# form 3x

## NAME

           form - curses extension for programming forms

## SYNOPSIS

           #include <form.h>

## DESCRIPTION

           The  form library provides terminal-independent facilities
           for composing form screens  on  character-cell  terminals.
           The  library  includes:  field  routines, which create and
           modify form fields; and form routines, which group  fields
           into forms, display forms on the screen, and handle inter-
           action with the user.

           The form library uses the curses libraries, and  a  curses
           initialization  routine  such  as  initscr  must be called
           before using any of these  functions.   To  use  the  form
           library, link with the options -lform -lcurses.

       Current Default Values for Field Attributes
           The  form  library  maintains  a  default  value for field
           attributes.  You can get or set this  default  by  calling
           the  appropriate  set_  or  retrieval  routine with a NULL
           field pointer.  Changing this default with a set_ function
           affects  future  field  creations, but does not change the
           rendering of fields already created.

       Routine Name Index
           The following table lists each form routine and  the  name
           of the manual page on which it is described.

           curses Routine Name    Manual Page Name
           -------------------------------------------------
           current_field          form_page(3x)
           data_ahead             form_data(3x)
           data_behind            form_data(3x)
           dup_field              form_field_new(3x)
           dynamic_fieldinfo      form_field_info(3x)
           field_arg              form_field_validation(3x)
           field_back             form_field_attributes(3x)
           field_buffer           form_field_buffer(3x)
           field_count            form_field(3x)
           field_fore             form_field_attributes(3x)
           field_index            form_page(3x)
           field_info             form_field_info(3x)
           field_init             form_hook(3x)
           field_just             form_field_just(3x)
           field_opts             form_field_opts(3x)
           field_opts_off         form_field_opts(3x)
           field_opts_on          form_field_opts(3x)
           field_pad              form_field_attributes(3x)

           field_status           form_field_buffer(3x)
           field_term             form_hook(3x)
           field_type             form_field_validation(3x)
           field_userptr          form_field_userptr(3x)
           form_driver            form_driver(3x)
           form_fields            form_field(3x)
           form_init              form_hook(3x)
           form_opts              form_opts(3x)
           form_opts_off          form_opts(3x)
           form_opts_on           form_opts(3x)
           form_page              form_page(3x)
           form_request_by_name   form_requestname(3x)
           form_request_name      form_requestname(3x)
           form_sub               form_win(3x)
           form_term              form_hook(3x)
           form_userptr           form_userptr(3x)
           form_win               form_win(3x)
           free_field             form_field_new(3x)
           free_form              form_new(3x)
           link_field             form_field_new(3x)
           link_fieldtype         form_fieldtype(3x)
           move_field             form_field(3x)
           new_field              form_field_new(3x)
           new_form               form_new(3x)
           new_page               form_new_page(3x)
           pos_form_cursor        form_cursor(3x)
           post_form              form_post(3x)
           scale_form             form_win(3x)
           set_current_field      form_page(3x)
           set_field_back         form_field_attributes(3x)
           set_field_buffer       form_field_buffer(3x)
           set_field_fore         form_field_attributes(3x)
           set_field_init         form_hook(3x)
           set_field_just         form_field_just(3x)
           set_field_opts         form_field_opts(3x)
           set_field_pad          form_field_attributes(3x)
           set_field_status       form_field_buffer(3x)
           set_field_term         form_hook(3x)
           set_field_type         form_field_validation(3x)
           set_field_userptr      form_field_userptr(3x)
           set_fieldtype_arg      form_fieldtype(3x)
           set_fieldtype_choice   form_fieldtype(3x)
           set_form_fields        form_field(3x)
           set_form_init          form_hook(3x)
           set_form_opts          form_field_opts(3x)
           set_form_page          form_page(3x)
           set_form_sub           form_win(3x)
           set_form_term          form_hook(3x)
           set_form_userptr       form_userptr(3x)
           set_form_win           form_win(3x)
           set_max_field          form_field_buffer(3x)
           set_new_page           form_new_page(3x)
           unpost_form            form_post(3x)

## RETURN VALUE

           Routines  that return pointers return NULL on error.  Rou-
           tines that return an integer return one of  the  following
           error codes:

           E_OK The routine succeeded.

           E_CONNECTED
                The field is already connected to a form.

           E_SYSTEM_ERROR
                System error occurred (see errno).

           E_BAD_ARGUMENT
                Routine  detected  an incorrect or out-of-range argu-
                ment.

           E_POSTED
                The form is already posted.

           E_BAD_STATE
                Routine was called from an initialization or termina-
                tion function.

           E_NO_ROOM
                Form is too large for its window.

           E_NOT_POSTED
                The form has not been posted.

           E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND
                The form driver code saw an unknown request code.

           E_INVALID_FIELD
                Contents of a field are not valid.

           E_NOT_CONNECTED
                No fields are connected to the form.

           E_REQUEST_DENIED
                The form driver could not process the request.

## SEE ALSO

           curses(3x)  and  3x  pages  whose  names begin "form_" for
           detailed descriptions of the entry points.

## NOTES

           The header file <form.h> automatically includes the header
           files <curses.h> and <eti.h>.

           In  your  library  list,  libform.a should be before libn-
           curses.a; that is, you want to say `-lform -lncurses', not
           the  other  way  around (which would give you a link error
           using GNU ld(1) and many other linkers).

## PORTABILITY

           These routines emulate the System V forms  library.   They
           were not supported on Version 7 or BSD versions.

## AUTHORS

           Juergen  Pfeifer.  Manual pages and adaptation for ncurses
           by Eric S. Raymond.