'\" t
.\"***************************************************************************
-.\" Copyright (c) 1998-2015,2017 Free Software Foundation, Inc. *
+.\" Copyright (c) 1998-2018,2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc. *
.\" *
.\" Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a *
.\" copy of this software and associated documentation files (the *
.\" authorization. *
.\"***************************************************************************
.\"
-.\" $Id: ncurses.3x,v 1.136 2017/11/18 23:48:44 tom Exp $
+.\" $Id: ncurses.3x,v 1.143 2019/11/30 20:47:07 tom Exp $
.hy 0
.TH ncurses 3X ""
.ie \n(.g .ds `` \(lq
.de NE
.fi
.ft R
-.in -4
+.ie n .in -4
+.el .in -2
..
.ds n 5
.ds d @TERMINFO@
.RS 3
.TP 5
.I ncurses
-the "normal" library, which handles 8-bit characters.
+the \*(``normal\*('' library, which handles 8-bit characters.
The normal (8-bit) library stores characters combined with attributes
in \fBchtype\fP data.
.IP
Each cell (row and column) in a \fBWINDOW\fP is stored as a \fBchtype\fP.
.TP 5
.I ncursesw
-the so-called "wide" library, which handles multibyte characters
+the so-called \*(``wide\*('' library, which handles multibyte characters
(see the section on \fBALTERNATE CONFIGURATIONS\fP).
-The "wide" library includes all of the calls from the "normal" library.
+The \*(``wide\*('' library includes all of the calls
+from the \*(``normal\*('' library.
It adds about one third more calls using data types which store
multibyte characters:
.RS 5
The video attributes and color are stored in separate fields of the structure.
.IP
Each cell (row and column) in a \fBWINDOW\fP is stored as a \fBcchar_t\fP.
+.IP
+The \fBsetcchar\fP(3X) and \fBgetcchar\fP(3X)
+functions store and retrieve the data from
+a \fBcchar_t\fP structure.
.TP 5
.B wchar_t
-stores a "wide" character.
+stores a \*(``wide\*('' character.
Like \fBchtype\fP, this may be an integer.
.TP 5
.B wint_t
the same size.
.RE
.IP
-The "wide" library provides new functions which are analogous to
-functions in the "normal" library.
+The \*(``wide\*('' library provides new functions which are analogous to
+functions in the \*(``normal\*('' library.
There is a naming convention which relates many of the normal/wide variants:
-a "_w" is inserted into the name.
+a \*(``_w\*('' is inserted into the name.
For example, \fBwaddch\fP becomes \fBwadd_wch\fP.
.RE
.PP
use_env/\fBcurs_util\fR(3X)
use_extended_names/\fBcurs_extend\fR(3X)*
use_legacy_coding/\fBlegacy_coding\fR(3X)*
-use_tioctl/\fBcurs_util\fR(3X)
+use_tioctl/\fBcurs_util\fR(3X)*
vid_attr/\fBcurs_terminfo\fR(3X)
vid_puts/\fBcurs_terminfo\fR(3X)
vidattr/\fBcurs_terminfo\fR(3X)
using the built-in support for xterm, etc.
.PP
If the environment variable is absent,
-ncurses will attempt to open GPM if \fBTERM\fP contains "linux".
+ncurses will attempt to open GPM if \fBTERM\fP contains \*(``linux\*(''.
.SS NCURSES_NO_HARD_TABS
.PP
\fBNcurses\fP may use tabs as part of the cursor movement optimization.
.SS NCURSES_NO_PADDING
.PP
Most of the terminal descriptions in the terminfo database are written
-for real "hardware" terminals.
+for real \*(``hardware\*('' terminals.
Many people use terminal emulators
which run in a windowing environment and use curses-based applications.
Terminal emulators can duplicate
.PP
When setting this variable, you should set it to a nonzero value.
Setting it to zero (or to a nonnumber)
-disables the special check for "linux" and "screen".
+disables the special check for \*(``linux\*('' and \*(``screen\*(''.
.PP
As an alternative to the environment variable,
ncurses checks for an extended terminfo capability \fBU8\fP.
.ft
.RE
.PP
-The name "U8" is chosen to be two characters,
+The name \*(``U8\*('' is chosen to be two characters,
to permit it to be used by applications that use ncurses'
termcap interface.
.SS NCURSES_TRACE
support, \fBncurses\fR will check for a terminal's description in
termcap form if it is not available in the terminfo database.
.PP
-The \fBTERMCAP\fP environment variable contains either a terminal description (with
-newlines stripped out),
+The \fBTERMCAP\fP environment variable contains
+either a terminal description (with newlines stripped out),
or a file name telling where the information denoted by
the \fBTERM\fP environment variable exists.
In either case, setting it directs \fBncurses\fR to ignore
.SS TERMINFO
.PP
\fBncurses\fP can be configured to read from multiple terminal databases.
-The \fBTERMINFO\fP variable overrides the location for the default terminal database.
+The \fBTERMINFO\fP variable overrides the location for
+the default terminal database.
Terminal descriptions (in terminal format) are stored in terminal databases:
.bP
Normally these are stored in a directory tree,
The configure script renames the library and
(if the \fB\-\-disable\-overwrite\fP option is used)
puts the header files in a different subdirectory.
-All of the library names have a "w" appended to them,
+All of the library names have a \*(``w\*('' appended to them,
i.e., instead of
.NS
\fB\-lncurses\fR
\fB\-lncursesw\fR
.NE
.IP
-You must also define \fB_XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED\fP when compiling for the
-wide-character library to use the extended (wide-character) functions.
+You must also enable the wide-character features in the header file
+when compiling for the wide-character library
+to use the extended (wide-character) functions.
+The symbol which enables these features has changed since XSI Curses, Issue 4:
+.RS
+.bP
+Originally, the wide-character feature required the symbol
+\fB_XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED\fP
+but that was only valid for XPG4 (1996).
+.bP
+Later, that was deemed conflicting with \fB_XOPEN_SOURCE\fP defined to 500.
+.bP
+As of mid-2018,
+none of the features in this implementation require a \fB_XOPEN_SOURCE\fP
+feature greater than 600.
+However, X/Open Curses, Issue 7 (2009) recommends defining it to 700.
+.bP
+Alternatively, you can enable the feature by defining \fBNCURSES_WIDECHAR\fP
+with the caveat that some other header file than \fBcurses.h\fP
+may require a specific value for \fB_XOPEN_SOURCE\fP
+(or a system-specific symbol).
+.RE
+.IP
The \fBcurses.h\fP file which is installed for the wide-character
library is designed to be compatible with the normal library's header.
Only the size of the \fBWINDOW\fP structure differs, and very few
applications require more than a pointer to \fBWINDOW\fPs.
+.IP
If the headers are installed allowing overwrite,
the wide-character library's headers should be installed last,
to allow applications to be built using either library
.TP 5
\-\-with\-pthread
The configure script renames the library.
-All of the library names have a "t" appended to them
-(before any "w" added by \fB\-\-enable\-widec\fP).
+All of the library names have a \*(``t\*('' appended to them
+(before any \*(``w\*('' added by \fB\-\-enable\-widec\fP).
.IP
The global variables such as \fBLINES\fP are replaced by macros to
allow read-only access.
\-\-with\-profile
The shared and normal (static) library names differ by their suffixes,
e.g., \fBlibncurses.so\fP and \fBlibncurses.a\fP.
-The debug and profiling libraries add a "_g" and a "_p" to the root
-names respectively,
+The debug and profiling libraries add a \*(``_g\*(''
+and a \*(``_p\*('' to the root names respectively,
e.g., \fBlibncurses_g.a\fP and \fBlibncurses_p.a\fP.
.TP 5
\-\-with\-trace
terminal capability database
.SH SEE ALSO
\fBterminfo\fR(\*n) and related pages whose names begin
-"curs_" for detailed routine descriptions.
+\*(``curs_\*('' for detailed routine descriptions.
.br
\fBcurs_variables\fR(3X)
.br
projects / ncurses.git / blobdiff