1form(3X) form(3X)
2
6 form - curses extension for programming forms
7
9 #include <form.h>
10
12 The form library provides terminal-independent facilities for composing
13 form screens on character-cell terminals. The library includes: field
14 routines, which create and modify form fields; and form routines, which
15 group fields into forms, display forms on the screen, and handle inter‐
16 action with the user.
17 The form library uses the curses libraries, and a curses initialization
19 routine such as initscr must be called before using any of these func‐
20 tions. To use the form library, link with the options -lform -lcurses.
21 Current Default Values for Field Attributes
23 The form library maintains a default value for field attributes. You
24 can get or set this default by calling the appropriate set_ or
25 retrieval routine with a NULL field pointer. Changing this default
26 with a set_ function affects future field creations, but does not
27 change the rendering of fields already created.
28 Routine Name Index
30 The following table lists each form routine and the name of the manual
31 page on which it is described.
32 curses Routine Name Manual Page Name
34 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
35 current_field form_page(3X)
36 data_ahead form_data(3X)
37 data_behind form_data(3X)
38 dup_field form_field_new(3X)
39 dynamic_fieldinfo form_field_info(3X)
40 field_arg form_field_validation(3X)
41 field_back form_field_attributes(3X)
42 field_buffer form_field_buffer(3X)
43 field_count form_field(3X)
44 field_fore form_field_attributes(3X)
45 field_index form_page(3X)
46 field_info form_field_info(3X)
47 field_init form_hook(3X)
48 field_just form_field_just(3X)
49 field_opts form_field_opts(3X)
50 field_opts_off form_field_opts(3X)
51 field_opts_on form_field_opts(3X)
52 field_pad form_field_attributes(3X)
53 field_status form_field_buffer(3X)
54 field_term form_hook(3X)
55 field_type form_field_validation(3X)
56 field_userptr form_field_userptr(3X)
57 form_driver form_driver(3X)
58 form_fields form_field(3X)
59 form_init form_hook(3X)
60 form_opts form_opts(3X)
61 form_opts_off form_opts(3X)
62 form_opts_on form_opts(3X)
63 form_page form_page(3X)
64 form_request_by_name form_requestname(3X)
65 form_request_name form_requestname(3X)
66 form_sub form_win(3X)
68 form_term form_hook(3X)
69 form_userptr form_userptr(3X)
70 form_win form_win(3X)
71 free_field form_field_new(3X)
72 free_fieldtype form_fieldtype(3X)
73 free_form form_new(3X)
74 link_field form_field_new(3X)
75 link_fieldtype form_fieldtype(3X)
76 move_field form_field(3X)
77 new_field form_field_new(3X)
78 new_fieldtype form_fieldtype(3X)
79 new_form form_new(3X)
80 new_page form_new_page(3X)
81 pos_form_cursor form_cursor(3X)
82 post_form form_post(3X)
83 scale_form form_win(3X)
84 set_current_field form_page(3X)
85 set_field_back form_field_attributes(3X)
86 set_field_buffer form_field_buffer(3X)
87 set_field_fore form_field_attributes(3X)
88 set_field_init form_hook(3X)
89 set_field_just form_field_just(3X)
90 set_field_opts form_field_opts(3X)
91 set_field_pad form_field_attributes(3X)
92 set_field_status form_field_buffer(3X)
93 set_field_term form_hook(3X)
94 set_field_type form_field_validation(3X)
95 set_field_userptr form_field_userptr(3X)
96 set_fieldtype_arg form_fieldtype(3X)
97 set_fieldtype_choice form_fieldtype(3X)
98 set_form_fields form_field(3X)
99 set_form_init form_hook(3X)
100 set_form_opts form_field_opts(3X)
101 set_form_page form_page(3X)
102 set_form_sub form_win(3X)
103 set_form_term form_hook(3X)
104 set_form_userptr form_userptr(3X)
105 set_form_win form_win(3X)
106 set_max_field form_field_buffer(3X)
107 set_new_page form_new_page(3X)
108 unpost_form form_post(3X)
109
111 Routines that return pointers return NULL on error, and set errno to
112 the corresponding error-code returned by functions returning an inte‐
113 ger. Routines that return an integer return one of the following error
114 codes:
115 E_OK The routine succeeded.
117 E_BAD_ARGUMENT
119 Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument.
120 E_BAD_STATE
122 Routine was called from an initialization or termination function.
123 E_CONNECTED
125 The field is already connected to a form.
126 E_INVALID_FIELD
128 Contents of a field are not valid.
129 E_NOT_CONNECTED
131 No fields are connected to the form.
132 E_NOT_POSTED
134 The form has not been posted.
135 E_NO_ROOM
137 Form is too large for its window.
138 E_POSTED
140 The form is already posted.
141 E_REQUEST_DENIED
143 The form driver could not process the request.
144 E_SYSTEM_ERROR
146 System error occurred (see errno).
147 E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND
149 The form driver code saw an unknown request code.
150
152 curses(3X) and related pages whose names begin "form_" for detailed
153 descriptions of the entry points.
154
156 The header file <form.h> automatically includes the header files
157 <curses.h> and <eti.h>.
158 In your library list, libform.a should be before libncurses.a; that is,
160 you want to say `-lform -lncurses', not the other way around (which
161 would give you a link error using most linkers).
162
164 These routines emulate the System V forms library. They were not sup‐
165 ported on Version 7 or BSD versions.
166
168 Juergen Pfeifer. Manual pages and adaptation for ncurses by Eric S.
169 Raymond.
170
172 This describes ncurses version 5.6 (patch 20070812).
173 form(3X)