# curs_initscr 3x

## 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-terminal  applications,
           newterm may be called before initscr.

           The initscr code determines the terminal type and initial-
           izes 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 ter-
           minal cannot support a screen-oriented program, would also
           use  newterm.   The  routine newterm should be called once
           for each terminal.  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 terminal,
           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 terminal 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  cur-
           rent  terminal.   The previous terminal is returned by the
           routine.  This  is  the  only  routine  which  manipulates
           SCREEN  pointers;  all other routines affect only the cur-
           rent terminal.

           The delscreen routine frees storage  associated  with  the
           SCREEN  data  structure.   The  endwin routine does not do
           this, so delscreen should be called after endwin if a par-
           ticular SCREEN is no longer needed.

## RETURN VALUE

           endwin  returns  the  integer ERR upon failure and OK upon
           successful completion.

           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)