# term_variables 3x

    term_variables(3x)                                   term_variables(3x)

## NAME

           SP, acs_map, boolcodes, boolfnames, boolnames, cur_term,
           numcodes, numfnames, numnames, strcodes, strfnames,
           strnames, ttytype - curses terminfo global variables

## SYNOPSIS

           #include <curses.h>
           #include <term.h>

           chtype acs_map[];

           TERMINAL * cur_term;

           char ttytype[];

           NCURSES_CONST char * const * boolcodes;
           NCURSES_CONST char * const * boolfnames;
           NCURSES_CONST char * const * boolnames;

           NCURSES_CONST char * const * numcodes;
           NCURSES_CONST char * const * numfnames;
           NCURSES_CONST char * const * numnames;

           NCURSES_CONST char * const * strcodes;
           NCURSES_CONST char * const * strfnames;
           NCURSES_CONST char * const * strnames;

## DESCRIPTION

           This  page summarizes variables provided by the curses li-
           brary's low-level terminfo interface.  A more complete de-
           scription is given in the curs_terminfo(3x) manual page.

           Depending  on the configuration, these may be actual vari-
           ables, or  macros  (see  curs_threads(3x))  which  provide
           read-only  access  to curses's state.  In either case, ap-
           plications should treat them as read-only to avoid confus-
           ing the library.

### Alternate Character Set Mapping

           After  initializing the curses or terminfo interfaces, the
           acs_map array holds information used  to  translate  cells
           with  the  A_ALTCHARSET  video attribute into line-drawing
           characters.

           The encoding of the information in this array has  changed
           periodically.   Application developers need only know that
           it is used for the "ACS_" constants in <curses.h>.

           The comparable data for the wide-character  library  is  a
           private variable.

### Current Terminal Data

           After  initializing the curses or terminfo interfaces, the
           cur_term contains data describing  the  current  terminal.
           This variable is also set as a side-effect of curs_initscr(3x)
           and curs_initscr(3x).

           It is possible to save a value of cur_term for  subsequent
           use  as  a  parameter  to  set_term, for switching between
           screens.  Alternatively, one can  save  the  return  value
           from newterm or setupterm to reuse in set_term.

### Terminfo Names

           The  tic(1m)  and infocmp(1m) programs use lookup tables for
           the long and short names of terminfo capabilities, as well
           as  the  corresponding  names  for  termcap  capabilities.
           These are available to other  applications,  although  the
           hash-tables used by the terminfo and termcap functions are
           not available.

           The long terminfo capability names  use  a  "l"  (ell)  in
           their names: boolfnames, numfnames, and strfnames.

           These are the short names for terminfo capabilities: bool-
           names, numnames, and strnames.

           These are the corresponding names  used  for  termcap  de-
           scriptions: boolcodes, numcodes, and strcodes.

### Terminal Type

           On  initialization  of  the curses or terminfo interfaces,
           setupterm copies the terminal name to the array ttytype.

### Terminfo Names

           In addition to the variables, <term.h> also defines a sym-
           bol  for each terminfo capability long name.  These are in
           terms of the symbol CUR, which is defined

           #define CUR cur_term->type.

           These symbols provide a faster method of accessing termin-
           fo capabilities than using tigetstr(3x), etc.

## NOTES

           The  low-level  terminfo  interface  is  initialized using
           curs_terminfo(3x).  The upper-level curses interface uses  the
           low-level terminfo interface, internally.

## PORTABILITY

           X/Open  Curses  does  not describe any of these except for
           cur_term.  (The inclusion of cur_term  appears  to  be  an
           oversight, since other comparable low-level information is
           omitted by X/Open).

           Other implementations may have comparable variables.  Some
           implementations  provide the variables in their libraries,
           but omit them from the header files.

           All implementations which provide terminfo interfaces  add
           definitions  as  described  in the Terminfo Names section.
           Most, but not all, base the definition upon  the  cur_term
           variable.

## SEE ALSO

           curses(3x),      curs_terminfo(3x),      curs_threads(3x),
           terminfo(5).

                                                         term_variables(3x)