curs_initscr(3) UNIX Programmer's Manual curs_initscr(3)NAME
initscr, newterm, endwin, isendwin, set_term, delscreen-
curses screen initialization and manipulation routines
SYNOPSIS
#include <curses.h>
WINDOW *initscr(void);
int endwin(void);
bool isendwin(void);
SCREEN *newterm(char *type, FILE *outfd, FILE *infd);
SCREEN *set_term(SCREEN *new);
void delscreen(SCREEN* sp);
DESCRIPTION
initscr is normally the first curses routine to call when
initializing a program. A few special routines sometimes
need to be called before it; these are slk_init, filter,
ripoffline, use_env. For multiple-terminal applications,
newterm may be called before initscr.
The initscr code determines the terminal type and initial-
izes all curses data structures. initscr also causes the
first call to refresh to clear the screen. If errors occur,
initscr writes an appropriate error message to standard er-
ror and exits; otherwise, a pointer is returned to stdscr.
A program that outputs to more than one terminal should use
the newterm routine for each terminal instead of initscr. A
program that needs to inspect capabilities, so it can con-
tinue to run in a line-oriented mode if the terminal cannot
support a screen-oriented program, would also use newterm.
The routine newterm should be called once for each terminal.
It returns a variable of type SCREEN * which should be saved
as a reference to that terminal. The arguments are the type
of the terminal to be used in place of $TERM, a file pointer
for output to the terminal, and another file pointer for in-
put from the terminal (if type is NULL, $TERM will be used).
The program must also call endwin for each terminal being
used before exiting from curses. If newterm is called more
than once for the same terminal, the first terminal referred
to must be the last one for which endwin is called.
A program should always call endwin before exiting or escap-
ing from curses mode temporarily. This routine restores tty
modes, moves the cursor to the lower left-hand corner of the
screen and resets the terminal into the proper non-visual
mode. Calling refresh or doupdate after a temporary escape
causes the program to resume visual mode.
The isendwin routine returns TRUE if endwin has been called
without any subsequent calls to wrefresh, and FALSE other-
MirOS BSD #10-current Printed 18.8.2011 1
curs_initscr(3) UNIX Programmer's Manual curs_initscr(3)
wise.
The set_term routine is used to switch between different
terminals. The screen reference new becomes the new current
terminal. The previous terminal is returned by the routine.
This is the only routine which manipulates SCREEN pointers;
all other routines affect only the current terminal.
The delscreen routine frees storage associated with the
SCREEN data structure. The endwin routine does not do this,
so delscreen should be called after endwin if a particular
SCREEN is no longer needed.
RETURN VALUE
endwin returns the integer ERR upon failure and OK upon suc-
cessful completion.
Routines that return pointers always return NULL on error.
X/Open defines no error conditions. In this implementation
endwin returns an error if the terminal was not initialized.
NOTES
Note that initscr and newterm may be macros.
PORTABILITY
These functions are described in the XSI Curses standard,
Issue 4. It specifies that portable applications must not
call initscr more than once.
Old versions of curses, e.g., BSD 4.4, may have returned a
null pointer from initscr when an error is detected, rather
than exiting. It is safe but redundant to check the return
value of initscr in XSI Curses.
SEE ALSOcurses(3), curs_kernel(3), curs_refresh(3), curs_slk(3),
curs_util(3)MirOS BSD #10-current Printed 18.8.2011 2
