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  43 <H1 class="no-header">form 3x</H1>
  44 <PRE>
  45 <STRONG><A HREF="form.3x.html">form(3x)</A></STRONG>                                                              <STRONG><A HREF="form.3x.html">form(3x)</A></STRONG>
  46
  47
  48
  49
  50 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-NAME">NAME</a></H2><PRE>
  51        <STRONG>form</STRONG> - curses extension for programming forms
  52
  53
  54 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-SYNOPSIS">SYNOPSIS</a></H2><PRE>
  55        <STRONG>#include</STRONG> <STRONG>&lt;form.h&gt;</STRONG>
  56
  57
  58 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-DESCRIPTION">DESCRIPTION</a></H2><PRE>
  59        The <STRONG>form</STRONG> library provides terminal-independent facilities for composing
  60        form screens on character-cell terminals.  The library includes:  field
  61        routines, which create and modify form fields; and form routines, which
  62        group fields into forms, display forms on the screen, and handle inter-
  63        action with the user.
  64
  65        The  <STRONG>form</STRONG>  library uses the <STRONG>curses</STRONG> libraries.  To use the <STRONG>form</STRONG> library,
  66        link with the options <STRONG>-lform</STRONG> <STRONG>-lcurses</STRONG>.
  67
  68        Your program should set up the locale, e.g.,
  69
  70             <STRONG>setlocale(LC_ALL,</STRONG> <STRONG>"");</STRONG>
  71
  72        so that input/output processing will work.
  73
  74        A curses initialization routine such as <STRONG>initscr</STRONG> must be  called  before
  75        using any of these functions.
  76
  77
  78 </PRE><H3><a name="h3-Current-Default-Values-for-Field-Attributes">Current Default Values for Field Attributes</a></H3><PRE>
  79        The  <STRONG>form</STRONG>  library maintains a default value for field attributes.  You
  80        can get or  set  this  default  by  calling  the  appropriate  <STRONG>set_</STRONG>  or
  81        retrieval  routine  with  a  <STRONG>NULL</STRONG> field pointer.  Changing this default
  82        with a <STRONG>set_</STRONG> function affects  future  field  creations,  but  does  not
  83        change the rendering of fields already created.
  84
  85
  86 </PRE><H3><a name="h3-Routine-Name-Index">Routine Name Index</a></H3><PRE>
  87        The  following table lists each <STRONG>form</STRONG> routine and the name of the manual
  88        page on which it is described.
  89
  90        <STRONG>curses</STRONG> Routine Name     Manual Page Name
  91        --------------------------------------------------
  92        current_field           <STRONG><A HREF="form_page.3x.html">form_page(3x)</A></STRONG>
  93        data_ahead              <STRONG><A HREF="form_data.3x.html">form_data(3x)</A></STRONG>
  94        data_behind             <STRONG><A HREF="form_data.3x.html">form_data(3x)</A></STRONG>
  95        dup_field               <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_new.3x.html">form_field_new(3x)</A></STRONG>
  96        dynamic_field_info      <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_info.3x.html">form_field_info(3x)</A></STRONG>
  97        field_arg               <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_validation.3x.html">form_field_validation(3x)</A></STRONG>
  98        field_back              <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_attributes.3x.html">form_field_attributes(3x)</A></STRONG>
  99        field_buffer            <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_buffer.3x.html">form_field_buffer(3x)</A></STRONG>
 100        field_count             <STRONG><A HREF="form_field.3x.html">form_field(3x)</A></STRONG>
 101        field_fore              <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_attributes.3x.html">form_field_attributes(3x)</A></STRONG>
 102        field_index             <STRONG><A HREF="form_page.3x.html">form_page(3x)</A></STRONG>
 103        field_info              <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_info.3x.html">form_field_info(3x)</A></STRONG>
 104        field_init              <STRONG><A HREF="form_hook.3x.html">form_hook(3x)</A></STRONG>
 105        field_just              <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_just.3x.html">form_field_just(3x)</A></STRONG>
 106        field_opts              <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_opts.3x.html">form_field_opts(3x)</A></STRONG>
 107        field_opts_off          <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_opts.3x.html">form_field_opts(3x)</A></STRONG>
 108        field_opts_on           <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_opts.3x.html">form_field_opts(3x)</A></STRONG>
 109        field_pad               <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_attributes.3x.html">form_field_attributes(3x)</A></STRONG>
 110        field_status            <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_buffer.3x.html">form_field_buffer(3x)</A></STRONG>
 111        field_term              <STRONG><A HREF="form_hook.3x.html">form_hook(3x)</A></STRONG>
 112        field_type              <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_validation.3x.html">form_field_validation(3x)</A></STRONG>
 113        field_userptr           <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_userptr.3x.html">form_field_userptr(3x)</A></STRONG>
 114        form_driver             <STRONG><A HREF="form_driver.3x.html">form_driver(3x)</A></STRONG>
 115
 116        form_driver_w           <STRONG><A HREF="form_driver.3x.html">form_driver(3x)</A></STRONG>*
 117        form_fields             <STRONG><A HREF="form_field.3x.html">form_field(3x)</A></STRONG>
 118        form_init               <STRONG><A HREF="form_hook.3x.html">form_hook(3x)</A></STRONG>
 119        form_opts               <STRONG><A HREF="form_opts.3x.html">form_opts(3x)</A></STRONG>
 120        form_opts_off           <STRONG><A HREF="form_opts.3x.html">form_opts(3x)</A></STRONG>
 121        form_opts_on            <STRONG><A HREF="form_opts.3x.html">form_opts(3x)</A></STRONG>
 122        form_page               <STRONG><A HREF="form_page.3x.html">form_page(3x)</A></STRONG>
 123        form_request_by_name    <STRONG><A HREF="form_requestname.3x.html">form_requestname(3x)</A></STRONG>
 124        form_request_name       <STRONG><A HREF="form_requestname.3x.html">form_requestname(3x)</A></STRONG>
 125        form_sub                <STRONG><A HREF="form_win.3x.html">form_win(3x)</A></STRONG>
 126        form_term               <STRONG><A HREF="form_hook.3x.html">form_hook(3x)</A></STRONG>
 127        form_userptr            <STRONG><A HREF="form_userptr.3x.html">form_userptr(3x)</A></STRONG>
 128        form_win                <STRONG><A HREF="form_win.3x.html">form_win(3x)</A></STRONG>
 129        free_field              <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_new.3x.html">form_field_new(3x)</A></STRONG>
 130        free_fieldtype          <STRONG><A HREF="form_fieldtype.3x.html">form_fieldtype(3x)</A></STRONG>
 131        free_form               <STRONG><A HREF="form_new.3x.html">form_new(3x)</A></STRONG>
 132        link_field              <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_new.3x.html">form_field_new(3x)</A></STRONG>
 133        link_fieldtype          <STRONG><A HREF="form_fieldtype.3x.html">form_fieldtype(3x)</A></STRONG>
 134        move_field              <STRONG><A HREF="form_field.3x.html">form_field(3x)</A></STRONG>
 135        new_field               <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_new.3x.html">form_field_new(3x)</A></STRONG>
 136        new_fieldtype           <STRONG><A HREF="form_fieldtype.3x.html">form_fieldtype(3x)</A></STRONG>
 137        new_form                <STRONG><A HREF="form_new.3x.html">form_new(3x)</A></STRONG>
 138        new_page                <STRONG><A HREF="form_new_page.3x.html">form_new_page(3x)</A></STRONG>
 139        pos_form_cursor         <STRONG><A HREF="form_cursor.3x.html">form_cursor(3x)</A></STRONG>
 140        post_form               <STRONG><A HREF="form_post.3x.html">form_post(3x)</A></STRONG>
 141        scale_form              <STRONG><A HREF="form_win.3x.html">form_win(3x)</A></STRONG>
 142        set_current_field       <STRONG><A HREF="form_page.3x.html">form_page(3x)</A></STRONG>
 143        set_field_back          <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_attributes.3x.html">form_field_attributes(3x)</A></STRONG>
 144        set_field_buffer        <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_buffer.3x.html">form_field_buffer(3x)</A></STRONG>
 145        set_field_fore          <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_attributes.3x.html">form_field_attributes(3x)</A></STRONG>
 146        set_field_init          <STRONG><A HREF="form_hook.3x.html">form_hook(3x)</A></STRONG>
 147        set_field_just          <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_just.3x.html">form_field_just(3x)</A></STRONG>
 148        set_field_opts          <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_opts.3x.html">form_field_opts(3x)</A></STRONG>
 149        set_field_pad           <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_attributes.3x.html">form_field_attributes(3x)</A></STRONG>
 150        set_field_status        <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_buffer.3x.html">form_field_buffer(3x)</A></STRONG>
 151        set_field_term          <STRONG><A HREF="form_hook.3x.html">form_hook(3x)</A></STRONG>
 152        set_field_type          <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_validation.3x.html">form_field_validation(3x)</A></STRONG>
 153        set_field_userptr       <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_userptr.3x.html">form_field_userptr(3x)</A></STRONG>
 154        set_fieldtype_arg       <STRONG><A HREF="form_fieldtype.3x.html">form_fieldtype(3x)</A></STRONG>
 155        set_fieldtype_choice    <STRONG><A HREF="form_fieldtype.3x.html">form_fieldtype(3x)</A></STRONG>
 156        set_form_fields         <STRONG><A HREF="form_field.3x.html">form_field(3x)</A></STRONG>
 157        set_form_init           <STRONG><A HREF="form_hook.3x.html">form_hook(3x)</A></STRONG>
 158        set_form_opts           <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_opts.3x.html">form_field_opts(3x)</A></STRONG>
 159        set_form_page           <STRONG><A HREF="form_page.3x.html">form_page(3x)</A></STRONG>
 160        set_form_sub            <STRONG><A HREF="form_win.3x.html">form_win(3x)</A></STRONG>
 161        set_form_term           <STRONG><A HREF="form_hook.3x.html">form_hook(3x)</A></STRONG>
 162        set_form_userptr        <STRONG><A HREF="form_userptr.3x.html">form_userptr(3x)</A></STRONG>
 163        set_form_win            <STRONG><A HREF="form_win.3x.html">form_win(3x)</A></STRONG>
 164        set_max_field           <STRONG><A HREF="form_field_buffer.3x.html">form_field_buffer(3x)</A></STRONG>
 165        set_new_page            <STRONG><A HREF="form_new_page.3x.html">form_new_page(3x)</A></STRONG>
 166        unfocus_current_field   <STRONG><A HREF="form_page.3x.html">form_page(3x)</A></STRONG>
 167        unpost_form             <STRONG><A HREF="form_post.3x.html">form_post(3x)</A></STRONG>
 168
 169
 170 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-RETURN-VALUE">RETURN VALUE</a></H2><PRE>
 171        Routines that return pointers return <STRONG>NULL</STRONG> on error, and  set  <STRONG>errno</STRONG>  to
 172        the  corresponding  error-code returned by functions returning an inte-
 173        ger.  Routines that return an integer return one of the following error
 174        codes:
 175
 176        <STRONG>E_OK</STRONG> The routine succeeded.
 177
 178        <STRONG>E_BAD_ARGUMENT</STRONG>
 179             Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument.
 180
 181        <STRONG>E_BAD_STATE</STRONG>
 182             Routine was called from an initialization or termination function.
 183
 184        <STRONG>E_CONNECTED</STRONG>
 185             The field is already connected to a form.
 186
 187        <STRONG>E_INVALID_FIELD</STRONG>
 188             Contents of a field are not valid.
 189
 190        <STRONG>E_NOT_CONNECTED</STRONG>
 191             No fields are connected to the form.
 192
 193        <STRONG>E_NOT_POSTED</STRONG>
 194             The form has not been posted.
 195
 196        <STRONG>E_NO_ROOM</STRONG>
 197             Form is too large for its window.
 198
 199        <STRONG>E_POSTED</STRONG>
 200             The form is already posted.
 201
 202        <STRONG>E_REQUEST_DENIED</STRONG>
 203             The form driver could not process the request.
 204
 205        <STRONG>E_SYSTEM_ERROR</STRONG>
 206             System error occurred (see <STRONG>errno(3)</STRONG>).
 207
 208        <STRONG>E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND</STRONG>
 209             The form driver code saw an unknown request code.
 210
 211
 212 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-NOTES">NOTES</a></H2><PRE>
 213        The  header  file  <STRONG>&lt;form.h&gt;</STRONG>  automatically  includes  the  header files
 214        <STRONG>&lt;curses.h&gt;</STRONG> and <STRONG>&lt;eti.h&gt;</STRONG>.
 215
 216        In your library list, libform.a should be before libncurses.a; that is,
 217        you  want  to  say  "-lform -lncurses", not the other way around (which
 218        would give you a link error when using static libraries).
 219
 220
 221 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-PORTABILITY">PORTABILITY</a></H2><PRE>
 222        These routines emulate the System V forms library.  They were not  sup-
 223        ported on Version 7 or BSD versions.
 224
 225        The  menu facility was documented in SVr4.2 in <EM>Character</EM> <EM>User</EM> <EM>Interface</EM>
 226        <EM>Programming</EM> <EM>(UNIX</EM> <EM>SVR4.2)</EM>.
 227
 228        It is not part of X/Open Curses.
 229
 230        Aside from ncurses, there are few implementations:
 231
 232        <STRONG>o</STRONG>   systems based on SVr4 source code, e.g., Solaris.
 233
 234        <STRONG>o</STRONG>   NetBSD curses.
 235
 236        A few  functions  in  this  implementation  are  extensions  added  for
 237        ncurses,   but   not   provided   by   other   implementations,   e.g.,
 238        <STRONG>form_driver_w</STRONG>, <STRONG>unfocus_current_field</STRONG>.
 239
 240
 241 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-AUTHORS">AUTHORS</a></H2><PRE>
 242        Juergen Pfeifer.  Manual pages and adaptation for ncurses  by  Eric  S.
 243        Raymond.
 244
 245
 246 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-SEE-ALSO">SEE ALSO</a></H2><PRE>
 247        <STRONG><A HREF="ncurses.3x.html">curses(3x)</A></STRONG>  and  related  pages  whose names begin "form_" for detailed
 248        descriptions of the entry points.
 249
 250        This describes <STRONG>ncurses</STRONG> version 6.2 (patch 20200516).
 251
 252
 253
 254                                                                       <STRONG><A HREF="form.3x.html">form(3x)</A></STRONG>
 255 </PRE>
 256 <div class="nav">
 257 <ul>
 258 <li><a href="#h2-NAME">NAME</a></li>
 259 <li><a href="#h2-SYNOPSIS">SYNOPSIS</a></li>
 260 <li><a href="#h2-DESCRIPTION">DESCRIPTION</a>
 261 <ul>
 262 <li><a href="#h3-Current-Default-Values-for-Field-Attributes">Current Default Values for Field Attributes</a></li>
 263 <li><a href="#h3-Routine-Name-Index">Routine Name Index</a></li>
 264 </ul>
 265 </li>
 266 <li><a href="#h2-RETURN-VALUE">RETURN VALUE</a></li>
 267 <li><a href="#h2-NOTES">NOTES</a></li>
 268 <li><a href="#h2-PORTABILITY">PORTABILITY</a></li>
 269 <li><a href="#h2-AUTHORS">AUTHORS</a></li>
 270 <li><a href="#h2-SEE-ALSO">SEE ALSO</a></li>
 271 </ul>
 272 </div>
 273 </BODY>
 274 </HTML>