NAME

forms - curses extension for programming forms

SYNOPSIS

#include <form.h>

DESCRIPTION

The forms library provides terminal-independent facilities for composing form screens on character-cell terminals. The library includes: field routines, which create and modify form fields; and form routines, which group fields into forms, display forms on the screen, and handle interaction with the user.

The forms 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 Bforms library, link with the options -lform -lcurses.

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

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

curses Routine Name
Manual Page Name _________________________________________________________
current_field
form_page(3X)
data_ahead
form_data(3X)
data_behind
form_data(3X)
dup_field
form_field_new(3X)
dynamic_fieldinfo
form_field_info(3X)
field_arg
form_field_validation(3X)
field_back
form_field_attributes(3X)
field_buffer
form_field_buffer(3X)
field_count
form_field(3X)
field_fore
form_field_attributes(3X)
field_index
form_page(3X)
field_info
form_field_info(3X)
field_init
form_hook(3X)
field_just
form_field_just(3X)
field_opts
form_field_opts(3X)
field_opts_off
form_field_opts(3X)
field_opts_on
form_field_opts(3X)
field_pad
form_field_attributes(3X)
field_status
form_field_buffer(3X)

field_term
form_hook(3X)
field_type
form_field_validation(3X)
field_userptr
form_field_userptr(3X)
form_driver
form_driver(3X)
form_fields
form_field(3X)
form_init
form_hook(3X)
form_opts
form_opts(3X)
form_opts_off
form_opts(3X)
form_opts_on
form_opts(3X)
form_page
form_page(3X)
form_sub
form_win(3X)
form_term
form_hook(3X)
form_userptr
form_userptr(3X)
form_win
form_win(3X)
free_field
form_field_new(3X)
free_form
form_new(3X)
link_field
form_field_new(3X)
link_fieldtype
form_fieldtype(3X)
move_field
form_field(3X)
new_field
form_field_new(3X)
new_form
form_new(3X)
new_page
form_new_page(3X)
pos_form_cursor
form_cursor(3X)
post_form
form_post(3X)
scale_form
form_win(3X)
set_current_field
form_page(3X)
set_field_back
form_field_attributes(3X)
set_field_buffer
form_field_buffer(3X)
set_field_fore
form_field_attributes(3X)
set_field_init
form_hook(3X)
set_field_just
form_field_just(3X)
set_field_opts
form_field_opts(3X)
set_field_pad
form_field_attributes(3X)
set_field_status
form_field_buffer(3X)
set_field_term
form_hook(3X)
set_field_type
form_field_validation(3X)
set_field_userptr
form_field_userptr(3X)
set_fieldtype_arg
form_fieldtype(3X)
set_fieldtype_choice
form_fieldtype(3X)
set_form_fields
form_field(3X)
set_form_init
form_hook(3X)
set_form_opts
form_field_opts(3X)
set_form_page
form_page(3X)
set_form_sub
form_win(3X)
set_form_term
form_hook(3X)
set_form_userptr
form_userptr(3X)
set_form_win
form_win(3X)
set_max_field
form_field_buffer(3X)
set_new_page
form_new_page(3X)
unpost_form
form_post(3X)

RETURN VALUE

Routines that return pointers return NULL on error. Routines that return an integer return one of the following error codes:

E_OK The routine succeeded.

E_CONNECTED
The field is already connected to a form.

E_SYSTEM_ERROR
System error occurred (see errno).

E_BAD_ARGUMENT
Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument.

E_POSTED
The form is already posted.

E_BAD_STATE
Routine was called from an initialization or termination function.

E_NO_ROOM
Form is too large for its window.

E_NOT_POSTED
The form has not been posted.

E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND
The form driver code saw an unknown request code.

E_INVALID_FIELD
Contents of a field are not valid.

E_NOT_CONNECTED
No fields are connected to the form.

E_REQUEST_DENIED
The form driver could not process the request.

SEE ALSO

curses(3X) and 3X pages whose names begin "form_" for detailed descriptions of the entry points.

NOTES

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

PORTABILITY

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

AUTHORS

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


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