HP-UX Reference (11i v1 00/12) - 3 Library Functions A-M (vol 6)

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/build/1111/BRICK/man3/!!!intro.3c

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curses_intro(3X) curses_intro(3X)

(X/Open CURSES)

The complete set of key codes for keypad keys that Curses can process is speciﬁed by the constants deﬁned

in <curses.h> whose names begin with ‘‘KEY_’’. Each terminal type described in the terminfo data-

base may support some or all of these key codes. The terminfo database speciﬁes the sequence of input

characters from the terminal type that correspond to each key code (see Keypad in terminfo(4)).

The Curses implementation cannot translate keypad keys on terminals where pressing the keys does not

transmit a unique sequence.

When translation is enabled and a character that could be the beginning of a function key (such as escape)

is received, Curses notes the time and begins accumulating characters. If Curses receives additional char-

acters that represent the pressing of a keypad key, within an unspeciﬁed interval from the time the ﬁrst

character was received, then Curses converts this input to a key code for presentation to the application. If

such characters are not received during this interval, translationof this input does not occur and the indivi-

dual characters are presented to the application separately. (Because Curses waits for this interval to accu-

mulate a key code, many terminals experience a delay between the time a user presses the escape key and

the time the escape is returned to the application.)

In addition, No Timeout Mode provides that in any case where Curses has received part of a function key

sequence, it waits indeﬁnitely for the complete key sequence. The ‘‘unspeciﬁed interval’’ in the previous

paragraph becomes inﬁnite in No Timeout Mode. No Timeout Mode allows the use of function keys over

slow communication lines. No Timeout Mode lets the user type the individual characters of a function key

sequence, but also delays application response when the user types a character (not a function key) that

begins a function key sequence. For this reason, in No Timeout Mode many terminals will appear to hang

between the time a user presses the escape key and the time another key is pressed. No Timeout Mode is

switchable by calling notimeout() .

If any special characters (see Special Characters in curses_intro) are deﬁned or redeﬁned to be characters

that are members of a function key sequence, then Curses will be unable to recognise and translate those

function keys.

Several of the modes discussed below are described in terms of availability of input. If keypad translation

is enabled, then input is not available once Curses has begun receiving a keypad sequence until the

sequence is completely received or the interval has elapsed.

Input Mode

The X/Open System Interface Deﬁnitions, Issue 4, Version 2 speciﬁcation (Special Characters) deﬁnes ﬂow-

control characters, the interrupt character, the erase character, and the kill character. Four mutually-

exclusive Curses modes let the application control the effect of these input characters:

Section 3−−122 − 10 − HP-UX Release 11i: December 2000

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