1 -- $Id: README,v 1.20 2000/08/12 23:31:21 tom Exp $
2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 README file for the ncurses package
5 See the file ANNOUNCE for a summary of ncurses features and ports.
6 See the file INSTALL for instructions on how to build and install ncurses.
7 See the file NEWS for a release history and bug-fix notes.
8 See the file TO-DO for things that still need doing, including known bugs.
10 Browse the file misc/ncurses-intro.html for narrative descriptions of how
11 to use ncurses and the panel, menu, and form libraries.
13 Browse the file doc/html/hackguide.html for a tour of the package internals.
15 ROADMAP AND PACKAGE OVERVIEW:
17 You should be reading this file in a directory called: ncurses-d.d, where d.d
18 is the current version number (see the dist.mk file in this directory for
19 that). There should be a number of subdirectories, including `c++', `form',
20 `man', `menu', `misc', `ncurses', `panel', `progs', `test', 'tack' and `Ada95'.
21 (The 'tack' program may be distributed separately).
23 A full build/install of this package typically installs several libraries, a
24 handful of utilities, and a database hierarchy. Here is an inventory of the
30 libncurses.so (shared)
31 libncurses_g.a (debug and trace code enabled)
32 libncurses_p.a (profiling enabled)
36 libpanel_g.a (debug and trace code enabled)
40 libmenu_g.a (debug enabled)
44 libform_g.a (debug enabled)
46 The ncurses libraries implement the curses API. The panel, menu and forms
47 libraries implement clones of the SVr4 panel, menu and forms APIs. The source
48 code for these lives in the `ncurses', `panel', `menu', and `form' directories
51 In the `c++' directory, you'll find code that defines an interface to the
52 curses, forms, menus and panels library packaged as C++ classes, and a demo program in C++
53 to test it. These class definition modules are not installed by the 'make
54 install.libs' rule as libncurses++.
56 In the `Ada95' directory, you'll find code and documentation for an
57 Ada95 binding of the curses API, to be used with the GNAT compiler.
58 This binding is built by a normal top-level `make' if configure detects
59 an usable version of GNAT (3.10 or above). It is not installed automatically.
60 See the Ada95 directory for more build and installation instructions and
61 for documentation of the binding.
63 To do its job, the ncurses code needs your terminal type to be set in the
64 environment variable TERM (normally set by your OS; under UNIX, getty(1)
65 typically does this, but you can override it in your .profile); and, it needs a
66 database of terminal descriptions in which to look up your terminal type's
69 In older (V7/BSD) versions of curses, the database was a flat text file,
70 /etc/termcap; in newer (USG/USL) versions, the database is a hierarchy of
71 fast-loading binary description blocks under /usr/lib/terminfo. These binary
72 blocks are compiled from an improved editable text representation called
73 `terminfo' format (documented in man/terminfo.5). The ncurses library can use
74 either /etc/termcap or the compiled binary terminfo blocks, but prefers the
77 In the `misc' directory, there is a text file terminfo.src, in editable
78 terminfo format, which can be used to generate the terminfo binaries (that's
79 what make install.data does). If the package was built with the
80 --enable-termcap option enabled, and the ncurses library cannot find a terminfo
81 description for your terminal, it will fall back to the termcap file supplied
82 with your system (which the ncurses package installation leaves strictly
85 The utilities are as follows:
87 tic -- terminfo source to binary compiler
88 infocmp -- terminfo binary to source decompiler/comparator
89 clear -- emits clear-screen for current terminal
90 tput -- shell-script access to terminal capabilities.
91 toe -- table of entries utility
92 tset -- terminal-initialization utility
94 The first two (tic and infocmp) are used for manipulating terminfo
95 descriptions; the next two (clear and tput) are for use in shell scripts. The
96 last (tset) is provided for 4.4BSD compatibility. The source code for all of
97 these lives in the `progs' directory.
99 Detailed documentation for all libraries and utilities can be found in the
100 `man' and `doc' directories. An HTML introduction to ncurses, panels, and
101 menus programming lives in the `doc/html' directory. Manpages in HTML format
102 are under `doc/html/man'.
104 The `test' directory contains programs that can be used to verify or
105 demonstrate the functions of the ncurses libraries. See test/README for
106 descriptions of these programs. Notably, the `ncurses' utility is designed to
107 help you systematically exercise the library functions.
112 wrote the original ncurses
115 port of original to Linux and many enhancements.
117 Thomas Dickey (maintainer for 1.9.9g through 4.1, resuming with FSF's 5.0):
118 configuration scripts, porting, mods to adhere to XSI Curses in the
119 areas of background color, terminal modes. Also memory leak testing,
120 the wresize, default colors and key definition extensions and numerous
121 bug fixes (more than half of those enumerated in NEWS beginning with
122 the internal release 1.8.9).
124 Florian La Roche (official maintainer for FSF's ncurses 4.2)
125 Beginning with release 4.2, ncurses is distributed under an MIT-style
129 the man pages, infocmp(1), tput(1), clear(1), captoinfo(1), tset(1),
130 toe(1), most of tic(1), trace levels, the HTML intro, wgetnstr() and
131 many other entry points, the cursor-movement optimization, the
132 scroll-pack optimizer for vertical motions, the mouse interface and
133 xterm mouse support, and the ncurses test program.
136 The menu and form libraries, C++ bindings for ncurses, menus, forms and
137 panels, as well as the Ada95 binding. Ongoing support for panel.
141 Alexander V. Lukyanov
142 for numerous fixes and improvements to the optimization logic.
145 for first-class bug-chasing and methodical testing.
148 for the code that hacks termcap parameterized strings into terminfo.
150 Warren Tucker and Gerhard Fuernkranz,
151 for writing and sending the panel library.
154 for many patches and testing the optimization code.
156 Eric Newton, Ulrich Drepper, and Anatoly Ivasyuk:
160 for lessons in using sed.
162 Keith Bostic (maintainer of 4.4BSD curses)
163 for help, criticism, comments, bug-finding, and being willing to
164 deep-six BSD curses for this one when it grew up.
167 for his commitment to making ncurses free software.
169 Countless other people have contributed by reporting bugs, sending fixes,
170 suggesting improvements, and generally whining about ncurses :-)
173 See the INSTALL file for bug and developer-list addresses.
174 The Hacker's Guide in the doc directory includes some guidelines
175 on how to report bugs in ways that will get them fixed most quickly.