tput(1) — Commands
NAME
tput − Queries the terminal information database
SYNOPSIS
tput [-S] [-T term] [capability_name [parameter...]]
The tput command uses the terminfo database to make terminal-dependent information available to the shell.
STANDARDS
Interfaces documented on this reference page conform to industry standards as follows:
tput: XPG4, XPG4−UNIX
Refer to the standards(5) reference page for more information about industry standards and associated tags.
FLAGS
-S[Digital] Specifies that input be received from standard input.
-T termSpecifies the terminal type. By default, the terminal type is taken from the environment variable TERM.
PARAMETERS
capability_nameThe capability_name argument may be one of the following special strings:
clearDisplays the clear-screen sequence.
initDisplays the sequences that initialize the user’s terminal.
longname[Digital] Displays the terminfo long name for the terminal.
resetDisplays the sequences that reset the user’s terminal.
DESCRIPTION
The capability_name argument indicates the attribute type from a terminfo file. The output of the tput command is a string if the attribute capability_name is of the type string, or an integer if the attribute is of the type integer. If the capability_name is of the type Boolean, the tput command sets the exit value to zero (0) for TRUE, 1 for FALSE, and produces no other output. For more information, see the terminfo(4) reference page.
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
The following environment variables affect the execution of tput:
LANGProvides a default value for the internationalization variables that are unset or null. If LANG is unset or null, the corresponding value from the default locale is used. If any of the internationalization variables contain an invalid setting, the utility behaves as if none of the variables had been defined.
LC_ALLIf set to a non-empty string value, overrides the values of all the other internationalization variables.
LC_CTYPEDetermines the locale for the interpretation of sequences of bytes of text data as characters (for example, single-byte as opposed to multibyte characters in arguments).
LC_MESSAGESDetermines the locale for the format and contents of diagnostic messages written to standard error.
NLSPATHDetermines the location of message catalogues for the processing of LC_MESSAGES.
NOTES
If your terminal does not support the requested capability, it is not an error.
EXAMPLES
1.To echo the clear-screen sequence for the current terminal:
# tput clear
2.To display the number of columns for the current terminal:
# tput cols
3.To set and unset the highlight-mode sequences for the current terminal:
# bold=‘tput smso‘
# unbold=‘tput rmso‘
If you are using the C Shell (csh), the argument to set and unset sequences must be enclosed in double quotes:
# bold="‘tput smso‘"
# unbold="‘tput rmso‘"
Both of these examples can be followed by a prompt:
echo "${bold}Please type in your name:${unbold}
4.To set the exit value to indicate if the current terminal is a hardcopy terminal:
tput hc
If you are using the C Shell (csh), the exit value for the preceding example is stored in $status; otherwise, the exit value is stored in $?.
5.To move the cursor to line 2, row 2:
tput cup 2 2
EXIT VALUES
0Equals FALSE Boolean value or the requested string was written successfully.
1[Digital] Equals TRUE Boolean value.
2Specifies a usage error.
3Specifies that information on this terminal is not available.
4Specifies that the capability_name is invalid.
>4Specifies that an error occurred.
FILES
/usr/share/lib/terminfo/?/∗
Terminal information database
/usr/include/term.hDefinition files
/usr/include/curses.hcurses library definition file