curs_termcap(3X)

NAME
tgetent, tgetflag, tgetnum, tgetstr, tgoto, tputs - direct curses interface to the terminfo capability database

SYNOPSIS
#include <curses.h>
#include <term.h>
int tgetent(const char *bp, char *name);
int tgetflag(const char *id);
int tgetnum(const char *id);
char *tgetstr(const char *id, char **area);
char *tgoto(const char *cap, int col, int row);
int tputs(const char *str, int affcnt, int (*putc)(int));

DESCRIPTION
These routines are included as a conversion aid for programs that use the termcap library. Their parameters are the same and the routines are emulated using the terminfo database. Thus, they can only be used to query the capabilities of entries for which a terminfo entry has been compiled. The tgetent routine loads the entry for name. It returns 1 on success, 0 if there is no such entry, and -1 if the terminfo database could not be found. The emulation ignores the buffer pointer bp. The tgetflag routine gets the boolean entry for id, or zero if it is not available. The tgetnum routine gets the numeric entry for id, or -1 if it is not available. The tgetstr routine returns the string entry for id, or zero if it is not available. Use tputs to output the returned string. The return value will also be copied to the buffer pointed to by area, and the area value will be updated to point past the null ending this value. The tgoto routine instantiates the parameters into the given capability. The output from this routine is to be passed to tputs. The tputs routine is described on the curs_terminfo(3X) manual page. It can retrieve capabilities by either termcap or terminfo name.

RETURN VALUE
Except where explicitly noted, routines that return an integer return ERR upon failure and OK (SVr4 only specifies "an integer value other than ERR") upon successful completion. Routines that return pointers return NULL on error.

BUGS
If you call tgetstr to fetch ca or any other parameterized string, be aware that it will be returned in terminfo notation, not the older and not-quite-compatible termcap notation. This won't cause problems if all you do with it is call tgoto or tparm, which both expand terminfo-style. Because terminfo conventions for representing padding in string capabilities differ from termcap's, tputs("50"); will put out a literal "50" rather than busy-waiting for 50 milliseconds. Cope with it.

PORTABILITY
The XSI Curses standard, Issue 4 describes these functions. However, they are marked TO BE WITHDRAWN and may be removed in future versions. Neither the XSI Curses standard nor the SVr4 man pages documented the return values of tgetent correctly, though all three were in fact returned ever since SVr1.

SEE ALSO
curses(3X), terminfo(5), putc(3S).