# 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.

## 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

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

           This describes ncurses version 6.0 (patch 20150808).

                                                                   menu(3x)