termcap(3)                                             termcap(3)


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  pro-
       grams  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 capa-
       bilities 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 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  terminfo(3)  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 speci-
       fies "an integer value other than  ERR")  upon  successful
       completion.

       Routines that return pointers return NULL on error.




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termcap(3)                                             termcap(3)


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 func-
       tions.  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(3), terminfo(5), putc(3).


































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