.\" authorization. *
.\"***************************************************************************
.\"
-.\" $Id: ncurses.3x,v 1.110 2013/02/02 22:13:18 tom Exp $
+.\" $Id: ncurses.3x,v 1.112 2013/07/20 19:29:59 tom Exp $
.hy 0
.TH ncurses 3X ""
+.ie \n(.g .ds `` \(lq
+.el .ds `` ``
+.ie \n(.g .ds '' \(rq
+.el .ds '' ''
.de bP
.IP \(bu 4
..
.SH DESCRIPTION
The \fBncurses\fR library routines give the user a terminal-independent method
of updating character screens with reasonable optimization.
-This implementation is ``new curses'' (ncurses) and
+This implementation is \*(``new curses\*('' (ncurses) and
is the approved replacement for
4.4BSD classic curses, which has been discontinued.
This describes \fBncurses\fR
sequences such as \fIflash\fR.
.TP 5
NCURSES_NO_SETBUF
-Normally \fBncurses\fR enables buffered output during terminal initialization.
-This is done (as in SVr4 curses) for performance reasons.
+This setting is obsolete.
+Before changes
+.RS
+.bP
+started with 5.9 patch 20120825
+and
+.bP
+continued
+though 5.9 patch 20130126
+.RE
+.IP
+\fBncurses\fR enabled buffered output during terminal initialization.
+This was done (as in SVr4 curses) for performance reasons.
For testing purposes, both of \fBncurses\fR and certain applications,
-this feature is made optional.
+this feature was made optional.
Setting the NCURSES_NO_SETBUF variable
-disables output buffering, leaving the output in the original (usually
+disabled output buffering, leaving the output in the original (usually
line buffered) mode.
+.IP
+In the current implementation,
+ncurses performs its own buffering and does not require this workaround.
+It does not modify the buffering of the standard output.
+.IP
+The reason for the change was to make the behavior for interrupts and
+other signals more robust.
+One drawback is that certain nonconventional programs would mix
+ordinary stdio calls with ncurses calls and (usually) work.
+This is no longer possible since ncurses is not using
+the buffered standard output but its own output (to the same file descriptor).
+As a special case, the low-level calls such as \fBputp\fP still use the
+standard output.
+But high-level curses calls do not.
.TP 5
NCURSES_NO_UTF8_ACS
During initialization, the \fBncurses\fR library