ncurses 6.1 - patch 20190727

[ncurses.git] / man / term.5

diff --git a/man/term.5 b/man/term.5
index 554e8ed598e6723c5ee5b7e27c2d65f4e56de968..b876fea1b2ced9f3f0803b95ea954ea75917e359 100644 (file)
--- a/man/term.5
+++ b/man/term.5
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 .\"***************************************************************************
 .\"***************************************************************************

-.\" Copyright (c) 1998-2017,2018 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            *
 .\"                                                                          *
 .\" Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a  *
 .\" copy of this software and associated documentation files (the            *


@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 .\" authorization.                                                           *
 .\"***************************************************************************
 .\"
 .\" authorization.                                                           *
 .\"***************************************************************************
 .\"

-.\" $Id: term.5,v 1.28 2018/03/31 22:41:29 tom Exp $
+.\" $Id: term.5,v 1.32 2019/01/12 23:11:08 tom Exp $

 .TH term 5
 .ie \n(.g .ds `` \(lq
 .el       .ds `` ``
 .TH term 5
 .ie \n(.g .ds `` \(lq
 .el       .ds `` ``


@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@
 .de NE
 .fi
 .ft R
 .de NE
 .fi
 .ft R

-.in -4
+.ie n  .in -4
+.el    .in -2

 ..
 .de bP
 .ie n  .IP \(bu 4
 ..
 .de bP
 .ie n  .IP \(bu 4


@@ -180,7 +181,8 @@ 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 same binary format is used in all modern UNIX systems.
 Each system uses a predefined set of boolean, number or string capabilities.
 .PP

-The \fBncurses\fP libraries and applications support extended terminfo binary format,
+The \fBncurses\fP 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
 allowing users to define capabilities which are loaded at runtime.
 This
 extension is made possible by using the fact that the other implementations


@@ -231,7 +233,7 @@ On occasion, 16-bit signed integers are not large enough.
 With \fBncurses\fP 6.1, a new format was introduced by making a few changes
 to the legacy format:
 .bP
 With \fBncurses\fP 6.1, a new format was introduced by making a few changes
 to the legacy format:
 .bP

-a different magic number (0542)
+a different magic number (octal 01036)

 .bP
 changing the type for the \fInumber\fP array from signed 16-bit integers
 to signed 32-bit integers.
 .bP
 changing the type for the \fInumber\fP array from signed 16-bit integers
 to signed 32-bit integers.


@@ -242,6 +244,8 @@ However, that cannot provide callers with the extended numbers.
 The library uses a similar but hidden data structure \fBTERMTYPE2\fP
 to provide data for the terminfo functions.
 .SH PORTABILITY
 The library uses a similar but hidden data structure \fBTERMTYPE2\fP
 to provide data for the terminfo functions.
 .SH PORTABILITY

+.SS setupterm
+.PP

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


@@ -259,6 +263,11 @@ must be prepared for both possibilities \-
 this is why the numbers and sizes are included.
 Also, new capabilities must always be added at the end of the lists
 of boolean, number, and string capabilities.
 this is why the numbers and sizes are included.
 Also, new capabilities must always be added at the end of the lists
 of boolean, number, and string capabilities.

+.SS Binary format
+.PP
+X/Open Curses does not specify a format for the terminfo database.
+UNIX System V curses used a directory-tree of binary files,
+one per terminal description.

 .PP
 Despite the consistent use of little-endian for numbers and the otherwise
 self-describing format, it is not wise to count on portability of binary
 .PP
 Despite the consistent use of little-endian for numbers and the otherwise
 self-describing format, it is not wise to count on portability of binary


@@ -271,16 +280,37 @@ System V and XSI Curses extensions.
 See \fBterminfo\fR(\*n) for detailed
 discussion of terminfo source compatibility issues.
 .PP
 See \fBterminfo\fR(\*n) for detailed
 discussion of terminfo source compatibility issues.
 .PP

+This implementation is by default compatible with the binary
+terminfo format used by Solaris curses,
+except in a few less-used details
+where it was found that the latter did not match X/Open Curses.
+The format used by the other Unix versions
+can be matched by building ncurses
+with different configuration options.
+.SS Magic codes
+.PP
+The magic number in a binary terminfo file is the first 16-bits (two bytes).
+Besides making it more reliable for the library to check that a file
+is terminfo,
+utilities such as \fBfile\fP also use that to tell what the file-format is.
+System V defined more than one magic number,
+with 0433, 0435 as screen-dumps (see \fBscr_dump\fP(5)).
+This implementation uses 01036 as a continuation of that sequence,
+but with a different high-order byte to avoid confusion.
+.SS The TERMTYPE structure
+.PP

 Direct access to the \fBTERMTYPE\fP structure is provided for legacy
 applications.
 Portable applications should use the \fBtigetflag\fP and related functions
 described in \fBcurs_terminfo\fP(3X) for reading terminal capabilities.
 Direct access to the \fBTERMTYPE\fP structure is provided for legacy
 applications.
 Portable applications should use the \fBtigetflag\fP and related functions
 described in \fBcurs_terminfo\fP(3X) for reading terminal capabilities.

+.SS Mixed-case terminal names

 .PP
 A small number of terminal descriptions use uppercase characters in
 their names.
 If the underlying filesystem ignores the difference between
 uppercase and lowercase,
 .PP
 A small number of terminal descriptions use uppercase characters in
 their names.
 If the underlying filesystem ignores the difference between
 uppercase and lowercase,

-\fBncurses\fP represents the \*(``first character\*('' of the terminal name used as
+\fBncurses\fP represents the \*(``first character\*(''
+of the terminal name used as

 the intermediate level of a directory tree in (two-character) hexadecimal form.
 .SH EXAMPLE
 As an example, here is a description for the Lear-Siegler
 the intermediate level of a directory tree in (two-character) hexadecimal form.
 .SH EXAMPLE
 As an example, here is a description for the Lear-Siegler