menu(3x) - f37

1menu(3X)                                                              menu(3X)
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NAME

6       menu - curses extension for programming menus
7

SYNOPSIS

9       #include <menu.h>
10

DESCRIPTION

12       The menu library provides terminal-independent facilities for composing
13       menu systems on character-cell terminals.  The library  includes:  item
14       routines,  which create and modify menu items; and menu routines, which
15       group items into menus, display menus on the screen, and handle  inter‐
16       action with the user.
17
18       The menu 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 menu library, link with the options -lmenu -lcurses.
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22   Current Default Values for Item Attributes
23       The  menu  library  maintains a default value for item attributes.  You
24       can get or set this default by calling the  appropriate  get_  or  set_
25       routine  with  a  NULL item pointer.  Changing this default with a set_
26       function affects future item creations, but does not change the render‐
27       ing of items already created.
28
29   Routine Name Index
30       The  following table lists each menu routine and the name of the manual
31       page on which it is described.
32
33       curses Routine Name    Manual Page Name
34       ────────────────────────────────────────────
35       current_item           mitem_current(3X)
36       free_item              mitem_new(3X)
37       free_menu              menu_new(3X)
38       item_count             menu_items(3X)
39       item_description       mitem_name(3X)
40       item_index             mitem_current(3X)
41       item_init              menu_hook(3X)
42       item_name              mitem_name(3X)
43       item_opts              mitem_opts(3X)
44       item_opts_off          mitem_opts(3X)
45       item_opts_on           mitem_opts(3X)
46       item_term              menu_hook(3X)
47       item_userptr           mitem_userptr(3X)
48       item_value             mitem_value(3X)
49       item_visible           mitem_visible(3X)
50       menu_back              menu_attributes(3X)
51       menu_driver            menu_driver(3X)
52       menu_fore              menu_attributes(3X)
53       menu_format            menu_format(3X)
54       menu_grey              menu_attributes(3X)
55       menu_init              menu_hook(3X)
56       menu_items             menu_items(3X)
57       menu_mark              menu_mark(3X)
58       menu_opts              menu_opts(3X)
59       menu_opts_off          menu_opts(3X)
60       menu_opts_on           menu_opts(3X)
61       menu_pad               menu_attributes(3X)
62       menu_pattern           menu_pattern(3X)
63       menu_request_by_name   menu_requestname(3X)
64       menu_request_name      menu_requestname(3X)
65       menu_spacing           menu_spacing(3X)
66
67       menu_sub               menu_win(3X)
68       menu_term              menu_hook(3X)
69       menu_userptr           menu_userptr(3X)
70       menu_win               menu_win(3X)
71       new_item               mitem_new(3X)
72       new_menu               menu_new(3X)
73       pos_menu_cursor        menu_cursor(3X)
74       post_menu              menu_post(3X)
75       scale_menu             menu_win(3X)
76       set_current_item       mitem_current(3X)
77       set_item_init          menu_hook(3X)
78       set_item_opts          mitem_opts(3X)
79       set_item_term          menu_hook(3X)
80       set_item_userptr       mitem_userptr(3X)
81       set_item_value         mitem_value(3X)
82       set_menu_back          menu_attributes(3X)
83       set_menu_fore          menu_attributes(3X)
84       set_menu_format        menu_format(3X)
85       set_menu_grey          menu_attributes(3X)
86       set_menu_init          menu_hook(3X)
87       set_menu_items         menu_items(3X)
88       set_menu_mark          menu_mark(3X)
89       set_menu_opts          mitem_opts(3X)
90       set_menu_pad           menu_attributes(3X)
91       set_menu_pattern       menu_pattern(3X)
92       set_menu_spacing       menu_spacing(3X)
93       set_menu_sub           menu_win(3X)
94       set_menu_term          menu_hook(3X)
95       set_menu_userptr       menu_userptr(3X)
96       set_menu_win           menu_win(3X)
97       set_top_row            mitem_current(3X)
98       top_row                mitem_current(3X)
99       unpost_menu            menu_post(3X)
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RETURN VALUE

102       Routines that return pointers return NULL on error.  Routines that  re‐
103       turn an integer return one of the following error codes:
104
105       E_OK The routine succeeded.
106
107       E_BAD_ARGUMENT
108            Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument.
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110       E_BAD_STATE
111            Routine was called from an initialization or termination function.
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113       E_NO_MATCH
114            Character failed to match.
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116       E_NO_ROOM
117            Menu is too large for its window.
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119       E_NOT_CONNECTED
120            No items are connected to the menu.
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122       E_NOT_POSTED
123            The menu has not been posted.
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125       E_NOT_SELECTABLE
126            The designated item cannot be selected.
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128       E_POSTED
129            The menu is already posted.
130
131       E_REQUEST_DENIED
132            The menu driver could not process the request.
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134       E_SYSTEM_ERROR
135            System error occurred (see errno(3)).
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137       E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND
138            The menu driver code saw an unknown request code.
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NOTES

141       The  header  file  <menu.h>  automatically  includes  the  header files
142       <curses.h> and <eti.h>.
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144       In your library list, libmenu.a should be before libncurses.a; that is,
145       you  should  say  “-lmenu  -lncurses”,  not the other way around (which
146       would give a link-error when using static libraries).
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PORTABILITY

149       These routines emulate the System V menu library.  They were  not  sup‐
150       ported on Version 7 or BSD versions.
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152       The  menu facility was documented in SVr4.2 in Character User Interface
153       Programming (UNIX SVR4.2).
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155       It is not part of X/Open Curses.
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157       Aside from ncurses, there are few implementations:
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159       •   systems based on SVr4 source code, e.g., Solaris.
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161       •   NetBSD curses.
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AUTHORS

164       Juergen Pfeifer.  Manual pages and adaptation for ncurses  by  Eric  S.
165       Raymond.
166