.\" authorization. *
.\"***************************************************************************
.\"
-.\" $Id: curs_terminfo.3x,v 1.85 2023/04/23 20:52:38 tom Exp $
+.\" $Id: curs_terminfo.3x,v 1.87 2023/06/10 15:51:45 tom Exp $
.TH curs_terminfo 3X ""
.ie \n(.g .ds `` \(lq
.el .ds `` ``
If \fIterm\fP is null, the environment variable \fBTERM\fP is used.
.TP 5
\fIfiledes\fP
-is the file descriptor used for all output.
+is the file descriptor used for getting and setting terminal I/O modes.
+.IP
+Higher-level applications use \fBnewterm\fP(3X) for initializing the terminal,
+passing an output \fIstream\fP rather than a \fIdescriptor\fP.
+In curses, the two are the same because \fBnewterm\fP calls \fBsetupterm\fP,
+passing the file descriptor derived from its output stream parameter.
.TP 5
\fIerrret\fP
points to an optional location where an error status can be returned to
having too little information for curses applications to run.
.IP
\fBsetupterm\fP determines if the entry is a generic type by
-checking the \fBgn\fP (\fBgeneric\fP) capability.
+checking the \fBgn\fP (\fBgeneric_type\fP) capability.
.TP 5
.B \-1
means that the \fBterminfo\fP database could not be found.
.PP
The \fBmvcur\fP 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,
+\fBmvcur\fP uses an output file descriptor derived from
+the output stream parameter of \fBnewterm\fP(3X).
.PP
While \fBputp\fP and \fBmvcur\fP are low-level functions which
do not use the high-level curses state,
.bP
\fBsetupterm\fP interprets a missing/empty TERM variable as the
special value \*(``unknown\*(''.
+.IP
+SVr4 curses uses the
+special value \*(``dumb\*(''.
+.IP
+The difference between the two is that
+the former uses the \fBgn\fP (\fBgeneric_type\fR) terminfo capability,
+while the latter does not.
+A generic terminal is unsuitable for full-screen applications.
.bP
\fBsetupterm\fP allows explicit use of the
the windows console driver by checking if $TERM is set to