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MENUS(3) Library Functions Manual MENUS(3)
NAME
menus - menu library
LIBRARY
Curses Menu Library (libmenu, -lmenu)
SYNOPSIS
#include <menu.h>
DESCRIPTION
The menus library provides a terminal independent menu system using the
curses(3) library. Before using the menus functions the terminal must be
set up by curses(3) using the initscr() function or similar. Programs
using menus functions must be linked with the curses(3) library.
The menus library provides facilities for defining menu items, placing a
menu on the terminal screen, assign pre- and post-change operations and
setting the attributes of both the menu and its items.
Defining default attributes for menus and items
The menus library allows any settable attribute or option of both the
menu and item objects to be defined such that any new menu or item
automatically inherits the value as default. Setting the default value
will not affect any item or menu that has already been created but will
be applied to subsequent objects. To set the default attribute or option
the set routine is passed a NULL pointer in the item or menu parameter
when calling the set routine. The current default value can be retrieved
by calling the get routine with a NULL pointer for the item or menu
parameter.
function name manual page name
current_item menu_item_current(3)
free_item menu_item_new(3)
free_menu menu_new(3)
item_count menu_items(3)
item_description menu_item_name(3)
item_index menu_item_current(3)
item_init menu_hook(3)
item_name menu_item_name(3)
item_opts menu_item_opts(3)
item_opts_off menu_item_opts(3)
item_opts_on menu_item_opts(3)
item_selected menu_item_value(3)
item_term menu_hook(3)
item_userptr menu_item_userptr(3)
item_value menu_item_value(3)
item_visible menu_item_visible(3)
menu_back menu_attributes(3)
menu_driver menu_driver(3)
menu_fore menu_attributes(3)
menu_format menu_format(3)
menu_grey menu_attributes(3)
menu_init menu_hook(3)
menu_items menu_items(3)
menu_mark menu_mark(3)
menu_opts menu_opts(3)
menu_opts_off menu_opts(3)
menu_opts_on menu_opts(3)
menu_pad menu_attributes(3)
menu_pattern menu_pattern(3)
menu_sub menu_win(3)
menu_term menu_hook(3)
menu_unmark menu_mark(3)
menu_userptr menu_userptr(3)
men_win menu_win(3)
new_item menu_item_new(3)
new_menu menu_new(3)
pos_menu_cursor menu_cursor(3)
post_menu menu_post(3)
scale_menu menu_win(3)
set_current_item menu_item_current(3)
set_item_init menu_hook(3)
set_item_opts menu_item_opts(3)
set_item_term menu_hook(3)
set_item_userptr menu_item_userptr(3)
set_item_value menu_item_value(3)
set_menu_back menu_attributes(3)
set_menu_fore menu_attributes(3)
set_menu_format menu_format(3)
set_menu_grey menu_attributes(3)
set_menu_init menu_hook(3)
set_menu_items menu_items(3)
set_menu_mark menu_mark(3)
set_menu_opts menu_opts(3)
set_menu_pad menu_attributes(3)
set_menu_pattern menu_pattern(3)
set_menu_sub menu_win(3)
set_menu_term menu_hook(3)
set_menu_unmark menu_mark(3)
set_menu_userptr menu_userptr(3)
set_menu_win menu_win(3)
set_top_row menu_item_current(3)
top_row menu_item_current(3)
unpost_menu menu_post(3)
RETURN VALUES
Any function returning a string pointer will return NULL if an error
occurs. Functions returning an integer will return one of the following:
E_OK The function was successful.
E_SYSTEM_ERROR There was a system error during the call.
E_BAD_ARGUMENT One or more of the arguments passed to the function
was incorrect.
E_POSTED The menu is already posted.
E_CONNECTED An item was already connected to a menu.
E_BAD_STATE The function was called from within an initialization
or termination routine.
E_NO_ROOM The menu does not fit within the subwindow.
E_NOT_POSTED The menu is not posted.
E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND The menu driver does not recognize the request passed
to it.
E_NO_MATCH The character search failed to find a match.
E_NOT_SELECTABLE The item could not be selected.
E_NOT_CONNECTED The item is not connected to a menu.
E_REQUEST_DENIED The menu driver could not process the request.
SEE ALSO
curses(3), menu_attributes(3), menu_cursor(3), menu_driver(3),
menu_format(3), menu_hook(3), menu_item_current(3), menu_item_name(3),
menu_item_new(3), menu_item_opts(3), menu_item_userptr(3),
menu_item_value(3), menu_item_visible(3), menu_items(3), menu_mark(3),
menu_new(3), menu_opts(3), menu_pattern(3), menu_post(3),
menu_userptr(3), menu_win(3)
NOTES
This implementation of the menus library does depart in behaviour subtly
from the original AT & T implementation. Some of the more notable
departures are:
unmark The original implementation did not have a marker for an
unmarked field the mark was only displayed next to a field
when it had been marked using the REQ_TOGGLE_ITEM. In this
implementation a separate marker can be used to indicate an
unmarked item. This can be set using set_menu_unmark
function. There is no requirement for the mark and unmark
strings to be the same length. Room will be left for the
longest of the two. The unmark string is optional, if it
is not set then menus defaults to the old behaviour.
item marking In the original implementation the current item was
considered selected and hence had the mark string displayed
next to it. This implementation does not do this because
the Author considers the effect too confusing. Especially
in the case of a multiple selection menu because there was
no way to tell if the current item is selected or not
without shifting off of it. Since the current item is
displayed using the foreground attribute it was deemed
unnecessary to also display the mark string against the
current item.
The option O_RADIO and the function item_selected() are NetBSD extensions
and must not be used in portable code.
NetBSD 10.99 September 10, 1999 NetBSD 10.99