-The \fBuse_env\fR routine, if used, is called before \fBinitscr\fR or
-\fBnewterm\fR are called. When called with \fBFALSE\fR as an
-argument, the values of \fBlines\fR and \fBcolumns\fR specified in the
-\fIterminfo\fR database will be used, even if environment variables
-\fBLINES\fR and \fBCOLUMNS\fR (used by default) are set, or if
-\fBcurses\fR is running in a window (in which case default behavior
-would be to use the window size if \fBLINES\fR and \fBCOLUMNS\fR are
-not set).
-Note that setting \fBLINES\fR or \fBCOLUMNS\fR overrides the
-corresponding size which may be obtained from the operating system.
+The \fBuse_env\fR routine, if used,
+should be called before \fBinitscr\fR or
+\fBnewterm\fR are called
+(because those compute the screen size).
+It modifies the way \fBncurses\fP treats environment variables
+when determining the screen size.
+.bP
+Normally ncurses looks first at the terminal database for the screen size.
+.IP
+If \fBuse_env\fP was called with \fBFALSE\fP for parameter,
+it stops here unless
+If \fBuse_tioctl\fP was also called with \fBTRUE\fP for parameter.
+.bP
+Then it asks for the screen size via operating system calls.
+If successful,
+it overrides the values from the terminal database.
+.bP
+Finally (unless \fBuse_env\fP was called with \fBFALSE\fP parameter),
+ncurses examines the \fBLINES\fR or \fBCOLUMNS\fR environment variables,
+using a value in those to override the results
+from the operating system or terminal database.
+.IP
+Ncurses also updates the screen size in response to SIGWINCH,
+unless overridden by the \fBLINES\fR or \fBCOLUMNS\fR environment variables,
+.PP
+The \fBuse_tioctl\fR routine, if used,
+should be called before \fBinitscr\fR or \fBnewterm\fR are called
+(because those compute the screen size).
+After \fBuse_tioctl\fR is called with \fBTRUE\fR as an argument,
+ncurses modifies the last step in its computation of screen size as follows:
+.bP
+checks if the \fBLINES\fR and \fBCOLUMNS\fR environment variables
+are set to a number greater than zero.
+.bP
+for each, ncurses updates the corresponding environment variable
+with the value that it has obtained via operating system call
+or from the terminal database.
+.bP
+ncurses re-fetches the value of the environment variables so that
+it is still the environment variables which set the screen size.
+.PP
+The \fBuse_env\fP and \fBuse_tioctl\fP routines combine as
+summarized here:
+.TS
+center tab(/);
+l l l
+_ _ _
+lw7 lw7 lw40.
+\fIuse_env\fR/\fIuse_tioctl\fR/\fISummary\fR
+TRUE/FALSE/T{
+This is the default behavior.
+ncurses uses operating system calls
+unless overridden by $LINES or $COLUMNS environment variables.
+T}
+TRUE/TRUE/T{
+ncurses updates $LINES and $COLUMNS based on operating system calls.
+T}
+FALSE/TRUE/T{
+ncurses ignores $LINES and $COLUMNS, uses operating system calls to obtain size.
+T}
+FALSE/FALSE/T{
+ncurses relies on the terminal database to determine size.
+T}
+.TE
projects / ncurses.git / blobdiff