CURS_TERMINFO(3CURSES) Curses Library Functions CURS_TERMINFO(3CURSES)

NAME


curs_terminfo, setupterm, setterm, set_curterm, del_curterm, restartterm,
tparm, tputs, putp, vidputs, vidattr, mvcur, tigetflag, tigetnum,
tigetstr - curses interfaces to terminfo database

SYNOPSIS


cc [ flag ... ] file ... -lcurses [ library ... ]
#include <curses.h>
#include <term.h>

int setupterm(char *term, int fildes, int *errret);


int setterm(char *term);


int set_curterm(TERMINAL *nterm);


int del_curterm(TERMINAL *oterm);


int restartterm(char *term, int fildes, int *errret);


char *tparm(char *str, long int p1, long int p2, long int p3, long int p4,
long int p5, long int p6, long int p7, long int p8, long int p9);


int tputs(char *str, int affcnt, int (*putc)(char));


int putp(char *str);


int vidputs(chtype attrs, int (*putc)(char));


int vidattr(chtype attrs);


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
capabilities, 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
automatically called by initscr() and newterm(). This defines the set of
terminal-dependent variables (listed in terminfo(5)). The terminfo
variables lines and columns are initialized by setupterm() as follows:
If use_env(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 variables 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 database are used.


The headers <curses.h> and <term.h> should be included (in this order) to
get the definitions for these strings, numbers, and flags. Parameterized
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 reset_shell_mode() routine to restore the tty
modes before exiting (see curs_kernel(3CURSES)). Programs which use
cursor addressing should output enter_ca_mode upon startup and should
output exit_ca_mode before exiting. Programs desiring shell escapes
should call reset_shell_mode and output exit_ca_mode before the shell is
called and should output enter_ca_mode and call reset_prog_mode 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 output
is to file descriptor fildes which is initialized for output. If errret
is not null, then setupterm() returns OK or ERR and stores a status value
in the integer pointed to by errret. A status of 1 in errret is normal, 0
means that the terminal could not be found, and -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 *)0, 1, (int *)0);,


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 *)0)


provides the same functionality as setterm(term). The setterm() routine
is included here for compatibility and is supported at Level 2.


The set_curterm() routine sets the variable cur_term to nterm, and makes
all of the terminfo boolean, numeric, and string variables use the values
from nterm.


The del_curterm() routine frees the space pointed to by oterm and makes
it available for further use. If oterm is the same as cur_term,
references 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. 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.


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
putpA() 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(3CURSES). 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 mvcur() routine provides low-level cursor motion.


The tigetflag(), tigetnum() and tigetstr() routines return the value of
the capability corresponding to the terminfo capname passed to them, such
as xenl.


With the tigetflag() routine, the value -1 is returned if capname is not
a boolean capability.


With the tigetnum() routine, the value -2 is returned if capname is not a
numeric capability.


With the tigetstr() routine, the value (char *)-1 is returned if capname
is not a string capability.


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 VALUES


All routines return the integer ERR upon failure and an integer value
other than ERR upon successful completion, unless otherwise noted in the
preceding routine descriptions.


Routines that return pointers always return NULL on error.

ATTRIBUTES


See attributes(7) for descriptions of the following attributes:


+---------------+-----------------+
|ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
+---------------+-----------------+
|MT-Level | Unsafe |
+---------------+-----------------+

SEE ALSO


putc(3C), curs_initscr(3CURSES), curs_kernel(3CURSES),
curs_termcap(3CURSES), curses(3CURSES), terminfo(5), attributes(7)

NOTES


The header <curses.h> automatically includes the headers <stdio.h> and
<unctrl.h>.


The setupterm() routine should be used in place of setterm().


Note that vidattr() and vidputs() may be macros.

December 31, 1996 CURS_TERMINFO(3CURSES)