These functions extract and use capabilities from a terminal capability database. They exist as wrappers around equivalent
terminfo(3) functions, which new code should use. These are low level routines; see
curses(3) for a higher level package.
The
tgetent() function calls
setupterm() and configures
PC,
UP and
BC. Only
PC is actually used internally. The
tgetent() function returns -1 if none of the
terminfo data base files could be opened, 0 if the terminal name given does not match an entry, and 1 if all goes well. The
bp argument is not used.
The
tgetnum() function gets the numeric value of the capability
id, returning -1 if it is not given for the terminal. The
tgetflag() function returns 1 if the specified capability is present in the terminal's entry, 0 if it is not. The
tgetstr() function returns the string value of the capability
id. This is a
terminfo(5) string and not a
termcap string; as such it should only be processed by
tgoto(). The
tgetstr() function returns
NULL if the capability was not found. The
area argument is unused.
The
tgoto() function returns a cursor addressing string decoded from
cm to go to column
destcol in line
destline.