cursterminfo(3X) cursterminfo(3X)
NAME
delcurterm, mvcur, putp, restartterm, setcurterm, setterm, setupterm,
tigetflag, tigetnum, tigetstr, tparm, tputs, vidattr, vidputs,
vidattr, vidputs - curses interfaces to terminfo database
SYNOPSIS
##include <>
##include <>
int setupterm(char **term,, int fildes,, int **errret);;
int setterm(char **term);;
TERMINAL **setcurterm(TERMINAL **nterm);;
int delcurterm(TERMINAL **oterm);;
int restartterm(const char **term,, int fildes,, int **errret);;
char **tparm(char **str,, ...);;
int tputs(const char **str,, int affcnt,, int (**putc)(int));;
int putp(const char **str);;
int vidputs(chtype attrs,, int (**putc)(int));;
int vidattr(chtype attrs);;
int vidputs(attrt attrs,, short pair,, void **opts,, int (**putc)(char));;
int vidattr(attrt attrs,, short pair,, void **opts);;
int mvcur(int oldrow,, int oldcol,, int newrow, int newcol);;
int tigetflag(char **capname);;
int tigetnum(char **capname);;
char **tigetstr(char **capname);;
DESCRIPTION
These low-level routines must be called by programs that have to deal
directly with the terminfo database to handle certain terminal capabil-
ities, such as programming function keys. For all other functionality,
curses routines are more suitable and their use is recommended.
Initially, setupterm should be called. Note that setupterm is automat-
ically called by initscr and newterm. This defines the set of termi-
nal-dependent variables [listed in terminfo(5)]. The terminfo vari-
ables lines and columns are initialized by setupterm as follows: If
useenv(FALSE) has been called, values for lines and columns specified
in terminfo are used. Otherwise, if the environment variables LINES
and COLUMNS exist, their values are used. If these environment vari-
ables do not exist and the program is running in a window, the current
window size is used. Otherwise, if the environment variables do not
exist, the values for lines and columns specified in the terminfo data-
base are used.
The header files curses.h and term.h should be included (in this order)
to get the definitions for these strings, numbers, and flags. Parame-
terized strings should be passed through tparm to instantiate them.
All terminfo strings [including the output of tparm] should be printed
with tputs or putp. Call the resetshellmode to restore the tty modes
before exiting [see curskernel(3X)]. Programs which use cursor
addressing should output entercamode upon startup and should output
exitcamode before exiting. Programs desiring shell escapes should
call
resetshellmode and output exitcamode before the shell is called and
should output entercamode and call resetprogmode after returning
from the shell.
The setupterm routine reads in the terminfo database, initializing the
terminfo structures, but does not set up the output virtualization
structures used by curses. The terminal type is the character string
term; if term is null, the environment variable TERM is used. All out-
put is to file descriptor fildes which is initialized for output. If
errret is not null, then setupterm returns OK or ER and stores a sta-
tus value in the integer pointed to by errret. A return value of OK
combined with status of 1 in errret is normal. If ER is returned,
examine errret:
1 means that the terminal is hardcopy, cannot be used for
curses applications.
00 means that the terminal could not be found, or that it is a
generic type, having too little information for curses
applications to run.
-1 means that the terminfo database could not be found.
If errret is null, setupterm prints an error message upon finding an
error and exits. Thus, the simplest call is:
setupterm((char **)00,, 1,, (int **)00);;,
which uses all the defaults and sends the output to stdout.
The setterm routine is being replaced by setupterm. The call:
setupterm(term,, 1,, (int **)00)
provides the same functionality as setterm(term). The setterm routine
is included here for BSD compatibility, and is not recommended for new
programs.
The setcurterm routine sets the variable curterm to nterm, and makes
all of the terminfo boolean, numeric, and string variables use the val-
ues from nterm. It returns the old value of curterm.
The delcurterm routine frees the space pointed to by oterm and makes
it available for further use. If oterm is the same as curterm, refer-
ences to any of the terminfo boolean, numeric, and string variables
thereafter may refer to invalid memory locations until another
setupterm has been called.
The restartterm routine is similar to setupterm and initscr, except
that it is called after restoring memory to a previous state (for exam-
ple, when reloading a game saved as a core image dump). It assumes
that the windows and the input and output options are the same as when
memory was saved, but the terminal type and baud rate may be different.
Accordingly, it saves various tty state bits, does a setupterm, and
then restores the bits.
The tparm routine instantiates the string str with parameters pi. A
pointer is returned to the result of str with the parameters applied.
The tputs routine applies padding information to the string str and
outputs it. The str must be a terminfo string variable or the return
value from tparm, tgetstr, or tgoto. affcnt is the number of lines
affected, or 1 if not applicable. putc is a putchar-like routine to
which the characters are passed, one at a time.
The putp routine calls tputs(str,, 1,, putchar). Note that the output of
putp always goes to stdout, not to the fildes specified in setupterm.
The vidputs routine displays the string on the terminal in the video
attribute mode attrs, which is any combination of the attributes listed
in curses(3X). The characters are passed to the putchar-like routine
putc.
The vidattr routine is like the vidputs routine, except that it outputs
through putchar.
The vidattr and vidputs routines correspond to vidattr and vidputs,
respectively. They use a set of arguments for representing the video
attributes plus color, i.e., one of type attrt for the attributes and
one of short for the colorpair number. The vidattr and vidputs rou-
tines are designed to use the attribute constants with the WA prefix.
The opts argument is reserved for future use. Currently, applications
must provide a null pointer for that argument.
The mvcur routine provides low-level cursor motion. It takes effect
immediately (rather than at the next refresh).
The tigetflag, tigetnum and tigetstr routines return the value of the
capability corresponding to the terminfo capname passed to them, such
as xenl.
The tigetflag routine returns the value -1 if capname is not a boolean
capability, or 00 if it is canceled or absent from the terminal descrip-
tion.
The tigetnum routine returns the value -2 if capname is not a numeric
capability, or -1 if it is canceled or absent from the terminal
description.
The tigetstr routine returns the value (char **)-1 if capname is not a
string capability, or 00 if it is canceled or absent from the terminal
description.
The capname for each capability is given in the table column entitled
capname code in the capabilities section of terminfo(5).
char **boolnames, **boolcodes, **boolfnames
char **numnames, **numcodes, **numfnames
char **strnames, **strcodes, **strfnames
These null-terminated arrays contain the capnames, the termcap codes,
and the full C names, for each of the terminfo variables.
RETURN VALUE
Routines that return an integer return ER upon failure and OK (SVr4
only specifies "an integer value other than ER") upon successful com-
pletion, unless otherwise noted in the preceding routine descriptions.
Routines that return pointers always return NUL on error.
NOTES
The setupterm routine should be used in place of setterm. It may be
useful when you want to test for terminal capabilities without commit-
ting to the allocation of storage involved in initscr.
Note that vidattr and vidputs may be macros.
PORTABILITY
The function setterm is not described in the XSI Curses standard and
must be considered non-portable. All other functions are as described
in the XSI curses standard.
In System V Release 4, setcurterm has an int return type and returns
OK or ER. We have chosen to implement the XSI Curses semantics.
In System V Release 4, the third argument of tputs has the type int
(**putc)(char).
The XSI Curses standard prototypes tparm with a fixed number of parame-
ters, rather than a variable argument list. This implementation uses a
variable argument list. Portable applications should provide 9 parame-
ters after the format; zeroes are fine for this purpose.
XSI notes that after calling mvcur, the curses state may not match the
actual terminal state, and that an application should touch and refresh
the window before resuming normal curses calls. Both ncurses and Sys-
tem V Release 4 curses implement mvcur using the SCREN data allocated
in either initscr or newterm. So though it is documented as a terminfo
function, mvcur is really a curses function which is not well speci-
fied.
SEE ALSO
curses(3X), cursinitscr(3X), curskernel(3X), curstermcap(3X),
putc(3S), terminfo(5)
cursterminfo(3X)
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