* sale, use or other dealings in this Software without prior written *
* authorization. *
****************************************************************************
- * @Id: ncurses.3x,v 1.189 2023/12/23 16:32:37 tom Exp @
+ * @Id: ncurses.3x,v 1.192 2023/12/31 00:46:04 tom Exp @
* X/Open Curses Issue 7 assumes some optimization will be done, but
* does not mandate it in any way.
+ * See X/Open Curses Issue 4, Version 2, pp. 227-234.
+ * See X/Open Curses Issue 7, pp. 311-318.
+ * XXX: What's missing? GBR counts untic(1), and that's all.
-->
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-<H1 class="no-header">ncurses 3x 2023-12-23 ncurses 6.4 Library calls</H1>
+<H1 class="no-header">ncurses 3x 2023-12-30 ncurses 6.4 Library calls</H1>
<PRE>
<STRONG><A HREF="ncurses.3x.html">ncurses(3x)</A></STRONG> Library calls <STRONG><A HREF="ncurses.3x.html">ncurses(3x)</A></STRONG>
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 20231223).
+ This describes <EM>ncurses</EM> version 6.4 (patch 20231230).
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
<STRONG>o</STRONG> "NOTES" describes matters and caveats of which any user of the
<EM>ncurses</EM> API should be aware, such as limitations on the size of an
underlying integral type or the availability of a preprocessor
- macro for a function (which prevents its address from being taken).
- This section also describes implementation details that will be
- significant to the programmer but which are not standardized.
-
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> "EXTENSIONS" presents <EM>ncurses</EM> innovations beyond the X/Open Curses
- standard and/or the SVr4 <EM>curses</EM> implementation. They are termed
- <EM>extensions</EM> to indicate that they cannot be implemented solely by
+ macro exclusive of a function definition (which prevents its
+ address from being taken). This section also describes
+ implementation details that will be significant to the programmer
+ but which are not standardized.
+
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> "EXTENSIONS" presents <EM>ncurses</EM> innovations beyond the X/Open Curses
+ standard and/or the SVr4 <EM>curses</EM> implementation. They are termed
+ <EM>extensions</EM> to indicate that they cannot be implemented solely by
using the library API, but require access to the library's internal
state.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> "PORTABILITY" discusses matters (beyond the exercise of extensions)
- that should be considered when writing to a <EM>curses</EM> standard, or to
+ that should be considered when writing to a <EM>curses</EM> standard, or to
multiple implementations.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> "HISTORY" examines points of detail in <EM>ncurses</EM> and other <EM>curses</EM>
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> "HISTORY" examines points of detail in <EM>ncurses</EM> and other <EM>curses</EM>
implementations over the decades of their development, particularly
where precedent or inertia have frustrated better design (and, in a
few cases, where such inertia has been overcome).
- A program using these routines must be linked with the <STRONG>-lncurses</STRONG>
- option, or (if it has been generated) with the debugging library
- <STRONG>-lncurses_g</STRONG>. (Your system integrator may also have installed these
- libraries under the names <STRONG>-lcurses</STRONG> and <STRONG>-lcurses_g</STRONG>.) The ncurses_g
- library generates trace logs (in a file called "trace" in the current
+ A program using these routines must be linked with the <STRONG>-lncurses</STRONG>
+ option, or (if it has been generated) with the debugging library
+ <STRONG>-lncurses_g</STRONG>. (Your system integrator may also have installed these
+ libraries under the names <STRONG>-lcurses</STRONG> and <STRONG>-lcurses_g</STRONG>.) The ncurses_g
+ library generates trace logs (in a file called "trace" in the current
directory) that describe curses actions. See section "ALTERNATE
CONFIGURATIONS" below.
- The <EM>ncurses</EM> package supports: overall screen, window and pad
- manipulation; output to windows and pads; reading terminal input;
- control over terminal and <STRONG>curses</STRONG> input and output options; environment
- query routines; color manipulation; use of soft label keys; terminfo
+ The <EM>ncurses</EM> package supports: overall screen, window and pad
+ manipulation; output to windows and pads; reading terminal input;
+ control over terminal and <STRONG>curses</STRONG> input and output options; environment
+ query routines; color manipulation; use of soft label keys; terminfo
capabilities; and access to low-level terminal-manipulation routines.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Initialization">Initialization</a></H3><PRE>
- The library uses the locale which the calling program has initialized.
+ The library uses the locale which the calling program has initialized.
That is normally done with <STRONG>setlocale(3)</STRONG>:
<STRONG>setlocale(LC_ALL,</STRONG> <STRONG>"");</STRONG>
- If the locale is not initialized, the library assumes that characters
- are printable as in ISO-8859-1, to work with certain legacy programs.
- You should initialize the locale and not rely on specific details of
+ If the locale is not initialized, the library assumes that characters
+ are printable as in ISO-8859-1, to work with certain legacy programs.
+ You should initialize the locale and not rely on specific details of
the library when the locale has not been setup.
- The function <STRONG>initscr</STRONG> or <STRONG>newterm</STRONG> must be called to initialize the
- library before any of the other routines that deal with windows and
- screens are used. The routine <STRONG><A HREF="curs_initscr.3x.html">endwin(3x)</A></STRONG> must be called before
+ The function <STRONG>initscr</STRONG> or <STRONG>newterm</STRONG> must be called to initialize the
+ library before any of the other routines that deal with windows and
+ screens are used. The routine <STRONG><A HREF="curs_initscr.3x.html">endwin(3x)</A></STRONG> must be called before
exiting.
- To get character-at-a-time input without echoing (most interactive,
- screen oriented programs want this), the following sequence should be
+ To get character-at-a-time input without echoing (most interactive,
+ screen oriented programs want this), the following sequence should be
used:
<STRONG>initscr();</STRONG> <STRONG>cbreak();</STRONG> <STRONG>noecho();</STRONG>
<STRONG>keypad(stdscr,</STRONG> <STRONG>TRUE);</STRONG>
Before a <STRONG>curses</STRONG> program is run, the tab stops of the terminal should be
- set and its initialization strings, if defined, must be output. This
- can be done by executing the <STRONG>tput</STRONG> <STRONG>init</STRONG> command after the shell
- environment
variable <EM>TERM</EM> has been exported. (The BSD-style <STRONG><A HREF="tset.1.html">tset(1)</A></STRONG>
+ set and its initialization strings, if defined, must be output. This
+ can be done by executing the <STRONG>tput</STRONG> <STRONG>init</STRONG> command after the shell
+ environment
variable <EM>TERM</EM> has been exported. (The BSD-style <STRONG><A HREF="tset.1.html">tset(1)</A></STRONG>
utility also performs this function.) See subsection "Tabs and
Initialization" of <STRONG><A HREF="terminfo.5.html">terminfo(5)</A></STRONG>.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Overview">Overview</a></H3><PRE>
- A <EM>curses</EM> library abstracts the terminal screen by representing all or
- part of it as a <EM>WINDOW</EM> data structure. A <EM>window</EM> is a rectangular grid
- of character cells, addressed by row and column coordinates (<EM>y</EM>, <EM>x</EM>),
+ A <EM>curses</EM> library abstracts the terminal screen by representing all or
+ part of it as a <EM>WINDOW</EM> data structure. A <EM>window</EM> is a rectangular grid
+ of character cells, addressed by row and column coordinates (<EM>y</EM>, <EM>x</EM>),
with the upper left corner as (0, 0). A window called <STRONG>stdscr</STRONG>, the same
- size as the terminal screen, is always available. Create others with
+ size as the terminal screen, is always available. Create others with
<STRONG><A HREF="curs_window.3x.html">newwin(3x)</A></STRONG>.
- A
<EM>curses</EM> library does not manage overlapping windows. (See <STRONG><A HREF="panel.3x.html">panel(3x)</A></STRONG>
- if you desire this.) You can either use <STRONG>stdscr</STRONG> to manage one screen-
+ A
<EM>curses</EM> library does not manage overlapping windows. (See <STRONG><A HREF="panel.3x.html">panel(3x)</A></STRONG>
+ if you desire this.) You can either use <STRONG>stdscr</STRONG> to manage one screen-
filling window, or tile the screen into non-overlapping windows and not
- use <STRONG>stdscr</STRONG> at all. Mixing the two approaches will result in
+ use <STRONG>stdscr</STRONG> at all. Mixing the two approaches will result in
unpredictable, and undesired, effects.
- Functions permit manipulation of a window and the <EM>cursor</EM> identifying
- the cell within it at which the next output operation will occur.
+ Functions permit manipulation of a window and the <EM>cursor</EM> identifying
+ the cell within it at which the next output operation will occur.
Among those, the most basic are <STRONG><A HREF="curs_move.3x.html">move(3x)</A></STRONG> and <STRONG><A HREF="curs_addch.3x.html">addch(3x)</A></STRONG>: these place the
- cursor and write a character to <STRONG>stdscr</STRONG>, respectively. As a rule,
- window-addressing functions feature names prefixed (or infixed, see
+ cursor and write a character to <STRONG>stdscr</STRONG>, respectively. As a rule,
+ window-addressing functions feature names prefixed (or infixed, see
below) with "w"; these allow the user to specify a pointer to a <EM>WINDOW.</EM>
- Counterparts not thus prefixed (or infixed) affect <STRONG>stdscr</STRONG>. Because
- moving the cursor prior to another operation is so common, <EM>curses</EM>
- generally also provides functions with a "mv" prefix as a convenience.
- Thus, the library defines all of <STRONG>addch</STRONG>, <STRONG>waddch</STRONG>, <STRONG>mvaddch</STRONG>, and <STRONG>mvwaddch</STRONG>.
- When both prefixes are present, the order of arguments is a <EM>WINDOW</EM>
+ Counterparts not thus prefixed (or infixed) affect <STRONG>stdscr</STRONG>. Because
+ moving the cursor prior to another operation is so common, <EM>curses</EM>
+ generally also provides functions with a "mv" prefix as a convenience.
+ Thus, the library defines all of <STRONG>addch</STRONG>, <STRONG>waddch</STRONG>, <STRONG>mvaddch</STRONG>, and <STRONG>mvwaddch</STRONG>.
+ When both prefixes are present, the order of arguments is a <EM>WINDOW</EM>
pointer first, then a <EM>y</EM> and <EM>x</EM> coordinate pair.
- Updating the terminal screen with every <EM>curses</EM> call can cause
- unpleasant flicker or inefficient use of the communications channel to
- the device. Therefore, after using <EM>curses</EM> functions to accumulate a
- set of desired updates that make sense to present together, call
- <STRONG><A HREF="curs_refresh.3x.html">refresh(3x)</A></STRONG> to tell the library to make the user's screen look like
- <STRONG>stdscr</STRONG>. <EM>ncurses</EM> <EM>optimizes</EM> its output by computing a minimal number of
- operations to mutate the screen from its state at the previous refresh
- to the new one. Effective optimization demands accurate information
- about the terminal device: the management of such information is the
- province of the <STRONG><A HREF="curs_terminfo.3x.html">terminfo(3x)</A></STRONG> API, a feature of every standard <EM>curses</EM>
+ Updating the terminal screen with every <EM>curses</EM> call can cause
+ unpleasant flicker or inefficient use of the communications channel to
+ the device. Therefore, after using <EM>curses</EM> functions to accumulate a
+ set of desired updates that make sense to present together, call
+ <STRONG><A HREF="curs_refresh.3x.html">refresh(3x)</A></STRONG> to tell the library to make the user's screen look like
+ <STRONG>stdscr</STRONG>. <EM>ncurses</EM> <EM>optimizes</EM> its output by computing a minimal number of
+ operations to mutate the screen from its state at the previous refresh
+ to the new one. Effective optimization demands accurate information
+ about the terminal device: the management of such information is the
+ province of the <STRONG><A HREF="curs_terminfo.3x.html">terminfo(3x)</A></STRONG> API, a feature of every standard <EM>curses</EM>
implementation.
Special windows called <EM>pads</EM> may also be manipulated. These are windows
- that are not constrained to the size of the terminal screen and whose
+ that are not constrained to the size of the terminal screen and whose
contents need not be completely displayed. See <STRONG><A HREF="curs_pad.3x.html">curs_pad(3x)</A></STRONG>.
- In addition to drawing characters on the screen, rendering attributes
- and colors may be supported, causing the characters to show up in such
- modes as underlined, in reverse video, or in color on terminals that
+ In addition to drawing characters on the screen, rendering attributes
+ and colors may be supported, causing the characters to show up in such
+ modes as underlined, in reverse video, or in color on terminals that
support such display enhancements. See <STRONG><A HREF="curs_attr.3x.html">curs_attr(3x)</A></STRONG>.
- <EM>curses</EM> predefines constants for a small set of line-drawing and other
- graphics corresponding to the DEC Alternate Character Set (ACS), a
+ <EM>curses</EM> predefines constants for a small set of line-drawing and other
+ graphics corresponding to the DEC Alternate Character Set (ACS), a
feature of VT100 and other terminals. See <STRONG><A HREF="curs_addch.3x.html">waddch(3x)</A></STRONG> and <STRONG><A HREF="curs_add_wch.3x.html">wadd_wch(3x)</A></STRONG>.
- <EM>curses</EM> is implemented using the operating system's terminal driver;
- keystroke events are received not as scan codes but as byte sequences.
- Graphical keycaps (alphanumeric and punctuation keys, and the space)
+ <EM>curses</EM> is implemented using the operating system's terminal driver;
+ keystroke events are received not as scan codes but as byte sequences.
+ Graphical keycaps (alphanumeric and punctuation keys, and the space)
appear as-is. Everything else, including the tab, enter/return,
- keypad, arrow, and function keys, appears as a control character or a
- multibyte <EM>escape</EM> <EM>sequence.</EM> <EM>curses</EM> translates these into unique <EM>key</EM>
+ keypad, arrow, and function keys, appears as a control character or a
+ multibyte <EM>escape</EM> <EM>sequence.</EM> <EM>curses</EM> translates these into unique <EM>key</EM>
<EM>codes.</EM> See <STRONG><A HREF="curs_getch.3x.html">getch(3x)</A></STRONG>.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Effects-of-GUIs-and-Environment-Variables">Effects of GUIs and Environment Variables</a></H3><PRE>
The selection of an approprate value of <EM>TERM</EM> in the process environment
is essential to correct <EM>curses</EM> and <EM>terminfo</EM> library operation. A well-
- configured
system selects a correct <EM>TERM</EM> value automatically; <STRONG><A HREF="tset.1.html">tset(1)</A></STRONG>
+ configured
system selects a correct <EM>TERM</EM> value automatically; <STRONG><A HREF="tset.1.html">tset(1)</A></STRONG>
may assist with troubleshooting exotic situations.
- If the environment variables <EM>LINES</EM> and <EM>COLUMNS</EM> are set, or if the
- <EM>curses</EM> program is executing in a graphical windowing environment, the
- information obtained thence overrides that obtained by <EM>terminfo</EM>. An
+ If the environment variables <EM>LINES</EM> and <EM>COLUMNS</EM> are set, or if the
+ <EM>curses</EM> program is executing in a graphical windowing environment, the
+ information obtained thence overrides that obtained by <EM>terminfo</EM>. An
<EM>ncurses</EM> extension supports resizable terminals; see <STRONG><A HREF="wresize.3x.html">wresize(3x)</A></STRONG>.
- If the environment variable <EM>TERMINFO</EM> is defined, a <EM>curses</EM> program
- checks first for a terminal type description in the location it
+ If the environment variable <EM>TERMINFO</EM> is defined, a <EM>curses</EM> program
+ checks first for a terminal type description in the location it
identifies. <EM>TERMINFO</EM> is useful for developing experimental type
- descriptions or when write permission to <EM>/usr/share/terminfo</EM> is not
+ descriptions or when write permission to <EM>/usr/share/terminfo</EM> is not
available.
See section "ENVIRONMENT" below.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Naming-Conventions">Naming Conventions</a></H3><PRE>
- Many <EM>curses</EM> functions have two or more versions. Those prefixed with
- "w" require a window argument. Four functions prefixed with "p"
- require a pad argument. Those without a prefix generally operate on
+ Many <EM>curses</EM> functions have two or more versions. Those prefixed with
+ "w" require a window argument. Four functions prefixed with "p"
+ require a pad argument. Those without a prefix generally operate on
<STRONG>stdscr</STRONG>.
- In function synopses, <EM>ncurses</EM> man pages apply the following names to
+ In function synopses, <EM>ncurses</EM> man pages apply the following names to
parameters.
<EM>bf</EM> <EM>bool</EM> (<STRONG>TRUE</STRONG> or <STRONG>FALSE</STRONG>)
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Wide-and-Non-wide-Character-Configurations">Wide and Non-wide Character Configurations</a></H3><PRE>
- This manual page describes functions that appear in any configuration
- of the library. There are two common configurations; see section
+ This manual page describes functions that appear in any configuration
+ of the library. There are two common configurations; see section
"ALTERNATE CONFIGURATIONS" below.
<EM>ncurses</EM> is the library in its "non-wide" configuration, handling only
- eight-bit characters. It stores a character combined with
- attributes in a <EM>chtype</EM> datum.
+ eight-bit characters. It stores a character combined with
+ attributes in a <EM>chtype</EM> datum, which is often an alias of <EM>int.</EM>
- Attributes alone (with no corresponding character) can be
- stored in variables of <EM>chtype</EM> or <EM>attr</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t</EM> type. In either
+ Attributes alone (with no corresponding character) can be
+ stored in variables of <EM>chtype</EM> or <EM>attr</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t</EM> type. In either
case, they are represented as an integral bit mask.
Each cell of a <EM>WINDOW</EM> is stored as a <EM>chtype.</EM>
- <EM>ncursesw</EM> is the library in its "wide" configuration, which handles
+ <EM>ncursesw</EM> is the library in its "wide" configuration, which handles
character encodings requiring a larger data type than <EM>char</EM> (a
byte-sized type) can represent. It adds about one third more
calls using additional data types that can store such
<EM>multibyte</EM> characters.
- <EM>cchar</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t</EM> corresponds to the non-wide configuration's <EM>chtype.</EM>
- It always a structure type, because it stores more
- data than can fit into an integer. A character code
- may be larger than can fit in a C <EM>char,</EM> and moreover
- more than one character may occupy a cell (as with
- accent marks and other diacritics). Each character
- is of type <EM>wchar</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t;</EM> a complex character contains one
- spacing character and zero or more non-spacing
- characters (see below). Attributes and color data
- are stored in separate fields of the structure, not
- combined as in <EM>chtype.</EM>
-
- Each cell (row and column) <EM>WINDOW</EM> is stored as a
- <EM>cchar</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t.</EM>
+ <EM>cchar</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t</EM> corresponds to the non-wide configuration's <EM>chtype.</EM>
+ It always a structure type, because it stores more
+ data than fits into an integral type. A character
+ code may not be representable as a <EM>char,</EM> and
+ moreover more than one character may occupy a cell
+ (as with accent marks and other diacritics). Each
+ character is of type <EM>wchar</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t;</EM> a complex character
+ contains one spacing character and zero or more non-
+ spacing characters (see below). Attributes and
+ color data are stored in separate fields of the
+ structure, not combined as in <EM>chtype.</EM>
+
+ Each cell of a <EM>WINDOW</EM> is stored as a <EM>cchar</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t.</EM>
The <STRONG><A HREF="curs_getcchar.3x.html">setcchar(3x)</A></STRONG> and <STRONG><A HREF="curs_getcchar.3x.html">getcchar(3x)</A></STRONG> functions store and
retrieve the data from a <EM>cchar</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t</EM> structure. The wide library
API of <EM>ncurses</EM> depends on two data types standardized by ISO
C95.
- <EM>wchar</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t</EM> stores a wide character. Like <EM>chtype,</EM> this may be
- an integer. Depending on the character encoding, a
- wide character may be <EM>spacing,</EM> meaning that it
+ <EM>wchar</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t</EM> stores a wide character. Like <EM>chtype,</EM> it may be an
+ alias of <EM>int.</EM> Depending on the character encoding,
+ a wide character may be <EM>spacing,</EM> meaning that it
occupies a character cell by itself and typically
- accompanies cursor advancement on input, or
- <EM>combining,</EM> meaning that it occupies the same cell as
- a spacing character, is often regarded as a
- "modifier" of the base glyph with which it combines,
- and typically does not advance the cursor on input.
+ accompanies cursor advancement, or <EM>non-spacing,</EM>
+ meaning that it occupies the same cell as a spacing
+ character, is often regarded as a "modifier" of the
+ base glyph with which it combines, and typically
+ does not advance the cursor.
<EM>wint</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t</EM> can store a <EM>wchar</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>t</EM> or the constant <STRONG>WEOF</STRONG>,
analogously to the <EM>int</EM>-sized character manipulation
<STRONG><EM>curses</EM></STRONG> Function Name Man Page
---------------------------------------------
COLOR_PAIR <STRONG><A HREF="curs_color.3x.html">curs_color(3x)</A></STRONG>
- PAIR_NUMBER <STRONG><A HREF="curs_attr.3x.html">curs_attr(3x)</A></STRONG>
+
+ PAIR_NUMBER <STRONG><A HREF="curs_color.3x.html">curs_color(3x)</A></STRONG>
add_wch <STRONG><A HREF="curs_add_wch.3x.html">curs_add_wch(3x)</A></STRONG>
add_wchnstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_add_wchstr.3x.html">curs_add_wchstr(3x)</A></STRONG>
add_wchstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_add_wchstr.3x.html">curs_add_wchstr(3x)</A></STRONG>
erasewchar <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termattrs.3x.html">curs_termattrs(3x)</A></STRONG>
exit_curses <STRONG><A HREF="curs_memleaks.3x.html">curs_memleaks(3x)</A></STRONG>*
exit_terminfo <STRONG><A HREF="curs_memleaks.3x.html">curs_memleaks(3x)</A></STRONG>*
-
extended_color_content <STRONG><A HREF="curs_color.3x.html">curs_color(3x)</A></STRONG>*
extended_pair_content <STRONG><A HREF="curs_color.3x.html">curs_color(3x)</A></STRONG>*
+
extended_slk_color <STRONG><A HREF="curs_slk.3x.html">curs_slk(3x)</A></STRONG>*
filter <STRONG><A HREF="curs_util.3x.html">curs_util(3x)</A></STRONG>
find_pair <STRONG><A HREF="new_pair.3x.html">new_pair(3x)</A></STRONG>*
insertln <STRONG><A HREF="curs_deleteln.3x.html">curs_deleteln(3x)</A></STRONG>
insnstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_insstr.3x.html">curs_insstr(3x)</A></STRONG>
insstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_insstr.3x.html">curs_insstr(3x)</A></STRONG>
-
instr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_instr.3x.html">curs_instr(3x)</A></STRONG>
intrflush <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inopts.3x.html">curs_inopts(3x)</A></STRONG>
inwstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inwstr.3x.html">curs_inwstr(3x)</A></STRONG>
+
is_cbreak <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inopts.3x.html">curs_inopts(3x)</A></STRONG>*
is_cleared <STRONG><A HREF="curs_opaque.3x.html">curs_opaque(3x)</A></STRONG>*
is_echo <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inopts.3x.html">curs_inopts(3x)</A></STRONG>*
mvin_wchnstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_in_wchstr.3x.html">curs_in_wchstr(3x)</A></STRONG>
mvin_wchstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_in_wchstr.3x.html">curs_in_wchstr(3x)</A></STRONG>
mvinch <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inch.3x.html">curs_inch(3x)</A></STRONG>
-
mvinchnstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inchstr.3x.html">curs_inchstr(3x)</A></STRONG>
mvinchstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inchstr.3x.html">curs_inchstr(3x)</A></STRONG>
mvinnstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_instr.3x.html">curs_instr(3x)</A></STRONG>
mvinnwstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inwstr.3x.html">curs_inwstr(3x)</A></STRONG>
+
mvins_nwstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_ins_wstr.3x.html">curs_ins_wstr(3x)</A></STRONG>
mvins_wch <STRONG><A HREF="curs_ins_wch.3x.html">curs_ins_wch(3x)</A></STRONG>
mvins_wstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_ins_wstr.3x.html">curs_ins_wstr(3x)</A></STRONG>
nocbreak <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inopts.3x.html">curs_inopts(3x)</A></STRONG>
nodelay <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inopts.3x.html">curs_inopts(3x)</A></STRONG>
noecho <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inopts.3x.html">curs_inopts(3x)</A></STRONG>
-
nofilter <STRONG><A HREF="curs_util.3x.html">curs_util(3x)</A></STRONG>*
nonl <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inopts.3x.html">curs_inopts(3x)</A></STRONG>
noqiflush <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inopts.3x.html">curs_inopts(3x)</A></STRONG>
noraw <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inopts.3x.html">curs_inopts(3x)</A></STRONG>
notimeout <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inopts.3x.html">curs_inopts(3x)</A></STRONG>
+
overlay <STRONG><A HREF="curs_overlay.3x.html">curs_overlay(3x)</A></STRONG>
overwrite <STRONG><A HREF="curs_overlay.3x.html">curs_overlay(3x)</A></STRONG>
pair_content <STRONG><A HREF="curs_color.3x.html">curs_color(3x)</A></STRONG>
subpad <STRONG><A HREF="curs_pad.3x.html">curs_pad(3x)</A></STRONG>
subwin <STRONG><A HREF="curs_window.3x.html">curs_window(3x)</A></STRONG>
syncok <STRONG><A HREF="curs_window.3x.html">curs_window(3x)</A></STRONG>
-
term_attrs <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termattrs.3x.html">curs_termattrs(3x)</A></STRONG>
termattrs <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termattrs.3x.html">curs_termattrs(3x)</A></STRONG>
termname <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termattrs.3x.html">curs_termattrs(3x)</A></STRONG>
tgetent <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termcap.3x.html">curs_termcap(3x)</A></STRONG>
tgetflag <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termcap.3x.html">curs_termcap(3x)</A></STRONG>
tgetnum <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termcap.3x.html">curs_termcap(3x)</A></STRONG>
+
tgetstr <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termcap.3x.html">curs_termcap(3x)</A></STRONG>
tgoto <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termcap.3x.html">curs_termcap(3x)</A></STRONG>
tigetflag <STRONG><A HREF="curs_terminfo.3x.html">curs_terminfo(3x)</A></STRONG>
wbkgrndset <STRONG><A HREF="curs_bkgrnd.3x.html">curs_bkgrnd(3x)</A></STRONG>
wborder <STRONG><A HREF="curs_border.3x.html">curs_border(3x)</A></STRONG>
wborder_set <STRONG><A HREF="curs_border_set.3x.html">curs_border_set(3x)</A></STRONG>
-
wchgat <STRONG><A HREF="curs_attr.3x.html">curs_attr(3x)</A></STRONG>
wclear <STRONG><A HREF="curs_clear.3x.html">curs_clear(3x)</A></STRONG>
wclrtobot <STRONG><A HREF="curs_clear.3x.html">curs_clear(3x)</A></STRONG>
wcolor_set <STRONG><A HREF="curs_attr.3x.html">curs_attr(3x)</A></STRONG>
wcursyncup <STRONG><A HREF="curs_window.3x.html">curs_window(3x)</A></STRONG>
wdelch <STRONG><A HREF="curs_delch.3x.html">curs_delch(3x)</A></STRONG>
+
wdeleteln <STRONG><A HREF="curs_deleteln.3x.html">curs_deleteln(3x)</A></STRONG>
wecho_wchar <STRONG><A HREF="curs_add_wch.3x.html">curs_add_wch(3x)</A></STRONG>
wechochar <STRONG><A HREF="curs_addch.3x.html">curs_addch(3x)</A></STRONG>
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-RETURN-VALUE">RETURN VALUE</a></H2><PRE>
- Routines that return an integer return <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> upon failure and an integer
- value other than <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> upon successful completion, unless otherwise noted
- in the routine descriptions.
-
- As a general rule, routines check for null pointers passed as
- parameters, and handle this as an error.
-
- All macros return the value of the <STRONG>w</STRONG> version, except <STRONG>setscrreg</STRONG>,
- <STRONG>wsetscrreg</STRONG>, <STRONG>getyx</STRONG>, <STRONG>getbegyx</STRONG>, and <STRONG>getmaxyx</STRONG>. The return values of
- <STRONG>setscrreg</STRONG>, <STRONG>wsetscrreg</STRONG>, <STRONG>getyx</STRONG>, <STRONG>getbegyx</STRONG>, and <STRONG>getmaxyx</STRONG> are undefined
- (i.e., these should not be used as the right-hand side of assignment
- statements).
+ Unless otherwise noted, functions that return an integer return <STRONG>OK</STRONG> on
+ success and <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> on failure. Functions that return pointers return <STRONG>NULL</STRONG>
+ on failure. Typically, <EM>ncurses</EM> treats a null pointer passed as a
+ function parameter as a failure.
Functions with a "mv" prefix first perform cursor movement using <STRONG>wmove</STRONG>
- and return an error if the position is outside the window, or (for
- "mvw" functions) if the <EM>WINDOW</EM> pointer is null. Most "mv"-prefixed
- functions (except variadic functions such as <STRONG>mvprintw</STRONG>) are provided
- both as macros and functions.
-
- Routines that return pointers return <STRONG>NULL</STRONG> on error.
+ and fail if the position is outside the window, or (for "mvw"
+ functions) if the <EM>WINDOW</EM> pointer is null.
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-ENVIRONMENT">ENVIRONMENT</a></H2><PRE>
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-CC-command-character"><EM>CC</EM> command-character</a></H3><PRE>
- When set, change occurrences of the command_character (i.e., the <STRONG>cmdch</STRONG>
- capability) of the loaded terminfo entries to the value of this
- variable. Very few terminfo entries provide this feature.
+ When set, change the <STRONG>command_character</STRONG> (<STRONG>cmdch</STRONG>) capability value of
+ loaded <EM>terminfo</EM> entries to the value of this variable. Very few <EM>term-</EM>
+ <EM>info</EM> entries provide this feature.
Because this name is also used in development environments to represent
the C compiler's name, <EM>ncurses</EM> ignores it if it does not happen to be a
Those functions are described in these pages:
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_extend.3x.html">curs_extend(3x)</A></STRONG> - miscellaneous curses extensions
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_extend.3x.html">curs_extend(3x)</A></STRONG> - miscellaneous <EM>curses</EM> extensions
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inopts.3x.html">curs_inopts(3x)</A></STRONG> - <STRONG>curses</STRONG> input options
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_inopts.3x.html">curs_inopts(3x)</A></STRONG> - <EM>curses</EM> input options
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_kernel.3x.html">curs_kernel(3x)</A></STRONG> - low-level <STRONG>curses</STRONG> routines
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_kernel.3x.html">curs_kernel(3x)</A></STRONG> - low-level <EM>curses</EM> routines
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termattrs.3x.html">curs_termattrs(3x)</A></STRONG> - <STRONG>curses</STRONG> environment query routines
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termattrs.3x.html">curs_termattrs(3x)</A></STRONG> - <EM>curses</EM> environment query routines
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termcap.3x.html">curs_termcap(3x)</A></STRONG> - <STRONG>curses</STRONG> emulation of termcap
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_termcap.3x.html">curs_termcap(3x)</A></STRONG> - <EM>curses</EM> emulation of <EM>termcap</EM>
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_terminfo.3x.html">curs_terminfo(3x)</A></STRONG> - <STRONG>curses</STRONG> interfaces to terminfo database
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_terminfo.3x.html">curs_terminfo(3x)</A></STRONG> - <EM>curses</EM> interface to <EM>terminfo</EM> database
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_util.3x.html">curs_util(3x)</A></STRONG> - miscellaneous <STRONG>curses</STRONG> utility routines
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="curs_util.3x.html">curs_util(3x)</A></STRONG> - miscellaneous <EM>curses</EM> utility routines
--with-trace
The <STRONG>trace</STRONG> function normally resides in the debug library, but it
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-NOTES">NOTES</a></H2><PRE>
- If standard output from a <EM>ncurses</EM> program is re-directed to something
- which is not a tty, screen updates will be directed to standard error.
- This was an undocumented feature of AT&T System V Release 3 curses.
+ X/Open Curses permits most functions it specifies to be made available
+ as macros as well. <EM>ncurses</EM> does so
+
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> for functions that return values via their parameters,
+
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> to support obsolete features,
+
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> to reuse functions (for example, those that move the cursor before
+ another operation), and
- See subsection "Header files" below regarding symbols exposed by
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> a few special cases.
+
+ If the standard output file descriptor of an <EM>ncurses</EM> program is
+ redirected to something that is not a terminal device, the library
+ writes screen updates to the standard error file descriptor. This was
+ an undocumented feature of SVr3.
+
+ See subsection "Header files" below regarding symbols exposed by
inclusion of <EM>curses.h</EM>.
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-EXTENSIONS">EXTENSIONS</a></H2><PRE>
- The <EM>ncurses</EM> library can be compiled with an option (<STRONG>-DUSE_GETCAP</STRONG>) that
- falls back to the old-style /etc/termcap file if the terminal setup
- code cannot find a terminfo entry corresponding to <EM>TERM</EM>. Use of this
- feature is not recommended, as it essentially includes an entire
- termcap compiler in the <EM>ncurses</EM> startup code, at significant cost in
- core and startup cycles.
-
- The <EM>ncurses</EM> library includes facilities for capturing mouse events on
- certain terminals (including xterm). See the <STRONG><A HREF="curs_mouse.3x.html">curs_mouse(3x)</A></STRONG> manual
- page for details.
-
- The <EM>ncurses</EM> library includes facilities for responding to window
- resizing events, e.g., when running in an xterm. See the
- <STRONG><A HREF="resizeterm.3x.html">resizeterm(3x)</A></STRONG> and <STRONG><A HREF="wresize.3x.html">wresize(3x)</A></STRONG> manual pages for details. In addition,
- the library may be configured with a <STRONG>SIGWINCH</STRONG> handler.
-
- The <EM>ncurses</EM> library extends the fixed set of function key capabilities
- of terminals by allowing the application designer to define additional
- key sequences at runtime. See the <STRONG><A HREF="define_key.3x.html">define_key(3x)</A></STRONG> <STRONG><A HREF="key_defined.3x.html">key_defined(3x)</A></STRONG>, and
- <STRONG><A HREF="keyok.3x.html">keyok(3x)</A></STRONG> manual pages for details.
-
- The <EM>ncurses</EM> library can exploit the capabilities of terminals which
- implement the ISO-6429 SGR 39 and SGR 49 controls, which allow an
- application to reset the terminal to its original foreground and
- background colors. From the users' perspective, the application is
- able to draw colored text on a background whose color is set
- independently, providing better control over color contrasts. See the
- <STRONG><A HREF="default_colors.3x.html">default_colors(3x)</A></STRONG> manual page for details.
-
- The <EM>ncurses</EM> library includes a function for directing application
- output to a printer attached to the terminal device. See the
- <STRONG><A HREF="curs_print.3x.html">curs_print(3x)</A></STRONG> manual page for details.
+ <EM>ncurses</EM> enables an application to capture mouse events on certain
+ terminals, including <EM>xterm;</EM> see <STRONG><A HREF="curs_mouse.3x.html">curs_mouse(3x)</A></STRONG>.
+ <EM>ncurses</EM> provides a means of responding to window resizing events, as
+ when running in a GUI terminal emulator application such as <EM>xterm;</EM> see
+ <STRONG><A HREF="resizeterm.3x.html">resizeterm(3x)</A></STRONG> and <STRONG><A HREF="wresize.3x.html">wresize(3x)</A></STRONG>.
-</PRE><H2><a name="h2-PORTABILITY">PORTABILITY</a></H2><PRE>
- The <EM>ncurses</EM> library is intended to be BASE-level conformant with XSI
- Curses. The EXTENDED XSI Curses functionality (including color
- support) is supported.
+ <EM>ncurses</EM> allows an application to query the terminal for the presence of
+ a wide variety of special keys; see <STRONG><A HREF="curs_getch.3x.html">has_key(3x)</A></STRONG>.
- A small number of local differences (that is, individual differences
- between the XSI Curses and <EM>ncurses</EM> calls) are described in <STRONG>PORTABILITY</STRONG>
- sections of the library man pages.
+ <EM>ncurses</EM> extends the fixed set of function key capabilities specified by
+ X/Open Curses by allowing the application programmer to define
+ additional key sequences at runtime; see <STRONG><A HREF="define_key.3x.html">define_key(3x)</A></STRONG>,
+ <STRONG><A HREF="key_defined.3x.html">key_defined(3x)</A></STRONG>, and <STRONG><A HREF="keyok.3x.html">keyok(3x)</A></STRONG>.
+ <EM>ncurses</EM> can exploit the capabilities of terminals implementing
+ ISO 6429/ECMA-48 SGR 39 and SGR 49 sequences, which allow an
+ application to reset the terminal to its original foreground and
+ background colors. From a user's perspective, the application is able
+ to draw colored text on a background whose color is set independently,
+ providing better control over color contrasts. See <STRONG><A HREF="default_colors.3x.html">default_colors(3x)</A></STRONG>.
-</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Error-Checking">Error Checking</a></H3><PRE>
- In many cases, X/Open Curses is vague about error conditions, omitting
- some of the SVr4 documentation.
+ An <EM>ncurses</EM> application can choose to hide the internal details of
+ <EM>WINDOW</EM> structures, instead using accessor functions such as
+ <STRONG><A HREF="curs_opaque.3x.html">is_scrollok(3x)</A></STRONG>.
- Unlike other implementations, this one checks parameters such as
- pointers to <EM>WINDOW</EM> structures to ensure they are not null. The main
- reason for providing this behavior is to guard against programmer
- error. The standard interface does not provide a way for the library
- to tell an application which of several possible errors were detected.
- Relying on this (or some other) extension will adversely affect the
- portability of curses applications.
+ <EM>ncurses</EM> enables an application to direct application output to a
+ printer attached to the terminal device; see <STRONG><A HREF="curs_print.3x.html">curs_print(3x)</A></STRONG>.
+
+ <EM>ncurses</EM> offers <STRONG><A HREF="curs_slk.3x.html">slk_attr(3x)</A></STRONG> as a counterpart of <STRONG><A HREF="curs_attr.3x.html">attr_get(3x)</A></STRONG> for soft-
+ label key lines, and <STRONG><A HREF="curs_slk.3x.html">extended_slk_color(3x)</A></STRONG> as a form of <STRONG><A HREF="curs_slk.3x.html">slk_color(3x)</A></STRONG>
+ that can gather color information from them when many colors are
+ supported.
+
+ Some extensions are only available if <EM>ncurses</EM> is compiled to support
+ them; see section "ALTERNATE CONFIGURATIONS" above.
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> Rudimentary support for multi-threaded applications may be
+ available; see <STRONG><A HREF="curs_threads.3x.html">curs_threads(3x)</A></STRONG>.
-</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Extensions-Versus-Portability">Extensions Versus Portability</a></H3><PRE>
- Most of the extensions provided by <EM>ncurses</EM> have not been standardized.
- Some have been incorporated into other implementations, such as
- PDCurses or NetBSD curses. Here are a few to consider:
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> Functions that ease the management of multiple screens can be
+ exposed; see <STRONG><A HREF="curs_sp_funcs.3x.html">curs_sp_funcs(3x)</A></STRONG>.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> The routine <STRONG>has_key</STRONG> is not part of XPG4, nor is it present in SVr4.
- See the <STRONG><A HREF="curs_getch.3x.html">curs_getch(3x)</A></STRONG> manual page for details.
+ <STRONG>o</STRONG> The compiler option <STRONG>-DUSE_GETCAP</STRONG> causes the library to fall back to
+ reading <EM>/etc/termcap</EM> if the terminal setup code cannot find a <EM>term-</EM>
+ <EM>info</EM> entry corresponding to <EM>TERM.</EM> Use of this feature is not
+ recommended, as it essentially includes an entire <EM>termcap</EM> compiler
+ in the <EM>ncurses</EM> startup code, at a cost in memory usage and
+ application launch latency.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> The routine <STRONG>slk_attr</STRONG> is not part of XPG4, nor is it present in
- SVr4. See the <STRONG><A HREF="curs_slk.3x.html">curs_slk(3x)</A></STRONG> manual page for details.
+ <EM>PDCurses</EM> and NetBSD <EM>curses</EM> incorporate some <EM>ncurses</EM> extensions.
+ Individual man pages indicate where this is the case.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> The routines <STRONG>getmouse</STRONG>, <STRONG>mousemask</STRONG>, <STRONG>ungetmouse</STRONG>, <STRONG>mouseinterval</STRONG>, and
- <STRONG>wenclose</STRONG> relating to mouse interfacing are not part of XPG4, nor
- are they present in SVr4. See the <STRONG><A HREF="curs_mouse.3x.html">curs_mouse(3x)</A></STRONG> manual page for
- details.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> The routine <STRONG>mcprint</STRONG> was not present in any previous curses
- implementation. See the <STRONG><A HREF="curs_print.3x.html">curs_print(3x)</A></STRONG> manual page for details.
+</PRE><H2><a name="h2-PORTABILITY">PORTABILITY</a></H2><PRE>
+ X/Open Curses defines two levels of conformance, "base" and "enhanced".
+ The latter includes several additional features, such as wide-character
+ and color support. <EM>ncurses</EM> intends base-level conformance with X/Open
+ Curses, and supports nearly all its enhanced features.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> The routine <STRONG>wresize</STRONG> is not part of XPG4, nor is it present in SVr4.
- See the <STRONG><A HREF="wresize.3x.html">wresize(3x)</A></STRONG> manual page for details.
+ Differences between X/Open Curses and <EM>ncurses</EM> are documented in the
+ "PORTABILITY" sections of applicable man pages.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> The <EM>WINDOW</EM> structure's internal details can be hidden from
- application programs. See <STRONG><A HREF="curs_opaque.3x.html">curs_opaque(3x)</A></STRONG> for the discussion of
- <STRONG>is_scrollok</STRONG>, etc.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> This implementation can be configured to provide rudimentary
- support for multi-threaded applications. See <STRONG><A HREF="curs_threads.3x.html">curs_threads(3x)</A></STRONG> for
- details.
+</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Error-Checking">Error Checking</a></H3><PRE>
+ In many cases, X/Open Curses is vague about error conditions, omitting
+ some of the SVr4 documentation.
- <STRONG>o</STRONG> This implementation can also be configured to provide a set of
- functions which improve the ability to manage multiple screens.
- See <STRONG><A HREF="curs_sp_funcs.3x.html">curs_sp_funcs(3x)</A></STRONG> for details.
+ Unlike other implementations, this one checks parameters such as
+ pointers to <EM>WINDOW</EM> structures to ensure they are not null. The main
+ reason for providing this behavior is to guard against programmer
+ error. The standard interface does not provide a way for the library
+ to tell an application which of several possible errors were detected.
+ Relying on this (or some other) extension will adversely affect the
+ portability of curses applications.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-Padding-Differences">Padding Differences</a></H3><PRE>
-ncurses 6.4 2023-12-
23 <STRONG><A HREF="ncurses.3x.html">ncurses(3x)</A></STRONG>
+ncurses 6.4 2023-12-
30 <STRONG><A HREF="ncurses.3x.html">ncurses(3x)</A></STRONG>
</PRE>
<div class="nav">
<ul>
<li><a href="#h2-PORTABILITY">PORTABILITY</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#h3-Error-Checking">Error Checking</a></li>
-<li><a href="#h3-Extensions-Versus-Portability">Extensions Versus Portability</a></li>
<li><a href="#h3-Padding-Differences">Padding Differences</a></li>
<li><a href="#h3-Header-Files">Header Files</a></li>
</ul>
projects / ncurses.git / blobdiff