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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(const 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-ter-
       minal applications, newterm may be called before initscr.

       The  initscr  code  determines  the  terminal  type and initializes 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 error 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 continue 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 termi-
       nal.  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	termi-
       nal,  and  another file pointer for input 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 escaping from
       curses mode temporarily.  This routine restores tty  modes,  moves  the
       cursor  to the lower left-hand corner of the screen and resets the ter-
       minal 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 otherwise.

       The set_term routine is used to	switch	between  different  terminals.
       The  screen reference new becomes the new current terminal.  The previ-
       ous terminal is returned by the routine.   This	is  the  only  routine
       which  manipulates  SCREEN pointers; all other routines affect only the
       current terminal.

       Routines that return pointers always return NULL on error.

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 ALSO

       curses(3X),    curs_kernel(3X),	   curs_refresh(3X),	 curs_slk(3X),
       curs_util(3X)

							      curs_initscr(3X)

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