menu(3X)                                                              menu(3X)



NAME
       menu - curses extension for programming menus

SYNOPSIS
       ##include <>

DESCRIPTION
       The menu library provides terminal-independent facilities for composing
       menu systems on character-cell terminals.  The library  includes:  item
       routines,  which create and modify menu items; and menu routines, which
       group items into menus, display menus on the screen, and handle  inter-
       action with the user.

       The menu library uses the curses libraries, and a curses initialization
       routine such as initscr must be called before using any of these  func-
       tions.  To use the menu library, link with the options -lmenu -lcurses.


   Current Default Values for Item Attributes
       The menu library maintains a default value for  item  attributes.   You
       can  get  or  set  this default by calling the appropriate get or set
       routine with a NUL item pointer.  Changing this default  with  a  set
       function affects future item creations, but does not change the render-
       ing of items already created.


   Routine Name Index
       The following table lists each menu routine and the name of the  manual
       page on which it is described.


       curses Routine Name    Manual Page Name
       --------------------------------------------
       currentitem           mitemcurrent(3X)
       freeitem              mitemnew(3X)
       freemenu              menunew(3X)
       itemcount             menuitems(3X)
       itemdescription       mitemname(3X)
       itemindex             mitemcurrent(3X)
       iteminit              menuhook(3X)
       itemname              mitemname(3X)
       itemopts              mitemopts(3X)
       itemoptsoff          mitemopts(3X)
       itemoptson           mitemopts(3X)
       itemterm              menuhook(3X)
       itemuserptr           mitemuserptr(3X)
       itemvalue             mitemvalue(3X)
       itemvisible           mitemvisible(3X)
       menuback              menuattributes(3X)
       menudriver            menudriver(3X)
       menufore              menuattributes(3X)
       menuformat            menuformat(3X)
       menugrey              menuattributes(3X)
       menuinit              menuhook(3X)
       menuitems             menuitems(3X)
       menumark              menumark(3X)
       menuopts              menuopts(3X)
       menuoptsoff          menuopts(3X)
       menuoptson           menuopts(3X)
       menupad               menuattributes(3X)
       menupattern           menupattern(3X)

       menurequestbyname   menurequestname(3X)
       menurequestname      menurequestname(3X)
       menuspacing           menuspacing(3X)
       menusub               menuwin(3X)
       menuterm              menuhook(3X)
       menuuserptr           menuuserptr(3X)
       menuwin               menuwin(3X)
       newitem               mitemnew(3X)
       newmenu               menunew(3X)
       posmenucursor        menucursor(3X)
       postmenu              menupost(3X)
       scalemenu             menuwin(3X)
       setcurrentitem       mitemcurrent(3X)
       setiteminit          menuhook(3X)
       setitemopts          mitemopts(3X)
       setitemterm          menuhook(3X)
       setitemuserptr       mitemuserptr(3X)
       setitemvalue         mitemvalue(3X)
       setmenuback          menuattributes(3X)
       setmenufore          menuattributes(3X)
       setmenuformat        menuformat(3X)
       setmenugrey          menuattributes(3X)
       setmenuinit          menuhook(3X)
       setmenuitems         menuitems(3X)
       setmenumark          menumark(3X)
       setmenuopts          mitemopts(3X)
       setmenupad           menuattributes(3X)
       setmenupattern       menupattern(3X)
       setmenuspacing       menuspacing(3X)
       setmenusub           menuwin(3X)
       setmenuterm          menuhook(3X)
       setmenuuserptr       menuuserptr(3X)
       setmenuwin           menuwin(3X)
       settoprow            mitemcurrent(3X)
       toprow                mitemcurrent(3X)
       unpostmenu            menupost(3X)

RETURN VALUE
       Routines  that  return  pointers  return  NUL on error.  Routines that
       return an integer return one of the following error codes:

       EOK The routine succeeded.

       ESYSTEMEROR
            System error occurred (see errno).

       EBADARGUMENT
            Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument.

       EPOSTED
            The menu is already posted.

       EBADSTATE
            Routine was called from an initialization or termination function.

       ENOROM
            Menu is too large for its window.

       ENOTPOSTED
            The menu has not been posted.

       EUNKNOWNCOMAND
            The menu driver code saw an unknown request code.

       ENOMATCH
            Character failed to match.

       ENOTSELECTABLE
            The designated item cannot be selected.

       ENOTCONECTED
            No items are connected to the menu.

       EREQUESTDENIED
            The menu driver could not process the request.

SEE ALSO
       curses(3X)  and  related  pages  whose names begin "menu" for detailed
       descriptions of the entry points.

NOTES
       The header  file  <>  automatically  includes  the  header  files
       <> and <>.

       In your library list, libmenu.a should be before libncurses.a; that is,
       you want to say `-lmenu -lncurses', not the  other  way  around  (which
       would give you a link error using GNU ld(1) and many other linkers).

PORTABILITY
       These  routines  emulate the System V menu library.  They were not sup-
       ported on Version 7 or BSD versions.

AUTHORS
       Juergen Pfeifer.  Manual pages and adaptation for ncurses  by  Eric  S.
       Raymond.



                                                                      menu(3X)