</STRONG> routine, except that it outputs
- through <EM>putchar</EM>.
+ <STRONG>vidattr</STRONG> is like <STRONG>vidputs</STRONG>, except that it outputs through <STRONG>putchar(3)</STRONG>.
- <STRONG>vid_attr</STRONG> and <STRONG>vid_puts</STRONG> correspond to <STRONG>vidattr</STRONG> and <STRONG>vidputs</STRONG>, respectively.
- They use multiple parameters to represent the character attributes and
+ <STRONG>vid_attr</STRONG> and <STRONG>vid_puts</STRONG> correspond to <STRONG>vidattr</STRONG> and <STRONG>vidputs</STRONG>, respectively.
+ They use multiple parameters to represent the character attributes and
color; namely,
<STRONG>o</STRONG> <EM>attrs,</EM> of type <EM>attr</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t,</EM> for the attributes and
<STRONG>o</STRONG> <EM>pair,</EM> of type <EM>short,</EM> for the color pair number.
- Use the attribute constants prefixed with "<STRONG>WA_</STRONG>" with <STRONG>vid_attr</STRONG> and
+ Use the attribute constants prefixed with "<STRONG>WA_</STRONG>" with <STRONG>vid_attr</STRONG> and
<STRONG>vid_puts</STRONG>.
- X/Open Curses reserves the <EM>opts</EM> argument for future use, saying that
- applications must provide a null pointer for that argument; but see
+ X/Open Curses reserves the <EM>opts</EM> argument for future use, saying that
+ applications must provide a null pointer for that argument; but see
section "EXTENSIONS" below.
- The <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> routine provides low-level cursor motion. It takes effect
- immediately (rather than at the next refresh). Unlike the other low-
- level output functions, which either write to the standard output or
- pass an output function parameter, <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> uses an output file descriptor
-
derived from the output stream parameter of <STRONG><A HREF="curs_initscr.3x.html">newterm(3x)</A></STRONG>.
+ <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> provides low-level cursor motion. It takes effect immediately
+ (rather than at the next refresh). Unlike the other low-level output
+ functions, which either write to the standard output or pass an output
+ function parameter, <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> uses an output file descriptor derived from
+ the output stream parameter of <STRONG><A HREF="curs_initscr.3x.html">newterm(3x)</A></STRONG>.
- While <STRONG>putp</STRONG> and <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> are low-level functions which do not use the high-
- level curses state, they are declared in <EM>curses.h</EM> because System V did
- this (see <EM>HISTORY</EM>).
+ While <STRONG>putp</STRONG> and <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> are low-level functions that do not use high-level
+ <EM>curses</EM> state, <EM>ncurses</EM> declares them in <EM>curses.h</EM> because System V did
+ this (see section "HISTORY" below).
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Terminal-Capability-Functions">Terminal Capability Functions</a></H3><PRE>
- The <STRONG>tigetflag</STRONG>, <STRONG>tigetnum</STRONG> and <STRONG>tigetstr</STRONG> routines return the value of the
- capability corresponding to the <EM>terminfo</EM> <EM>capname</EM> passed to them, such
- as <STRONG>xenl</STRONG>. The <EM>capname</EM> for each capability is given in the table column
-
entitled <EM>capname</EM> code in the capabilities section of <STRONG><A HREF="terminfo.5.html">terminfo(5)</A></STRONG>.
+ <STRONG>tigetflag</STRONG>, <STRONG>tigetnum</STRONG>, and <STRONG>tigetstr</STRONG> return the value of the capability
+ corresponding to the <EM>terminfo</EM> <EM>cap-code,</EM> such as <STRONG>xenl</STRONG>, passed to them.
+ The <EM>cap-code</EM> for each capability is given in the table column entitled
+
<EM>cap-code</EM> code in the capabilities section of <STRONG><A HREF="terminfo.5.html">terminfo(5)</A></STRONG>.
- These routines return special values to denote errors.
+ These functions return special values to denote errors.
- The <STRONG>tigetflag</STRONG> routine returns
+ <STRONG>tigetflag</STRONG> returns
- <STRONG>-1</STRONG> if <EM>capname</EM> is not a Boolean capability, or
+ <STRONG>-1</STRONG> if <EM>cap-code</EM> is not a Boolean capability, or
<STRONG>0</STRONG> if it is canceled or absent from the terminal description.
- The <STRONG>tigetnum</STRONG> routine returns
+ <STRONG>tigetnum</STRONG> returns
- <STRONG>-2</STRONG> if <EM>capname</EM> is not a numeric capability, or
+ <STRONG>-2</STRONG> if <EM>cap-code</EM> is not a numeric capability, or
<STRONG>-1</STRONG> if it is canceled or absent from the terminal description.
- The <STRONG>tigetstr</STRONG> routine returns
+ <STRONG>tigetstr</STRONG> returns
<STRONG>(char</STRONG> <STRONG>*)-1</STRONG>
- if <EM>capname</EM> is not a string capability, or
+ if <EM>cap-code</EM> is not a string capability, or
<STRONG>0</STRONG> if it is canceled or absent from the terminal description.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Releasing-Memory">Releasing Memory</a></H3><PRE>
Each successful call to <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> allocates memory to hold the terminal
- description. As a side-effect, it sets <STRONG>cur_term</STRONG> to point to this
+ description. As a side effect, it sets <STRONG>cur_term</STRONG> to point to this
memory. If an application calls
- <STRONG>del_curterm(cur_term);</STRONG>
+ del_curterm(cur_term);
the memory will be freed.
- The formatting functions <STRONG>tparm</STRONG> and <STRONG>tiparm</STRONG> extend the storage allocated
- by <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>:
+ The formatting functions <STRONG>tparm</STRONG> and <STRONG>tiparm</STRONG> extend the storage allocated
+ by <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> as follows.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> the "static" terminfo variables [a-z]. Before <EM>ncurses</EM> 6.3, those
- were shared by all screens. With <EM>ncurses</EM> 6.3, those are allocated
- per screen. See <STRONG><A HREF="terminfo.5.html">terminfo(5)</A></STRONG> for details.
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> They add the "static" <EM>terminfo</EM> variables [a-z]. Before <EM>ncurses</EM>
+ 6.3, those were shared by all screens. With <EM>ncurses</EM> 6.3, those are
+ allocated per screen. See <STRONG><A HREF="terminfo.5.html">terminfo(5)</A></STRONG>.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> to improve performance, <EM>ncurses</EM> 6.3 caches the result of analyzing
- terminfo strings for their parameter types. That is stored as a
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> To improve performance, <EM>ncurses</EM> 6.3 caches the result of analyzing
+ <EM>terminfo</EM> strings for their parameter types. That is stored as a
binary tree referenced from the <EM>TERMINAL</EM> structure.
The higher-level <STRONG>initscr</STRONG> and <STRONG>newterm</STRONG> functions use <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>. Normally
- they do not free this memory, but it is possible to do that using the
+ they do not free this memory, but it is possible to do that using the
<STRONG><A HREF="curs_initscr.3x.html">delscreen(3x)</A></STRONG> function.
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-RETURN-VALUE">RETURN VALUE</a></H2><PRE>
- X/Open defines no failure conditions. In <EM>ncurses,</EM>
+ X/Open Curses defines no failure conditions. In <EM>ncurses,</EM>
- <STRONG>del_curterm</STRONG>
- returns an error if its terminal parameter is null.
+ <STRONG>del_curtem</STRONG>
+ fails if its terminal parameter is null.
- <STRONG>putp</STRONG> calls <STRONG>tputs</STRONG>, returning the same error-codes.
+ <STRONG>putp</STRONG> calls <STRONG>tputs</STRONG>, returning the same error codes.
<STRONG>restartterm</STRONG>
- returns an error if the associated call to <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> returns an
- error.
+ fails if the associated call to <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> returns an error.
<STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>
- returns an error if it cannot allocate enough memory, or create
- the initial windows (<STRONG>stdscr</STRONG>, <STRONG>curscr</STRONG>, and <STRONG>newscr</STRONG>) Other error
- conditions are documented above.
+ fails if it cannot allocate enough memory, or create the initial
+ windows (<STRONG>stdscr</STRONG>, <STRONG>curscr</STRONG>, and <STRONG>newscr</STRONG>) Other error conditions are
+ documented above.
<STRONG>tparm</STRONG>
- returns a null if the capability would require unexpected
- parameters, e.g., too many, too few, or incorrect types (strings
- where integers are expected, or vice versa).
+ returns a null pointer if the capability would require unexpected
+ parameters; that is, too many, too few, or incorrect types
+ (strings where integers are expected, or vice versa).
<STRONG>tputs</STRONG>
- returns an error if the string parameter is null. It does not
- detect I/O errors: X/Open Curses states that <STRONG>tputs</STRONG> ignores the
- return value of the output function <EM>putc</EM>.
+ fails if the string parameter is null. It does not detect I/O
+ errors: X/Open Curses states that <STRONG>tputs</STRONG> ignores the return value
+ of the output function <EM>putc</EM>.
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-NOTES">NOTES</a></H2><PRE>
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-EXTENSIONS">EXTENSIONS</a></H2><PRE>
The functions marked as extensions were designed for <EM>ncurses,</EM> and are
- not found in SVr4 <EM>curses</EM>, 4.4BSD <EM>curses</EM>, or any other previous curses
+ not found in SVr4 <EM>curses</EM>, 4.4BSD <EM>curses</EM>, or any other previous <EM>curses</EM>
implementation.
<EM>ncurses</EM> allows <EM>opts</EM> to be a pointer to <EM>int,</EM> which overrides the <EM>pair</EM>
Other implementions may not declare the capability name arrays. Some
provide them without declaring them. X/Open does not specify them.
- Extended terminal capability names, as defined by "<STRONG>tic</STRONG> <STRONG>-x</STRONG>", are not
+ Extended terminal capability names, as defined by "<STRONG>tic</STRONG> <STRONG>-x</STRONG>", are not
stored in the arrays described here.
This implementation uses a variable argument list, but can be
configured to use the fixed-parameter list. Portable applications
- should provide 9 parameters after the format; zeroes are fine for
- this purpose.
+ should provide nine parameters after the format; zeroes are fine
+ for this purpose.
In response to review comments by Thomas E. Dickey, X/Open Curses
Issue 7 proposed the <STRONG>tiparm</STRONG> function in mid-2009.
the parameter use the same amount of stack as a pointer. That
approach dates back to the mid-1980s, before C was standardized.
Since then, there is a standard (and pointers are not required to
- fit in a long).
+ fit in a <EM>long</EM>).
<STRONG>o</STRONG> Providing the right number of parameters for a variadic function
such as <STRONG>tiparm</STRONG> can be a problem, in particular for string
- parameters. However, only a few terminfo capabilities use string
- parameters (e.g., the ones used for programmable function keys).
+ parameters. However, only a few <EM>terminfo</EM> capabilities use string
+ parameters (for instance, the ones used for programmable function
+ keys).
The <EM>ncurses</EM> library checks usage of these capabilities, and returns
- an error if the capability mishandles string parameters. But it
- cannot check if a calling program provides strings in the right
+ an error if the capability mishandles string parameters. But it
+ cannot check if a calling program provides strings in the right
places for the <STRONG>tparm</STRONG> calls.
- The <STRONG><A HREF="tput.1.html">tput(1)</A></STRONG> program checks its use of these capabilities with a
+ The <STRONG><A HREF="tput.1.html">tput(1)</A></STRONG> program checks its use of these capabilities with a
table, so that it calls <STRONG>tparm</STRONG> correctly.
<STRONG>Special</STRONG> <EM>TERM</EM> <STRONG>treatment</STRONG>
- If configured to use the terminal-driver, e.g., for the MinGW port,
+ If configured to use the terminal driver, as with the MinGW port,
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> interprets a missing/empty <EM>TERM</EM> variable as the special
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> interprets a missing/empty <EM>TERM</EM> variable as the special
value "unknown".
- SVr4 curses uses the special value "dumb".
+ SVr4 <EM>curses</EM> uses the special value "dumb".
- The difference between the two is that the former uses the <STRONG>gn</STRONG> (-
- <STRONG>generic_type</STRONG>) terminfo capability, while the latter does not. A
- generic terminal is unsuitable for full-screen applications.
+ The difference between the two is that the former uses the
+ <STRONG>generic_type</STRONG> (<STRONG>gn</STRONG>) <EM>terminfo</EM> capability, while the latter does not.
+ A generic terminal is unsuitable for full-screen applications.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> allows explicit use of the the windows console driver by
- checking if <STRONG>$TERM</STRONG> is set to "#win32con" or an abbreviation of that
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> allows explicit use of the the windows console driver by
+ checking if <STRONG>$TERM</STRONG> is set to "#win32con" or an abbreviation of that
string.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Other-Portability-Issues">Other Portability Issues</a></H3><PRE>
- In SVr4, <STRONG>set_curterm</STRONG> returns an <EM>int,</EM> <STRONG>OK</STRONG> or <STRONG>ERR</STRONG>. We have chosen to
+ In SVr4, <STRONG>set_curterm</STRONG> returns an <EM>int,</EM> <STRONG>OK</STRONG> or <STRONG>ERR</STRONG>. We have chosen to
implement the X/Open Curses semantics.
In SVr4, the third argument of <STRONG>tputs</STRONG> has the type "<STRONG>int</STRONG> <STRONG>(*putc)(char)</STRONG>".
- At least one implementation of X/Open Curses (Solaris) returns a value
- other than <STRONG>OK</STRONG> or <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> from <STRONG>tputs</STRONG>. It instead returns the length of the
+ At least one implementation of X/Open Curses (Solaris) returns a value
+ other than <STRONG>OK</STRONG> or <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> from <STRONG>tputs</STRONG>. It instead returns the length of the
string, and does no error checking.
- X/Open Curses notes that after calling <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG>, the <EM>curses</EM> state may not
- match the actual terminal state, and that an application should touch
- and refresh the window before resuming normal <EM>curses</EM> calls. Both
+ X/Open Curses notes that after calling <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG>, the <EM>curses</EM> state may not
+ match the actual terminal state, and that an application should touch
+ and refresh the window before resuming normal <EM>curses</EM> calls. Both
<EM>ncurses</EM> and SVr4 <EM>curses</EM> implement <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> using the <EM>SCREEN</EM> data allocated
in either <STRONG>initscr</STRONG> or <STRONG>newterm</STRONG>. So though it is documented as a <EM>terminfo</EM>
function, <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> is really a <EM>curses</EM> function that is not well specified.
- X/Open notes that after calling <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG>, the curses state may not match
- the actual terminal state, and that an application should touch and
- refresh the window before resuming normal curses calls. Both <EM>ncurses</EM>
- and System V Release 4 curses implement <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> using the <EM>SCREEN</EM> data
- allocated in either <STRONG>initscr</STRONG> or <STRONG>newterm</STRONG>. So though it is documented as
- a terminfo function, <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> is really a curses function which is not
- well specified.
+ X/Open notes that after calling <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG>, the <EM>curses</EM> state may not match
+ the actual terminal state, and that an application should touch and
+ refresh the window before resuming normal <EM>curses</EM> calls. Both <EM>ncurses</EM>
+ and SVr4 <EM>curses</EM> implement <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> using the <EM>SCREEN</EM> data allocated in
+ either <STRONG>initscr</STRONG> or <STRONG>newterm</STRONG>. So though it is documented as a <EM>terminfo</EM>
+ function, <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> is really a <EM>curses</EM> function that is not well specified.
X/Open Curses states that the old location must be given for <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> to
accommodate terminals that lack absolute cursor positioning. <EM>ncurses</EM>
allows the caller to use -1 for either or both old coordinates. The -1
tells <EM>ncurses</EM> that the old location is unknown, and that it must use
- only absolute motion (such as <EM>cursor</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>address</EM>) rather than the least
- costly combination of absolute and relative motion.
+ only absolute motion, as with the <STRONG>cursor_address</STRONG> (<STRONG>cup</STRONG>) capability,
+ rather than the least costly combination of absolute and relative
+ motion.
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-HISTORY">HISTORY</a></H2><PRE>
- SVr2 (1984) introduced the <EM>terminfo</EM> feature. Its programming manual
+ SVr2 (1984) introduced the <EM>terminfo</EM> feature. Its programming manual
mentioned the following low-level functions.
<STRONG>Function</STRONG> <STRONG>Description</STRONG>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
- <STRONG>fixterm</STRONG> restore tty to "in curses" state
- <STRONG>gettmode</STRONG> establish current tty modes
+
+ <STRONG>fixterm</STRONG> restore terminal to "in <EM>curses</EM>" state
+ <STRONG>gettmode</STRONG> establish current terminal modes
<STRONG>mvcur</STRONG> low level cursor motion
<STRONG>putp</STRONG> use <STRONG>tputs</STRONG> to send characters via <EM>putchar</EM>
- <STRONG>resetterm</STRONG> set tty modes to "out of curses" state
- <STRONG>resetty</STRONG> reset tty flags to stored value
- <STRONG>saveterm</STRONG> save current modes as "in curses" state
- <STRONG>savetty</STRONG> store current tty flags
+ <STRONG>resetterm</STRONG> set terminal modes to "out of <EM>curses</EM>" state
+ <STRONG>resetty</STRONG> reset terminal flags to stored value
+ <STRONG>saveterm</STRONG> save current modes as "in <EM>curses</EM>" state
+ <STRONG>savetty</STRONG> store current terminal flags
<STRONG>setterm</STRONG> establish terminal with given type
<STRONG>setupterm</STRONG> establish terminal with given type
<STRONG>tparm</STRONG> interpolate parameters into string capability
<STRONG>vidattr</STRONG> like <STRONG>vidputs</STRONG>, but output through <EM>putchar</EM>
<STRONG>vidputs</STRONG> write string to terminal, applying specified attributes
- The programming manual also mentioned functions provided for <EM>termcap</EM>
+ The programming manual also mentioned functions provided for <EM>termcap</EM>
compatibility (commenting that they "may go away at a later date").
<STRONG>Function</STRONG> <STRONG>Description</STRONG>
<STRONG>tgoto</STRONG> apply parameters to given capability
<STRONG>tputs</STRONG> write characters via a function parameter, applying padding
- Early <EM>terminfo</EM> programs obtained capability values from the <EM>TERMINAL</EM>
+ Early <EM>terminfo</EM> programs obtained capability values from the <EM>TERMINAL</EM>
structure initialized by <STRONG>setupterm</STRONG>.
- SVr3 (1987) extended <EM>terminfo</EM> by adding functions to retrieve
- capability values (like the <EM>termcap</EM> interface), and reusing <STRONG>tgoto</STRONG> and
+ SVr3 (1987) extended <EM>terminfo</EM> by adding functions to retrieve
+ capability values (like the <EM>termcap</EM> interface), and reusing <STRONG>tgoto</STRONG> and
<STRONG>tputs</STRONG>.
<STRONG>Function</STRONG> <STRONG>Description</STRONG>
<STRONG>tigetnum</STRONG> get numeric entry for given <EM>id</EM>
<STRONG>tigetstr</STRONG> get string entry for given <EM>id</EM>
- SVr3 also replaced several of the SVr2 <EM>terminfo</EM> functions that had no
+ SVr3 also replaced several of the SVr2 <EM>terminfo</EM> functions that had no
counterpart in the <EM>termcap</EM> interface, documenting them as obsolete.
<STRONG>Function</STRONG> <STRONG>Replaced</STRONG> <STRONG>by</STRONG>
saveterm def_prog_mode
setterm setupterm
- SVr3 kept the <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG>, <STRONG>vidattr</STRONG>, and <STRONG>vidputs</STRONG> functions, along with <STRONG>putp</STRONG>,
- <STRONG>tparm</STRONG>, and <STRONG>tputs</STRONG>. The latter were needed to support padding, and to
- handle capabilities accessed by functions such as <STRONG>vidattr</STRONG> (which used
+ SVr3 kept the <STRONG>mvcur</STRONG>, <STRONG>vidattr</STRONG>, and <STRONG>vidputs</STRONG> functions, along with <STRONG>putp</STRONG>,
+ <STRONG>tparm</STRONG>, and <STRONG>tputs</STRONG>. The latter were needed to support padding, and to
+ handle capabilities accessed by functions such as <STRONG>vidattr</STRONG> (which used
more than the two parameters supported by <STRONG>tgoto</STRONG>).
- SVr3 introduced the functions for switching between terminal
- descriptions; for example, <STRONG>set_curterm</STRONG>. Some changes reflected
+ SVr3 introduced the functions for switching between terminal
+ descriptions; for example, <STRONG>set_curterm</STRONG>. Some changes reflected
incremental improvements to the SVr2 library.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> The <EM>TERMINAL</EM> type definition was introduced in SVr3.01, for the
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> The <EM>TERMINAL</EM> type definition was introduced in SVr3.01, for the
<EM>term</EM> structure provided in SVr2.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> Various global variables such as <STRONG>boolnames</STRONG> were mentioned in the
- programming manual at this point, though the variables had been
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> Various global variables such as <STRONG>boolnames</STRONG> were mentioned in the
+ programming manual at this point, though the variables had been
provided in SVr2.
SVr4 (1989) added the <STRONG>vid_attr</STRONG> and <STRONG>vid_puts</STRONG> functions.
- Other low-level functions are declared in the <EM>curses</EM> header files of
- Unix systems, but none are documented. Those noted as "obsolete" by
+ Other low-level functions are declared in the <EM>curses</EM> header files of
+ Unix systems, but none are documented. Those noted as "obsolete" by
SVr3 remained in use by System V's <STRONG>vi(1)</STRONG> editor.
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-SEE-ALSO">SEE ALSO</a></H2><PRE>
<STRONG><A HREF="ncurses.3x.html">curses(3x)</A></STRONG>, <STRONG><A HREF="curs_initscr.3x.html">curs_initscr(3x)</A></STRONG>, <STRONG><A HREF="curs_kernel.3x.html">curs_kernel(3x)</A></STRONG>, <STRONG><A HREF="curs_memleaks.3x.html">curs_memleaks(3x)</A></STRONG>,
- <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termcap.3x.html">curs_termcap(3x)</A></STRONG>,
<STRONG><A HREF="curs_variables.3x.html">curs_variables(3x)</A></STRONG>, <STRONG>putc(3)</STRONG>, <STRONG><A HREF="term_variables.3x.html">term_variables(3x)</A></STRONG>,
+ <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termcap.3x.html">curs_termcap(3x)</A></STRONG>,
<STRONG><A HREF="curs_variables.3x.html">curs_variables(3x)</A></STRONG>, <STRONG>putc(3)</STRONG>, <STRONG><A HREF="term_variables.3x.html">term_variables(3x)</A></STRONG>,
<STRONG><A HREF="terminfo.5.html">terminfo(5)</A></STRONG>
-ncurses 6.4 202
3-12-30 <STRONG><A HREF="curs_terminfo.3x.html">curs_terminfo(3x)</A></STRONG>
+ncurses 6.4 202
4-01-13 <STRONG><A HREF="curs_terminfo.3x.html">curs_terminfo(3x)</A></STRONG>
</PRE>
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