Curses(3)

NAME
Curses - terminal screen handling and optimization

SYNOPSIS
    use Curses;

    initscr;
    ...
    endwin;

   Curses::supports_function($function);
   Curses::supports_constant($constant);

DESCRIPTION
"Curses" is the interface between Perl and your system's curses(3) library. For descriptions on the usage of a given function, variable, or constant, consult your system's documentation, as such information invariably varies (:-) between different curses(3) libraries and operating systems. This document describes the interface itself, and assumes that you already know how your system's curses(3) library works.

  Unified Functions
Many curses(3) functions have variants starting with the prefixes w-, mv-, and/or wmv-. These variants differ only in the explicit addition of a window, or by the addition of two coordinates that are used to move the cursor first. For example, "addch()" has three other variants: "waddch()", "mvaddch()", and "mvwaddch()". The variants aren't very interesting; in fact, we could roll all of the variants into original function by allowing a variable number of arguments and analyzing the argument list for which variant the user wanted to call.

Unfortunately, curses(3) predates varargs(3), so in C we were stuck with all the variants. However, "Curses" is a Perl interface, so we are free to "unify" these variants into one function. The section "Available Functions" below lists all curses(3) functions "Curses" makes available as Perl equivalents, along with a column listing if it is unified. If so, it takes a varying number of arguments as follows:

    "function( [win], [y, x], args );"

    win is an optional window argument, defaulting to "stdscr" if not specified.

    y, x is an optional coordinate pair used to move the cursor, defaulting to no move if not specified.

    args are the required arguments of the function. These are the arguments you would specify if you were just calling the base function and not any of the variants.

This makes the variants obsolete, since their functionality has been merged into a single function, so "Curses" does not define them by default. You can still get them if you want, by setting the variable $Curses::OldCurses to a non-zero value before using the "Curses" package. See "Perl 4.X "cursperl" Compatibility" for an example of this.

  Objects
Objects work. Example:

    $win = new Curses;
    $win->addstr(10, 10, 'foo');
    $win->refresh;
    ...

Any function that has been marked as unified (see "Available Functions" below and "Unified Functions" above) can be called as a method for a Curses object.

Do not use "initscr()" if using objects, as the first call to get a "new Curses" will do it for you.

  Security Concerns
It has always been the case with the curses functions, but please note that the following functions:

    getstr()   (and optional wgetstr(), mvgetstr(), and mvwgetstr())
    inchstr()  (and optional winchstr(), mvinchstr(), and mvwinchstr())
    instr()    (and optional winstr(), mvinstr(), and mvwinstr())

are subject to buffer overflow attack. This is because you pass in the buffer to be filled in, which has to be of finite length, but there is no way to stop a bad guy from typing.

In order to avoid this problem, use the alternate functions:

   getnstr()
   inchnstr()
   innstr()

which take an extra "size of buffer" argument.

COMPATIBILITY

  Perl 4.X "cursperl" Compatibility
"Curses" has been written to take advantage of the new features of Perl. I felt it better to provide an improved curses programming environment rather than to be 100% compatible. However, many old "curseperl" applications will probably still work by starting the script with:

    BEGIN { $Curses::OldCurses = 1; }
    use Curses;

Any old application that still does not work should print an understandable error message explaining the problem.

Some functions and variables are not available through "Curses", even with the "BEGIN" line. They are listed under "curses(3) items not available through Curses".

The variables $stdscr and $curscr are also available as functions "stdscr" and "curscr". This is because of a Perl bug. See the BUGS section for details.

  Incompatibilities with previous versions of "Curses"
In previous versions of this software, some Perl functions took a different set of parameters than their C counterparts. This is no longer true. You should now use "getstr($str)" and "getyx($y, $x)" instead of "$str = getstr()" and "($y, $x) = getyx()".

  Incompatibilities with other Perl programs
    menu.pl, v3.0 and v3.1
        There were various interaction problems between these two
        releases and Curses.  Please upgrade to the latest version
        (v3.3 as of 3/16/96).

DIAGNOSTICS

•   Curses function '%s' called with too %s arguments at ...

    You have called a "Curses" function with a wrong number of arguments.

•   argument %d to Curses function '%s' is not a Curses %s at ... =item * argument is not a Curses %s at ...

    The argument you gave to the function wasn't what it wanted.

    This probably means that you didn't give the right arguments to a unified function. See the DESCRIPTION section on Unified Functions for more information.

•   Curses function '%s' is not defined by your vendor at ...

    You have a "Curses" function in your code that your system's curses(3) library doesn't define.

•   Curses variable '%s' is not defined by your vendor at ...

    You have a "Curses" variable in your code that your system's curses(3) library doesn't define.

•   Curses constant '%s' is not defined by your vendor at ...

    You have a "Curses" constant in your code that your system's curses(3) library doesn't define.

•   Curses::Vars::FETCH called with bad index at ... =item * Curses::Vars::STORE called with bad index at ...

    You've been playing with the "tie" interface to the "Curses" variables. Don't do that. :-)

•   Anything else

    Check out the perldiag man page to see if the error is in there.

BUGS
If you use the variables $stdscr and $curscr instead of their functional counterparts ("stdscr" and "curscr"), you might run into a bug in Perl where the "magic" isn't called early enough. This is manifested by the "Curses" package telling you $stdscr isn't a window. One workaround is to put a line like "$stdscr = $stdscr" near the front of your program.

Probably many more.

AUTHOR
William Setzer <William_Setzer@ncsu.edu>

SYNOPSIS OF PERL CURSES AVAILABILITY

  Available Functions
    Avaiable Function    Unified?     Available via $OldCurses[*]
    -----------------    --------     ------------------------
    addch                  Yes        waddch mvaddch mvwaddch
    echochar               Yes        wechochar
    addchstr               Yes        waddchstr mvaddchstr mvwaddchstr
    addchnstr              Yes        waddchnstr mvaddchnstr mvwaddchnstr
    addstr                 Yes        waddstr mvaddstr mvwaddstr
    addnstr                Yes        waddnstr mvaddnstr mvwaddnstr
    attroff                Yes        wattroff
    attron                 Yes        wattron
    attrset                Yes        wattrset
    standend               Yes        wstandend
    standout               Yes        wstandout
    attr_get               Yes        wattr_get
    attr_off               Yes        wattr_off
    attr_on                Yes        wattr_on
    attr_set               Yes        wattr_set
    chgat                  Yes        wchgat mvchgat mvwchgat
    COLOR_PAIR              No
    PAIR_NUMBER             No
    beep                    No
    flash                   No
    bkgd                   Yes        wbkgd
    bkgdset                Yes        wbkgdset
    getbkgd                Yes
    border                 Yes        wborder
    box                    Yes
    hline                  Yes        whline mvhline mvwhline
    vline                  Yes        wvline mvvline mvwvline
    erase                  Yes        werase
    clear                  Yes        wclear
    clrtobot               Yes        wclrtobot
    clrtoeol               Yes        wclrtoeol
    start_color             No
    init_pair               No
    init_color              No
    has_colors              No
    can_change_color        No
    color_content           No
    pair_content            No
    delch                  Yes        wdelch mvdelch mvwdelch
    deleteln               Yes        wdeleteln
    insdelln               Yes        winsdelln
    insertln               Yes        winsertln
    getch                  Yes        wgetch mvgetch mvwgetch
    ungetch                 No
    has_key                 No
    KEY_F                   No
    getstr                 Yes        wgetstr mvgetstr mvwgetstr
    getnstr                Yes        wgetnstr mvgetnstr mvwgetnstr
    getyx                  Yes
    getparyx               Yes
    getbegyx               Yes
    getmaxyx               Yes
    inch                   Yes        winch mvinch mvwinch
    inchstr                Yes        winchstr mvinchstr mvwinchstr
    inchnstr               Yes        winchnstr mvinchnstr mvwinchnstr
    initscr                 No
    endwin                  No
    isendwin                No
    newterm                 No
    set_term                No
    delscreen               No
    cbreak                  No
    nocbreak                No
    echo                    No
    noecho                  No
    halfdelay               No
    intrflush              Yes
    keypad                 Yes
    meta                   Yes
    nodelay                Yes
    notimeout              Yes
    raw                     No
    noraw                   No
    qiflush                 No
    noqiflush               No
    timeout                Yes        wtimeout
    typeahead               No
    insch                  Yes        winsch mvinsch mvwinsch
    insstr                 Yes        winsstr mvinsstr mvwinsstr
    insnstr                Yes        winsnstr mvinsnstr mvwinsnstr
    instr                  Yes        winstr mvinstr mvwinstr
    innstr                 Yes        winnstr mvinnstr mvwinnstr
    def_prog_mode           No
    def_shell_mode          No
    reset_prog_mode         No
    reset_shell_mode        No
    resetty                 No
    savetty                 No
    getsyx                  No
    setsyx                  No
    curs_set                No
    napms                   No
    move                   Yes        wmove
    clearok                Yes
    idlok                  Yes
    idcok                  Yes
    immedok                Yes
    leaveok                Yes
    setscrreg              Yes        wsetscrreg
    scrollok               Yes
    nl                      No
    nonl                    No
    overlay                 No
    overwrite               No
    copywin                 No
    newpad                  No
    subpad                  No
    prefresh                No
    pnoutrefresh            No
    pechochar               No
    refresh                Yes        wrefresh
    noutrefresh            Yes        wnoutrefresh
    doupdate                No
    redrawwin              Yes
    redrawln               Yes        wredrawln
    scr_dump                No
    scr_restore             No
    scr_init                No
    scr_set                 No
    scroll                 Yes
    scrl                   Yes        wscrl
    slk_init                No
    slk_set                 No
    slk_refresh             No
    slk_noutrefresh         No
    slk_label               No
    slk_clear               No
    slk_restore             No
    slk_touch               No
    slk_attron              No
    slk_attrset             No
    slk_attr                No
    slk_attroff             No
    slk_color               No
    baudrate                No
    erasechar               No
    has_ic                  No
    has_il                  No
    killchar                No
    longname                No
    termattrs               No
    termname                No
    touchwin               Yes
    touchline              Yes
    untouchwin             Yes
    touchln                Yes        wtouchln
    is_linetouched         Yes
    is_wintouched          Yes
    unctrl                  No
    keyname                 No
    filter                  No
    use_env                 No
    putwin                  No
    getwin                  No
    delay_output            No
    flushinp                No
    newwin                  No
    delwin                 Yes
    mvwin                  Yes
    subwin                 Yes
    derwin                 Yes
    mvderwin               Yes
    dupwin                 Yes
    syncup                 Yes        wsyncup
    syncok                 Yes
    cursyncup              Yes        wcursyncup
    syncdown               Yes        wsyncdown
    getmouse                No
    ungetmouse              No
    mousemask               No
    enclose                Yes        wenclose
    mouse_trafo            Yes        wmouse_trafo
    mouseinterval           No
    BUTTON_RELEASE          No
    BUTTON_PRESS            No
    BUTTON_CLICK            No
    BUTTON_DOUBLE_CLICK     No
    BUTTON_TRIPLE_CLICK     No
    BUTTON_RESERVED_EVENT   No
    use_default_colors      No
    assume_default_colors   No
    define_key              No
    keybound                No
    keyok                   No
    resizeterm              No
    resize                 Yes        wresize
    getmaxy                Yes
    getmaxx                Yes
    flusok                 Yes
    getcap                  No
    touchoverlap            No
    new_panel               No
    bottom_panel            No
    top_panel               No
    show_panel              No
    update_panels           No
    hide_panel              No
    panel_window            No
    replace_panel           No
    move_panel              No
    panel_hidden            No
    panel_above             No
    panel_below             No
    set_panel_userptr       No
    panel_userptr           No
    del_panel               No
    set_menu_fore           No
    menu_fore               No
    set_menu_back           No
    menu_back               No
    set_menu_grey           No
    menu_grey               No
    set_menu_pad            No
    menu_pad                No
    pos_menu_cursor         No
    menu_driver             No
    set_menu_format         No
    menu_format             No
    set_menu_items          No
    menu_items              No
    item_count              No
    set_menu_mark           No
    menu_mark               No
    new_menu                No
    free_menu               No
    menu_opts               No
    set_menu_opts           No
    menu_opts_on            No
    menu_opts_off           No
    set_menu_pattern        No
    menu_pattern            No
    post_menu               No
    unpost_menu             No
    set_menu_userptr        No
    menu_userptr            No
    set_menu_win            No
    menu_win                No
    set_menu_sub            No
    menu_sub                No
    scale_menu              No
    set_current_item        No
    current_item            No
    set_top_row             No
    top_row                 No
    item_index              No
    item_name               No
    item_description        No
    new_item                No
    free_item               No
    set_item_opts           No
    item_opts_on            No
    item_opts_off           No
    item_opts               No
    item_userptr            No
    set_item_userptr        No
    set_item_value          No
    item_value              No
    item_visible            No
    menu_request_name       No
    menu_request_by_name    No
    set_menu_spacing        No
    menu_spacing            No
    pos_form_cursor         No
    data_ahead              No
    data_behind             No
    form_driver             No
    set_form_fields         No
    form_fields             No
    field_count             No
    move_field              No
    new_form                No
    free_form               No
    set_new_page            No
    new_page                No
    set_form_opts           No
    form_opts_on            No
    form_opts_off           No
    form_opts               No
    set_current_field       No
    current_field           No
    set_form_page           No
    form_page               No
    field_index             No
    post_form               No
    unpost_form             No
    set_form_userptr        No
    form_userptr            No
    set_form_win            No
    form_win                No
    set_form_sub            No
    form_sub                No
    scale_form              No
    set_field_fore          No
    field_fore              No
    set_field_back          No
    field_back              No
    set_field_pad           No
    field_pad               No
    set_field_buffer        No
    field_buffer            No
    set_field_status        No
    field_status            No
    set_max_field           No
    field_info              No
    dynamic_field_info      No
    set_field_just          No
    field_just              No
    new_field               No
    dup_field               No
    link_field              No
    free_field              No
    set_field_opts          No
    field_opts_on           No
    field_opts_off          No
    field_opts              No
    set_field_userptr       No
    field_userptr           No
    field_arg               No
    form_request_name       No
    form_request_by_name    No

[*] To use any functions in this column, the variable $Curses::OldCurses must be set to a non-zero value before using the "Curses" package. See "Perl 4.X cursperl Compatibility" for an example of this.

  Available Variables
    LINES                   COLS                    stdscr
    curscr                  COLORS                  COLOR_PAIRS

  Available Constants
    ERR                     OK                      ACS_BLOCK
    ACS_BOARD               ACS_BTEE                ACS_BULLET
    ACS_CKBOARD             ACS_DARROW              ACS_DEGREE
    ACS_DIAMOND             ACS_HLINE               ACS_LANTERN
    ACS_LARROW              ACS_LLCORNER            ACS_LRCORNER
    ACS_LTEE                ACS_PLMINUS             ACS_PLUS
    ACS_RARROW              ACS_RTEE                ACS_S1
    ACS_S9                  ACS_TTEE                ACS_UARROW
    ACS_ULCORNER            ACS_URCORNER            ACS_VLINE
    A_ALTCHARSET            A_ATTRIBUTES            A_BLINK
    A_BOLD                  A_CHARTEXT              A_COLOR
    A_DIM                   A_INVIS                 A_NORMAL
    A_PROTECT               A_REVERSE               A_STANDOUT
    A_UNDERLINE             COLOR_BLACK             COLOR_BLUE
    COLOR_CYAN              COLOR_GREEN             COLOR_MAGENTA
    COLOR_RED               COLOR_WHITE             COLOR_YELLOW
    KEY_A1                  KEY_A3                  KEY_B2
    KEY_BACKSPACE           KEY_BEG                 KEY_BREAK
    KEY_BTAB                KEY_C1                  KEY_C3
    KEY_CANCEL              KEY_CATAB               KEY_CLEAR
    KEY_CLOSE               KEY_COMMAND             KEY_COPY
    KEY_CREATE              KEY_CTAB                KEY_DC
    KEY_DL                  KEY_DOWN                KEY_EIC
    KEY_END                 KEY_ENTER               KEY_EOL
    KEY_EOS                 KEY_EVENT               KEY_EXIT
    KEY_F0
    KEY_FIND                KEY_HELP                KEY_HOME
    KEY_IC                  KEY_IL                  KEY_LEFT
    KEY_LL                  KEY_MARK                KEY_MAX
    KEY_MESSAGE             KEY_MIN                 KEY_MOVE
    KEY_NEXT                KEY_NPAGE               KEY_OPEN
    KEY_OPTIONS             KEY_PPAGE               KEY_PREVIOUS
    KEY_PRINT               KEY_REDO                KEY_REFERENCE
    KEY_REFRESH             KEY_REPLACE             KEY_RESET
    KEY_RESIZE              KEY_RESTART             KEY_RESUME
    KEY_RIGHT
    KEY_SAVE                KEY_SBEG                KEY_SCANCEL
    KEY_SCOMMAND            KEY_SCOPY               KEY_SCREATE
    KEY_SDC                 KEY_SDL                 KEY_SELECT
    KEY_SEND                KEY_SEOL                KEY_SEXIT
    KEY_SF                  KEY_SFIND               KEY_SHELP
    KEY_SHOME               KEY_SIC                 KEY_SLEFT
    KEY_SMESSAGE            KEY_SMOVE               KEY_SNEXT
    KEY_SOPTIONS            KEY_SPREVIOUS           KEY_SPRINT
    KEY_SR                  KEY_SREDO               KEY_SREPLACE
    KEY_SRESET              KEY_SRIGHT              KEY_SRSUME
    KEY_SSAVE               KEY_SSUSPEND            KEY_STAB
    KEY_SUNDO               KEY_SUSPEND             KEY_UNDO
    KEY_UP                  KEY_MOUSE               BUTTON1_RELEASED
    BUTTON1_PRESSED         BUTTON1_CLICKED         BUTTON1_DOUBLE_CLICKED
    BUTTON1_TRIPLE_CLICKED  BUTTON1_RESERVED_EVENT  BUTTON2_RELEASED
    BUTTON2_PRESSED         BUTTON2_CLICKED         BUTTON2_DOUBLE_CLICKED
    BUTTON2_TRIPLE_CLICKED  BUTTON2_RESERVED_EVENT  BUTTON3_RELEASED
    BUTTON3_PRESSED         BUTTON3_CLICKED         BUTTON3_DOUBLE_CLICKED
    BUTTON3_TRIPLE_CLICKED  BUTTON3_RESERVED_EVENT  BUTTON4_RELEASED
    BUTTON4_PRESSED         BUTTON4_CLICKED         BUTTON4_DOUBLE_CLICKED
    BUTTON4_TRIPLE_CLICKED  BUTTON4_RESERVED_EVENT  BUTTON_CTRL
    BUTTON_SHIFT            BUTTON_ALT              ALL_MOUSE_EVENTS
    REPORT_MOUSE_POSITION   NCURSES_MOUSE_VERSION   E_OK
    E_SYSTEM_ERROR          E_BAD_ARGUMENT          E_POSTED
    E_CONNECTED             E_BAD_STATE             E_NO_ROOM
    E_NOT_POSTED            E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND       E_NO_MATCH
    E_NOT_SELECTABLE        E_NOT_CONNECTED         E_REQUEST_DENIED
    E_INVALID_FIELD         E_CURRENT               REQ_LEFT_ITEM
    REQ_RIGHT_ITEM          REQ_UP_ITEM             REQ_DOWN_ITEM
    REQ_SCR_ULINE           REQ_SCR_DLINE           REQ_SCR_DPAGE
    REQ_SCR_UPAGE           REQ_FIRST_ITEM          REQ_LAST_ITEM
    REQ_NEXT_ITEM           REQ_PREV_ITEM           REQ_TOGGLE_ITEM
    REQ_CLEAR_PATTERN       REQ_BACK_PATTERN        REQ_NEXT_MATCH
    REQ_PREV_MATCH          MIN_MENU_COMMAND        MAX_MENU_COMMAND
    O_ONEVALUE              O_SHOWDESC              O_ROWMAJOR
    O_IGNORECASE            O_SHOWMATCH             O_NONCYCLIC
    O_SELECTABLE            REQ_NEXT_PAGE           REQ_PREV_PAGE
    REQ_FIRST_PAGE          REQ_LAST_PAGE           REQ_NEXT_FIELD
    REQ_PREV_FIELD          REQ_FIRST_FIELD         REQ_LAST_FIELD
    REQ_SNEXT_FIELD         REQ_SPREV_FIELD         REQ_SFIRST_FIELD
    REQ_SLAST_FIELD         REQ_LEFT_FIELD          REQ_RIGHT_FIELD
    REQ_UP_FIELD            REQ_DOWN_FIELD          REQ_NEXT_CHAR
    REQ_PREV_CHAR           REQ_NEXT_LINE           REQ_PREV_LINE
    REQ_NEXT_WORD           REQ_PREV_WORD           REQ_BEG_FIELD
    REQ_END_FIELD           REQ_BEG_LINE            REQ_END_LINE
    REQ_LEFT_CHAR           REQ_RIGHT_CHAR          REQ_UP_CHAR
    REQ_DOWN_CHAR           REQ_NEW_LINE            REQ_INS_CHAR
    REQ_INS_LINE            REQ_DEL_CHAR            REQ_DEL_PREV
    REQ_DEL_LINE            REQ_DEL_WORD            REQ_CLR_EOL
    REQ_CLR_EOF             REQ_CLR_FIELD           REQ_OVL_MODE
    REQ_INS_MODE            REQ_SCR_FLINE           REQ_SCR_BLINE
    REQ_SCR_FPAGE           REQ_SCR_BPAGE           REQ_SCR_FHPAGE
    REQ_SCR_BHPAGE          REQ_SCR_FCHAR           REQ_SCR_BCHAR
    REQ_SCR_HFLINE          REQ_SCR_HBLINE          REQ_SCR_HFHALF
    REQ_SCR_HBHALF          REQ_VALIDATION          REQ_NEXT_CHOICE
    REQ_PREV_CHOICE         MIN_FORM_COMMAND        MAX_FORM_COMMAND
    NO_JUSTIFICATION        JUSTIFY_LEFT            JUSTIFY_CENTER
    JUSTIFY_RIGHT           O_VISIBLE               O_ACTIVE
    O_PUBLIC                O_EDIT                  O_WRAP
    O_BLANK                 O_AUTOSKIP              O_NULLOK
    O_PASSOK                O_STATIC                O_NL_OVERLOAD
    O_BS_OVERLOAD

  curses(3) functions not available through "Curses"
    tstp _putchar fullname scanw wscanw mvscanw mvwscanw ripoffline
    setupterm setterm set_curterm del_curterm restartterm tparm tputs
    putp vidputs vidattr mvcur tigetflag tigetnum tigetstr tgetent
    tgetflag tgetnum tgetstr tgoto tputs

  menu(3) functions not available through "Curses"
    set_item_init item_init set_item_term item_term set_menu_init
    menu_init set_menu_term menu_term

  form(3) functions not available through "Curses"
    new_fieldtype free_fieldtype set_fieldtype_arg
    set_fieldtype_choice link_fieldtype set_form_init form_init
    set_form_term form_term set_field_init field_init set_field_term
    field_term set_field_type field_type