# menu 3x

    menu(3x)                                                       menu(3x)

## NAME

           menu - curses extension for programming menus

## SYNOPSIS

           #include <menu.h>

## DESCRIPTION

           The  menu library provides terminal-independent facilities
           for composing menu systems  on  character-cell  terminals.
           The library includes: item routines, which create and mod-
           ify menu items; and menu routines, which group items  into
           menus, display menus on the screen, and handle interaction
           with the user.

           The menu 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  menu
           library, link with the options -lmenu -lcurses.

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

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

           curses Routine Name    Manual Page Name
           --------------------------------------------
           current_item           mitem_current(3x)
           free_item              mitem_new(3x)
           free_menu              menu_new(3x)
           item_count             menu_items(3x)
           item_description       mitem_name(3x)
           item_index             mitem_current(3x)
           item_init              menu_hook(3x)
           item_name              mitem_name(3x)
           item_opts              mitem_opts(3x)
           item_opts_off          mitem_opts(3x)
           item_opts_on           mitem_opts(3x)
           item_term              menu_hook(3x)
           item_userptr           mitem_userptr(3x)
           item_value             mitem_value(3x)
           item_visible           mitem_visible(3x)
           menu_back              menu_attributes(3x)
           menu_driver            menu_driver(3x)
           menu_fore              menu_attributes(3x)
           menu_format            menu_format(3x)
           menu_grey              menu_attributes(3x)
           menu_init              menu_hook(3x)
           menu_items             menu_items(3x)
           menu_mark              menu_mark(3x)
           menu_opts              menu_opts(3x)
           menu_opts_off          menu_opts(3x)
           menu_opts_on           menu_opts(3x)
           menu_pad               menu_attributes(3x)
           menu_pattern           menu_pattern(3x)

           menu_request_by_name   menu_requestname(3x)
           menu_request_name      menu_requestname(3x)
           menu_spacing           menu_spacing(3x)
           menu_sub               menu_win(3x)
           menu_term              menu_hook(3x)
           menu_userptr           menu_userptr(3x)
           menu_win               menu_win(3x)
           new_item               mitem_new(3x)
           new_menu               menu_new(3x)
           pos_menu_cursor        menu_cursor(3x)
           post_menu              menu_post(3x)
           scale_menu             menu_win(3x)
           set_current_item       mitem_current(3x)
           set_item_init          menu_hook(3x)
           set_item_opts          mitem_opts(3x)
           set_item_term          menu_hook(3x)
           set_item_userptr       mitem_userptr(3x)
           set_item_value         mitem_value(3x)
           set_menu_back          menu_attributes(3x)
           set_menu_fore          menu_attributes(3x)
           set_menu_format        menu_format(3x)
           set_menu_grey          menu_attributes(3x)
           set_menu_init          menu_hook(3x)
           set_menu_items         menu_items(3x)
           set_menu_mark          menu_mark(3x)
           set_menu_opts          mitem_opts(3x)
           set_menu_pad           menu_attributes(3x)
           set_menu_pattern       menu_pattern(3x)
           set_menu_spacing       menu_spacing(3x)
           set_menu_sub           menu_win(3x)
           set_menu_term          menu_hook(3x)
           set_menu_userptr       menu_userptr(3x)
           set_menu_win           menu_win(3x)
           set_top_row            mitem_current(3x)
           top_row                mitem_current(3x)
           unpost_menu            menu_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_BAD_ARGUMENT
                Routine  detected  an incorrect or out-of-range argu-
                ment.

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

           E_NO_MATCH
                Character failed to match.

           E_NO_ROOM
                Menu is too large for its window.

           E_NOT_CONNECTED
                No items are connected to the menu.

           E_NOT_POSTED
                The menu has not been posted.

           E_NOT_SELECTABLE
                The designated item cannot be selected.

           E_POSTED
                The menu is already posted.

           E_REQUEST_DENIED
                The menu driver could not process the request.

           E_SYSTEM_ERROR
                System error occurred (see errno).

           E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND
                The menu driver code saw an unknown request code.

## SEE ALSO

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

## NOTES

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

           In  your  library  list,  libmenu.a should be before libn-
           curses.a; that is, you want to say `-lmenu -lncurses', not
           the  other  way  around  (which would usually give a link-
           error).

## PORTABILITY

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

## AUTHORS

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

## SEE ALSO

           This describes ncurses version 5.5 (patch 20061209).

                                                                   menu(3x)