ncurses 5.6 - patch 20081012

[ncurses.git] / man / term.5

diff --git a/man/term.5 b/man/term.5
index e999b2e8c5142e5edf1138d8b2b5c64c0f3edbdb..19af62a350ed48c68b3f45fcee6c9e38f88b353d 100644 (file)
--- a/man/term.5
+++ b/man/term.5
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 .\"***************************************************************************
 .\"***************************************************************************

-.\" Copyright (c) 1998-2003,2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.              *
+.\" Copyright (c) 1998-2004,2006 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            *
 .\"                                                                          *
 .\" Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a  *
 .\" copy of this software and associated documentation files (the            *


@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@
 .\" authorization.                                                           *
 .\"***************************************************************************
 .\"
 .\" authorization.                                                           *
 .\"***************************************************************************
 .\"

-.\" $Id: term.5,v 1.16 2004/07/05 13:16:08 tom Exp $
-.TH TERM 5
+.\" $Id: term.5,v 1.19 2006/12/24 18:12:38 tom Exp $
+.TH term 5

 .ds n 5
 .ds d @TERMINFO@
 .SH NAME
 .ds n 5
 .ds d @TERMINFO@
 .SH NAME


@@ -35,11 +35,13 @@ term \- format of compiled term file.
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B term
 .SH DESCRIPTION
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B term
 .SH DESCRIPTION

-.PP
+.SS STORAGE LOCATION

 Compiled terminfo descriptions are placed under the directory \fB\*d\fP.
 Compiled terminfo descriptions are placed under the directory \fB\*d\fP.

-In order to avoid a linear search of a huge \s-1UNIX\s+1 system directory, a
-two-level scheme is used: \fB\*d/c/name\fP
-where
+Two configurations are supported (when building the ncurses libraries):
+.TP 5
+.B directory tree
+A two-level scheme is used to avoid a linear search
+of a huge \s-1UNIX\s+1 system directory: \fB\*d/c/name\fP where

 .I name
 is the name of the terminal, and
 .I c
 .I name
 is the name of the terminal, and
 .I c


@@ -50,13 +52,29 @@ Thus,
 can be found in the file \fB\*d/a/act4\fP.
 Synonyms for the same terminal are implemented by multiple
 links to the same compiled file.
 can be found in the file \fB\*d/a/act4\fP.
 Synonyms for the same terminal are implemented by multiple
 links to the same compiled file.

-.PP
+.TP 5
+.B hashed database
+Using Berkeley database, two types of records are stored:
+the terminfo data in the same format as stored in a directory tree with
+the terminfo's primary name as a key,
+and records containing only aliases pointing to the primary name.
+.IP
+If built to write hashed databases,
+ncurses can still read terminfo databases organized as a directory tree,
+but cannot write entries into the directory tree.
+It can write (or rewrite) entries in the hashed database.
+.IP
+ncurses distinguishes the two cases in the TERMINFO and TERMINFO_DIRS
+environment variable by assuming a directory tree for entries that
+correspond to an existing directory,
+and hashed database otherwise.
+.SS STORAGE FORMAT

 The format has been chosen so that it will be the same on all hardware.
 An 8 or more bit byte is assumed, but no assumptions about byte ordering
 or sign extension are made.
 .PP
 The compiled file is created with the
 The format has been chosen so that it will be the same on all hardware.
 An 8 or more bit byte is assumed, but no assumptions about byte ordering
 or sign extension are made.
 .PP
 The compiled file is created with the

-.I tic
+.B @TIC@

 program, and read by the routine
 .IR setupterm .
 The file is divided into six parts:
 program, and read by the routine
 .IR setupterm .
 The file is divided into six parts:


@@ -72,12 +90,20 @@ The header section begins the file.
 This section contains six short integers in the format
 described below.
 These integers are
 This section contains six short integers in the format
 described below.
 These integers are

+.RS 5
+.TP 5

 (1) the magic number (octal 0432);
 (1) the magic number (octal 0432);

+.TP 5

 (2) the size, in bytes, of the names section;
 (2) the size, in bytes, of the names section;

+.TP 5

 (3) the number of bytes in the boolean section;
 (3) the number of bytes in the boolean section;

+.TP 5

 (4) the number of short integers in the numbers section;
 (4) the number of short integers in the numbers section;

+.TP 5

 (5) the number of offsets (short integers) in the strings section;
 (5) the number of offsets (short integers) in the strings section;

+.TP 5

 (6) the size, in bytes, of the string table.
 (6) the size, in bytes, of the string table.

+.RE

 .PP
 Short integers are stored in two 8-bit bytes.
 The first byte contains the least significant 8 bits of the value,
 .PP
 Short integers are stored in two 8-bit bytes.
 The first byte contains the least significant 8 bits of the value,


@@ -128,7 +154,48 @@ The final section is the string table.
 It contains all the values of string capabilities referenced in
 the string section.
 Each string is null terminated.
 It contains all the values of string capabilities referenced in
 the string section.
 Each string is null terminated.

+.SS EXTENDED STORAGE FORMAT
+The previous section describes the conventional terminfo binary format.
+With some minor variations of the offsets (see PORTABILITY),
+the same binary format is used in all modern UNIX systems.
+Each system uses a predefined set of boolean, number or string capabilities.
+.PP
+The ncurses libraries and applications support extended terminfo binary format,
+allowing users to define capabilities which are loaded at runtime.  This
+extension is made possible by using the fact that the other implementations
+stop reading the terminfo data when they have reached the end of the size given
+in the header.
+ncurses checks the size, and if it exceeds that due to the predefined data,
+continues to parse according to its own scheme.
+.PP
+First, it reads the extended header (5 short integers):
+.RS 5
+.TP 5
+(1)
+count of extended boolean capabilities
+.TP 5
+(2)
+count of extended numeric capabilities
+.TP 5
+(3)
+count of extended string capabilities
+.TP 5
+(4)
+size of the extended string table in bytes.
+.TP 5
+(5)
+last offset of the extended string table in bytes.
+.RE

 .PP
 .PP

+Using the counts and sizes, ncurses allocates arrays and reads data
+for the extended capabilties in the same order as the header information.
+.PP
+The extended string table contains values for string capabilities.
+After the end of these values, it contains the names for each of
+the extended capabilities in order, e.g., booleans, then numbers and
+finally strings.
+.
+.SH PORTABILITY

 Note that it is possible for
 .I setupterm
 to expect a different set of capabilities
 Note that it is possible for
 .I setupterm
 to expect a different set of capabilities


@@ -155,7 +222,7 @@ diverged from System V terminfo after SVr1, and have added extension
 capabilities to the string table that (in the binary format) collide with
 System V and XSI Curses extensions.  See \fBterminfo\fR(\*n) for detailed
 discussion of terminfo source compatibility issues.
 capabilities to the string table that (in the binary format) collide with
 System V and XSI Curses extensions.  See \fBterminfo\fR(\*n) for detailed
 discussion of terminfo source compatibility issues.

-.PP
+.SH EXAMPLE

 As an example, here is a hex dump of the description for the Lear-Siegler
 ADM-3, a popular though rather stupid early terminal:
 .nf
 As an example, here is a hex dump of the description for the Lear-Siegler
 ADM-3, a popular though rather stupid early terminal:
 .nf


@@ -193,13 +260,21 @@ adm3a|lsi adm3a,
 .ft R
 .fi
 .sp
 .ft R
 .fi
 .sp

-.PP
+.SH LIMITS

 Some limitations: total compiled entries cannot exceed 4096 bytes.
 The name field cannot exceed 128 bytes.
 .SH FILES
 \*d/*/*        compiled terminal capability data base
 .SH SEE ALSO
 \fBcurses\fR(3X), \fBterminfo\fR(\*n).
 Some limitations: total compiled entries cannot exceed 4096 bytes.
 The name field cannot exceed 128 bytes.
 .SH FILES
 \*d/*/*        compiled terminal capability data base
 .SH SEE ALSO
 \fBcurses\fR(3X), \fBterminfo\fR(\*n).

+.SH AUTHORS
+Thomas E. Dickey
+.br
+extended terminfo format for ncurses 5.0
+.br
+hashed database support for ncurses 5.6
+.sp
+Eric S. Raymond

 .\"#
 .\"# The following sets edit modes for GNU EMACS
 .\"# Local Variables:
 .\"#
 .\"# The following sets edit modes for GNU EMACS
 .\"# Local Variables: