-The routine \fBcolor_set\fR sets the current color of the given window to the
-foreground/background combination described by the color_pair_number. The
-parameter opts is reserved for future use, applications must supply a null
-pointer.
+Routines which do not have a \fBWINDOW*\fP parameter apply to \fBstdscr\fP.
+.\" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+.SS Window attributes
+.PP
+The \fBattr_set\fP and \fBwattr_set\fP functions set the current attributes
+of the given window to \fIattrs\fP, with color specified by \fIpair\fP.
+X/Open specified an additional parameter \fIopts\fP which is unused in
+all implementations.
+.PP
+Use \fBattr_get\fP and \fBwattr_get\fP to retrieve attributes for
+the given window.
+.PP
+Use \fBattr_on\fP and \fBwattr_on\fP to turn on window attributes, i.e.,
+values OR'd together in \fIattr\fP,
+without affecting other attributes.
+Use \fBattr_off\fP and \fBwattr_off\fP to turn off window attributes,
+again values OR'd together in \fIattr\fP,
+without affecting other attributes.
+.\" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+.SS Legacy window attributes
+Most of the window attribute routines are extensions of older routines
+which assume that color pairs are OR'd into the attribute parameter.
+These older routines use the same name, omitting an underscore (\fB_\fP).
+
+The \fBattrset\fP routine is a legacy feature predating SVr4 curses
+but kept in X/Open Curses for the same reason that SVr4 curses kept it:
+compatibility.