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31 * @Id: form.3x,v 1.36 2020/12/12 16:34:33 tom Exp @
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38 <TITLE>form 3X</TITLE>
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43 <H1 class="no-header">form 3X</H1>
45 <B><A HREF="form.3X.html">form(3X)</A></B> <B><A HREF="form.3X.html">form(3X)</A></B>
50 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-NAME">NAME</a></H2><PRE>
51 <B>form</B> - curses extension for programming forms
54 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-SYNOPSIS">SYNOPSIS</a></H2><PRE>
55 <B>#include</B> <B><form.h></B>
58 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-DESCRIPTION">DESCRIPTION</a></H2><PRE>
59 The <B>form</B> 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
63 interaction with the user.
65 The <B>form</B> library uses the <B>curses</B> libraries. To use the <B>form</B> library,
66 link with the options <B>-lform</B> <B>-lcurses</B>.
68 Your program should set up the locale, e.g.,
70 <B>setlocale(LC_ALL,</B> <B>"");</B>
72 so that input/output processing will work.
74 A curses initialization routine such as <B>initscr</B> must be called before
75 using any of these functions.
78 </PRE><H3><a name="h3-Current-Default-Values-for-Field-Attributes">Current Default Values for Field Attributes</a></H3><PRE>
79 The <B>form</B> library maintains a default value for field attributes. You
80 can get or set this default by calling the appropriate <B>set_</B> or
81 retrieval routine with a <B>NULL</B> field pointer. Changing this default
82 with a <B>set_</B> function affects future field creations, but does not
83 change the rendering of fields already created.
86 </PRE><H3><a name="h3-Routine-Name-Index">Routine Name Index</a></H3><PRE>
87 The following table lists each <B>form</B> routine and the name of the manual
88 page on which it is described. Routines flagged with "*" are ncurses-
89 specific, not present in SVr4.
91 <B>curses</B> Routine Name Manual Page Name
92 --------------------------------------------------
93 current_field <B><A HREF="form_page.3X.html">form_page(3X)</A></B>
94 data_ahead <B><A HREF="form_data.3X.html">form_data(3X)</A></B>
95 data_behind <B><A HREF="form_data.3X.html">form_data(3X)</A></B>
96 dup_field <B><A HREF="form_field_new.3X.html">form_field_new(3X)</A></B>
97 dynamic_field_info <B><A HREF="form_field_info.3X.html">form_field_info(3X)</A></B>
98 field_arg <B><A HREF="form_field_validation.3X.html">form_field_validation(3X)</A></B>
99 field_back <B><A HREF="form_field_attributes.3X.html">form_field_attributes(3X)</A></B>
100 field_buffer <B><A HREF="form_field_buffer.3X.html">form_field_buffer(3X)</A></B>
101 field_count <B><A HREF="form_field.3X.html">form_field(3X)</A></B>
102 field_fore <B><A HREF="form_field_attributes.3X.html">form_field_attributes(3X)</A></B>
103 field_index <B><A HREF="form_page.3X.html">form_page(3X)</A></B>
104 field_info <B><A HREF="form_field_info.3X.html">form_field_info(3X)</A></B>
105 field_init <B><A HREF="form_hook.3X.html">form_hook(3X)</A></B>
106 field_just <B><A HREF="form_field_just.3X.html">form_field_just(3X)</A></B>
107 field_opts <B><A HREF="form_field_opts.3X.html">form_field_opts(3X)</A></B>
108 field_opts_off <B><A HREF="form_field_opts.3X.html">form_field_opts(3X)</A></B>
109 field_opts_on <B><A HREF="form_field_opts.3X.html">form_field_opts(3X)</A></B>
110 field_pad <B><A HREF="form_field_attributes.3X.html">form_field_attributes(3X)</A></B>
111 field_status <B><A HREF="form_field_buffer.3X.html">form_field_buffer(3X)</A></B>
112 field_term <B><A HREF="form_hook.3X.html">form_hook(3X)</A></B>
113 field_type <B><A HREF="form_field_validation.3X.html">form_field_validation(3X)</A></B>
114 field_userptr <B><A HREF="form_field_userptr.3X.html">form_field_userptr(3X)</A></B>
116 form_driver <B><A HREF="form_driver.3X.html">form_driver(3X)</A></B>
117 form_driver_w <B><A HREF="form_driver.3X.html">form_driver(3X)</A></B>*
118 form_fields <B><A HREF="form_field.3X.html">form_field(3X)</A></B>
119 form_init <B><A HREF="form_hook.3X.html">form_hook(3X)</A></B>
120 form_opts <B><A HREF="form_opts.3X.html">form_opts(3X)</A></B>
121 form_opts_off <B><A HREF="form_opts.3X.html">form_opts(3X)</A></B>
122 form_opts_on <B><A HREF="form_opts.3X.html">form_opts(3X)</A></B>
123 form_page <B><A HREF="form_page.3X.html">form_page(3X)</A></B>
124 form_request_by_name <B><A HREF="form_requestname.3X.html">form_requestname(3X)</A></B>*
125 form_request_name <B><A HREF="form_requestname.3X.html">form_requestname(3X)</A></B>*
126 form_sub <B><A HREF="form_win.3X.html">form_win(3X)</A></B>
127 form_term <B><A HREF="form_hook.3X.html">form_hook(3X)</A></B>
128 form_userptr <B><A HREF="form_userptr.3X.html">form_userptr(3X)</A></B>
129 form_win <B><A HREF="form_win.3X.html">form_win(3X)</A></B>
130 free_field <B><A HREF="form_field_new.3X.html">form_field_new(3X)</A></B>
131 free_fieldtype <B><A HREF="form_fieldtype.3X.html">form_fieldtype(3X)</A></B>
132 free_form <B><A HREF="form_new.3X.html">form_new(3X)</A></B>
133 link_field <B><A HREF="form_field_new.3X.html">form_field_new(3X)</A></B>
134 link_fieldtype <B><A HREF="form_fieldtype.3X.html">form_fieldtype(3X)</A></B>
135 move_field <B><A HREF="form_field.3X.html">form_field(3X)</A></B>
136 new_field <B><A HREF="form_field_new.3X.html">form_field_new(3X)</A></B>
137 new_fieldtype <B><A HREF="form_fieldtype.3X.html">form_fieldtype(3X)</A></B>
138 new_form <B><A HREF="form_new.3X.html">form_new(3X)</A></B>
139 new_page <B><A HREF="form_new_page.3X.html">form_new_page(3X)</A></B>
140 pos_form_cursor <B><A HREF="form_cursor.3X.html">form_cursor(3X)</A></B>
141 post_form <B><A HREF="form_post.3X.html">form_post(3X)</A></B>
142 scale_form <B><A HREF="form_win.3X.html">form_win(3X)</A></B>
143 set_current_field <B><A HREF="form_page.3X.html">form_page(3X)</A></B>
144 set_field_back <B><A HREF="form_field_attributes.3X.html">form_field_attributes(3X)</A></B>
145 set_field_buffer <B><A HREF="form_field_buffer.3X.html">form_field_buffer(3X)</A></B>
146 set_field_fore <B><A HREF="form_field_attributes.3X.html">form_field_attributes(3X)</A></B>
147 set_field_init <B><A HREF="form_hook.3X.html">form_hook(3X)</A></B>
148 set_field_just <B><A HREF="form_field_just.3X.html">form_field_just(3X)</A></B>
149 set_field_opts <B><A HREF="form_field_opts.3X.html">form_field_opts(3X)</A></B>
150 set_field_pad <B><A HREF="form_field_attributes.3X.html">form_field_attributes(3X)</A></B>
151 set_field_status <B><A HREF="form_field_buffer.3X.html">form_field_buffer(3X)</A></B>
152 set_field_term <B><A HREF="form_hook.3X.html">form_hook(3X)</A></B>
153 set_field_type <B><A HREF="form_field_validation.3X.html">form_field_validation(3X)</A></B>
154 set_field_userptr <B><A HREF="form_field_userptr.3X.html">form_field_userptr(3X)</A></B>
155 set_fieldtype_arg <B><A HREF="form_fieldtype.3X.html">form_fieldtype(3X)</A></B>
156 set_fieldtype_choice <B><A HREF="form_fieldtype.3X.html">form_fieldtype(3X)</A></B>
157 set_form_fields <B><A HREF="form_field.3X.html">form_field(3X)</A></B>
158 set_form_init <B><A HREF="form_hook.3X.html">form_hook(3X)</A></B>
159 set_form_opts <B><A HREF="form_field_opts.3X.html">form_field_opts(3X)</A></B>
160 set_form_page <B><A HREF="form_page.3X.html">form_page(3X)</A></B>
161 set_form_sub <B><A HREF="form_win.3X.html">form_win(3X)</A></B>
162 set_form_term <B><A HREF="form_hook.3X.html">form_hook(3X)</A></B>
163 set_form_userptr <B><A HREF="form_userptr.3X.html">form_userptr(3X)</A></B>
164 set_form_win <B><A HREF="form_win.3X.html">form_win(3X)</A></B>
165 set_max_field <B><A HREF="form_field_buffer.3X.html">form_field_buffer(3X)</A></B>
166 set_new_page <B><A HREF="form_new_page.3X.html">form_new_page(3X)</A></B>
167 unfocus_current_field <B><A HREF="form_page.3X.html">form_page(3X)</A></B>*
168 unpost_form <B><A HREF="form_post.3X.html">form_post(3X)</A></B>
171 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-RETURN-VALUE">RETURN VALUE</a></H2><PRE>
172 Routines that return pointers return <B>NULL</B> on error, and set <B>errno</B> to
173 the corresponding error-code returned by functions returning an
174 integer. Routines that return an integer return one of the following
177 <B>E_OK</B> The routine succeeded.
179 <B>E_BAD_ARGUMENT</B>
180 Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument.
183 Routine was called from an initialization or termination function.
186 The field is already connected to a form.
188 <B>E_INVALID_FIELD</B>
189 Contents of a field are not valid.
191 <B>E_NOT_CONNECTED</B>
192 No fields are connected to the form.
195 The form has not been posted.
198 Form is too large for its window.
201 The form is already posted.
203 <B>E_REQUEST_DENIED</B>
204 The form driver could not process the request.
206 <B>E_SYSTEM_ERROR</B>
207 System error occurred (see <B>errno(3)</B>).
209 <B>E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND</B>
210 The form driver code saw an unknown request code.
213 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-NOTES">NOTES</a></H2><PRE>
214 The header file <B><form.h></B> automatically includes the header files
215 <B><curses.h></B> and <B><eti.h></B>.
217 In your library list, libform.a should be before libncurses.a; that is,
218 you want to say "-lform -lncurses", not the other way around (which
219 would give you a link error when using static libraries).
222 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-PORTABILITY">PORTABILITY</a></H2><PRE>
223 These routines emulate the System V forms library. They were not
224 supported on Version 7 or BSD versions.
226 The menu facility was documented in SVr4.2 in <I>Character</I> <I>User</I> <I>Interface</I>
227 <I>Programming</I> <I>(UNIX</I> <I>SVR4.2)</I>.
229 It is not part of X/Open Curses.
231 Aside from ncurses, there are few implementations:
233 <B>o</B> systems based on SVr4 source code, e.g., Solaris.
235 <B>o</B> NetBSD curses.
237 A few functions in this implementation are extensions added for
238 ncurses, but not provided by other implementations, e.g.,
239 <B>form_driver_w</B>, <B>unfocus_current_field</B>.
242 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-AUTHORS">AUTHORS</a></H2><PRE>
243 Juergen Pfeifer. Manual pages and adaptation for ncurses by Eric S.
247 </PRE><H2><a name="h2-SEE-ALSO">SEE ALSO</a></H2><PRE>
248 <B><A HREF="curses.3X.html">curses(3X)</A></B> and related pages whose names begin "form_" for detailed
249 descriptions of the entry points.
251 This describes <B>ncurses</B> version 6.2 (patch 20210612).
255 <B><A HREF="form.3X.html">form(3X)</A></B>
259 <li><a href="#h2-NAME">NAME</a></li>
260 <li><a href="#h2-SYNOPSIS">SYNOPSIS</a></li>
261 <li><a href="#h2-DESCRIPTION">DESCRIPTION</a>
263 <li><a href="#h3-Current-Default-Values-for-Field-Attributes">Current Default Values for Field Attributes</a></li>
264 <li><a href="#h3-Routine-Name-Index">Routine Name Index</a></li>
267 <li><a href="#h2-RETURN-VALUE">RETURN VALUE</a></li>
268 <li><a href="#h2-NOTES">NOTES</a></li>
269 <li><a href="#h2-PORTABILITY">PORTABILITY</a></li>
270 <li><a href="#h2-AUTHORS">AUTHORS</a></li>
271 <li><a href="#h2-SEE-ALSO">SEE ALSO</a></li>