terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
NAME
terminfo - terminal and printer capability database
DESCRIPTION
Terminfo is a compiled database of terminal and printer
device capabilities. The capabilities of each type of
device are described in a data file that has a name of the
following form: /usr/lib/terminfo/?/*, where * stands for
the device name and ? stands for the first character of the
name. For example,
/usr/lib/terminfo/d/d215
is the terminfo entry for Data General's DASHER D215
terminal and terminals that behave like it.
Terminfo data files are obtained by compiling source
descriptions with the tic(1M) command. Terminfo source
descriptions describe, in special code, how basic operations
are performed on a terminal or printer. They also describe
padding requirements, initialization sequences, and so on.
The section entitled "Preparing a Terminfo Description"
explains how to build a terminfo source description.
Applications such as vi(1) and curses(3X) refer to the
compiled terminfo database so that they can work with a
variety of terminals without changes to the program code.
Entries in a terminfo source file consist of a number of
comma-separated fields. The white space after each comma is
ignored. The first line names the device, and the remaining
lines describe its capabilities.
Device Names
The first line of each device description in the terminfo
source file gives the names by which terminfo knows the
device. Each name is separated by bar ( | ) characters.
The first name specifies the most common abbreviation for
the device (this is the one to use for the environment
variable TERM; see profile(4)). The last name should be a
long name that fully identifies the device. All other names
are synonyms for the device name. All names but the last
should contain no blanks; the last, verbose name may contain
blanks for readability.
Device names (except for the verbose entry) should be chosen
using the following conventions. First, the particular
vendor and model of the device should be specified in the
root name, for example, att4425 for the AT&T 4425 terminal.
Second, device modes or user preferences should be indicated
by appending a hyphen and an indicator of the mode, for
example, d410-w for the Data General DASHER D410 series in
wide mode (more than 80 columns). See term(5) for examples
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 1
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
and more information on choosing names and synonyms.
Device Capabilities
Lines after the first line of a device description describe
the device's capabilities. Terminfo device capabilities are
of three general types: boolean capabilities indicate that
the device has some particular feature, numeric capabilities
specify a numeric value associated with a particular
feature, for example, the size of a terminal screen, and
string capabilities give a sequence which can be used to
perform particular device operations.
In the table below, the variable is the name by which a C
programmer (at the terminfo level) accesses the capability.
The capname is the short name for this variable used in the
text of the database. It is used by a person updating the
database and by the tput(1) command when asking what the
value of the capability is for a particular device. See
Also refers to the numbered subsection in "Terminfo Terminal
Capabilities" or the lettered subsection in "Terminfo
Printer Capabilities" where the capability is described in
detail.
Capability names have no fixed length limit, but an informal
limit of 5 characters has been adopted to keep them short.
Most of the time, names are chosen to be the same as or
similar to the ANSI X3.64-1979 standard. Semantics are also
intended to match those of the description.
All string capabilities listed below may have padding
described, with the exception of those used for input.
Input capabilities, listed under the strings section in the
table below, have names beginning with key. The following
indicators may appear at the end of the description for a
variable.
(G) indicates that the string needs to be instantiated by
tparm() with arguments (parms) as given (#i as
described below). Tparm() will substitute the
arguments into the string to create a customized
version. (See curses(3X) for more information on
tparm() and the strings it creates.)
(*) indicates that padding may be based on the number of
lines affected.
(#i) indicates the ith parameter.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 2
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
Variable Cap- See Description
name Also
Boolean Capabilities:
auto_left_margin bw 1 cub1 wraps back from column 0
auto_right_margin am 1,13 Device has automatic margins
back_color_erase bce 12 Screen erased with background color
can_change ccc 12 Device can redefine existing color
ceol_standout_glitch xhp 14 Standout not erased by overwriting
(HP)
col_addr_glitch xhpa B Only positive motion for hpa/mhpa
cpi_changes_res cpix A,G Character pitch affects resolution
cr_cancels_micro_mode crxm B Using cr disables micro mode
eat_newline_glitch xenl 14 Newline ignored after 80 columns
(Concept)
erase_overstrike eo 6 Overstrikes are erased by blanks
generic_type gn 13 Generic line type
(e.g., dialup, switch)
hard_copy hc 1 Hardcopy device
hard_cursor chts 6 Cursor is hard to see
has_meta_key km 13 Device can send meta-characters
(e.g., key sets eighth bit)
has_print_wheel daisy E Printer needs operator to change
character sets
has_status_line hs 10 Terminal has extra ``status line''
hue_lightness_saturation hls 12 Device uses only HLS color notation
(Tektronix)
insert_null_glitch in 5 Insert mode distinguishes nulls
lpi_changes_res lpix A,G Line pitch affects resolution
memory_above da 4 Display may be retained above screen
memory_below db 4 Display may be retained below screen
move_insert_mode mir 5 Safe to move in insert mode
move_standout_mode msgr 6 Safe to move in standout modes
needs_xon_xoff nxon 14 Padding won't work, XON/XOFF needed
no_esc_ctlc xsb 14 Beehive (F1=<ESC>, F2=<Ctrl-C>)
non_rev_rmcup nrrmc 6 smcup does not reverse rmcup
no_pad_char npc 13 Pad character doesn't exist
over_strike os 1,6 Device overstrikes (hardcopy device)
prtr_silent mc5i 13 Printer won't echo on screen
row_addr_glitch xvpa B Only positive motion for vpa/mvpa
semi_auto_right_margin sam B Printing in last column causes cr
status_line_esc_ok eslok 10 Escape sequences work on status line
dest_tabs_magic_smso xt 13 Destructive tabs, magic smso
character (t1061)
tilde_glitch hz 14 Hazeltine; can't print tildes (~)
transparent_underline ul 6 Underline character overstrikes
xon_xoff xon 1,13 Device uses XON/XOFF handshaking
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 3
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
Numeric Capabilities:
buffer_capacity bufsz I Bytes buffered before printing
columns cols 1 Number of columns in a line
dot_vert_spacing spinv F Vertical pin spacing (pins/inch)
dot_horz_spacing spinh F Horizontal dot spacing (dots/inch)
init_tabs it 8 Initial spacing of tab settings
label_height lh 7 Number of rows in each soft label
label_width lw 7 Number of columns in each soft label
lines lines 1 Number of lines on screen or page
lines_of_memory lm 13 Lines of memory; variable if 0
magic_cookie_glitch xmc 6 Number of blanks left by smso/rmso
max_colors colors 12 Maximum number of colors on-screen
max_micro_address maddr B Maximum limit on micro...address
max_micro_jump mjump B Maximum limit on parm...micro
max_pairs pairs 12 Maximum number of color-pairs
micro_col_size mcs A Horizontal step size in micro mode
micro_line_size mls A Vertical step size in micro mode
no_color_video ncv 12 Video attributes unusable with color
number_of_pins npins F Number of pins in print head
num_labels nlab 7 Number of soft labels available
(starting from 1)
output_res_char orc A Horizontal resolution (steps/column)
output_res_line orl A Vertical resolution (steps/line)
output_res_horz_inch orhi A Horizontal resolution (steps/inch)
output_res_vert_inch orvi A Vertical resolution (steps/inch)
padding_baud_rate pb 9 Lowest baud rate requiring padding
print_rate cps I Average speed (characters/second)
virtual_terminal vt 13 UNIX system virtual terminal number
wide_char_size widcs A Character size in double wide mode
width_status_line wsl 10 Number of columns in status line
String Capabilities:
acs_chars acsc 11 Graphic character set pairs aAbBcC
(vt100+)
back_tab cbt 8 Back tab
bell bel 1 Audible signal (bell)
carriage_return cr 1,9 Carriage return (*)
change_char_pitch cpi A,G Set pitch to #1 characters/inch (G)
change_line_pitch lpi A,G Set pitch to #1 lines/inch (G)
change_res_horz chr A Set horizontal resolution to #1 (G)
change_res_vert cvr A Set vertical resolution to #1 (G)
change_scroll_region csr 4 Scrolling area lines #1 through #2
(vt100) (G)
char_padding rmp 5 Like ip but when in replace mode
char_set_names csnm E Name of character set #1 (G)
clear_all_tabs tbc 8 Clear all tab stops
clear_margins mgc 8 Clear left and right soft margins
clear_screen clear 1 Clear screen and home cursor (*)
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 4
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
clr_bol el1 3 Clear to beginning of line
clr_eol el 3,14 Clear to end of line
clr_eos ed 3 Clear to end of display (*)
column_address hpa 2 Horizontal position to column #1 (G)
command_character cmdch 13 Prototype settable command character
cursor_address cup 2 Move cursor to row #1, column #2 (G)
cursor_down cud1 1 Move cursor down one line
cursor_home home 2 Home cursor (especially if no cup)
cursor_invisible civis 6 Make cursor invisible
cursor_left cub1 1 Move cursor left one space
cursor_mem_address mrcup 2 Like cup but memory relative (G)
cursor_normal cnorm 6 Make cursor normal (undo civis/cvvis)
cursor_right cuf1 1 Move cursor right one space
(non-destructive)
cursor_to_ll ll 2 Move cursor to column 0 of last line
cursor_up cuu1 2 Move cursor up one line
cursor_visible cvvis 6 Make cursor very visible
define_char defc E Define character #1 with width #2
and descender #3 (G)
delete_character dch1 5 Delete character (*)
delete_line dl1 4 Delete line (*)
dis_status_line dsl 10 Disable status line
down_half_line hd 13 Move cursor down one half-line
(forward 1/2 linefeed)
ena_acs enacs 6 Initialize alternate character set
enter_alt_charset_mode smacs 6 Enable alternate character set mode
enter_am_mode smam 13 Enable automatic margins
enter_blink_mode blink 6 Enable blinking mode
enter_bold_mode bold 6 Enable bold (extra bright) mode
enter_ca_mode smcup 6 String to send before using cup
enter_delete_mode smdc 5 Begin delete mode
enter_dim_mode dim 6 Enable half-bright mode
enter_doublewide_mode swidm D Enable double wide printing
enter_draft_quality sdrfq G Set draft quality printing
enter_insert_mode smir 5 Begin insert mode
enter_italics_mode sitm D Enable italics
enter_leftward_mode slm B Enable leftward carriage motion
enter_micro_mode smicm B Enable micro motion capabilities
enter_near_letter_quality snlq G Set near-letter-quality printing
enter_normal_quality snrmq G Set normal quality printing
enter_protected_mode prot 6 Enable protected mode
enter_reverse_mode rev 6 Enable reverse video mode
enter_secure_mode invis 6 Enable blank mode (invisible text)
enter_shadow_mode sshm D Enable shadow printing
enter_standout_mode smso 6 Enable standout mode
enter_subscript_mode ssubm D Enable subscript printing
enter_superscript_mode ssupm D Enable superscript printing
enter_underline_mode smul 6 Enable underscore mode
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 5
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
enter_upward_mode sum B Enable upward carriage motion
enter_xon_mode smxon 13 Enable XON/XOFF handshaking
erase_chars ech 5 Erase #1 characters (G)
exit_alt_charset_mode rmacs 6 Disable alternate character set mode
exit_am_mode rmam 13 Disable automatic margins
exit_attribute_mode sgr0 6 Disable all video attributes (G)
exit_ca_mode rmcup 6 String to send when done with cup
exit_delete_mode rmdc 5 End delete mode
exit_doublewide_mode rwidm D Disable double wide printing
exit_insert_mode rmir 5 End insert mode
exit_italics_mode ritm D Disable italics
exit_leftward_mode rlm B Enable rightward carriage motion
(the normal state)
exit_micro_mode rmicm B Disable micro motion capabilities
exit_shadow_mode rshm D Disable shadow printing
exit_standout_mode rmso 6 Disable standout mode
exit_subscript_mode rsubm D Disable subscript printing
exit_superscript_mode rsupm D Disable superscript printing
exit_underline_mode rmul 6 Disable underscore mode
exit_upward_mode rum B Enable downward carriage motion
(the normal state)
exit_xon_mode rmxon 13 Disable XON/XOFF handshaking
flash_screen flash 6 Visible bell (must not move cursor)
form_feed ff 13 Hardcopy device page eject (*)
from_status_line fsl 10 Return from status line
init_1string is1 8 Device initialization string 1
init_2string is2 8 Device initialization string 2
init_3string is3 8 Device initialization string 3
init_file if 8 Name of initialization data file
init_prog iprog 8 Path name of initialization program
initialize_color initc 12 Define color #1 as RGB #2-#4 (G)
initialize_pair initp 12 Define color-pair #1 as RGB #2-#7 (G)
insert_character ich1 5 Insert new blank character
insert_line il1 4 Add new blank line (*)
insert_padding ip 5 Padding after character inserted (*)
key_a1 ka1 7 KEY_A1, Upper left of keypad
key_a3 ka3 7 KEY_A3, Upper right of keypad
key_b2 kb2 7 KEY_B2, Center of keypad
key_backspace kbs 7 KEY_BACKSPACE, Sent by backspace key
key_beg kbeg 7 KEY_BEG, Sent by beginning key
(beg key)
key_btab kcbt 7 KEY_BTAB, Sent by back-tab key
key_c1 kc1 7 KEY_C1, Lower left of keypad
key_c3 kc3 7 KEY_C3, Lower right of keypad
key_cancel kcan 7 KEY_CANCEL, Sent by cancel key
key_catab ktbc 7 KEY_CATAB, Sent by clear-all-tabs key
key_clear kclr 7 KEY_CLEAR, Sent by clear-screen key
(erase key)
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 6
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
key_close kclo 7 KEY_CLOSE, Sent by close key
key_command kcmd 7 KEY_COMMAND, Sent by command key
(cmd key)
key_copy kcpy 7 KEY_COPY, Sent by copy key
key_create kcrt 7 KEY_CREATE, Sent by create key
key_ctab kctab 7 KEY_CTAB, Sent by clear-tab key
key_dc kdch1 7 KEY_DC, Sent by delete-character key
key_dl kdl1 7 KEY_DL, Sent by delete-line key
key_down kcud1 7 KEY_DOWN, Sent by cursor-down key
(down-arrow key)
key_eic krmir 7 KEY_EIC, Sent by end-insert-mode key
key_end kend 7 KEY_END, Sent by end key
key_enter kent 7 KEY_ENTER, Sent by enter/send key
key_eol kel 7 KEY_EOL, Sent by
clear-to-end-of-line key
key_eos ked 7 KEY_EOS, Sent by
clear-to-end-of-screen key
key_exit kext 7 KEY_EXIT, Sent by exit key
key_f0 kf0 7 KEY_F(0), Sent by function key F0
key_f1 kf1 7 KEY_F(1), Sent by function key F1
key_f2 kf2 7 KEY_F(2), Sent by function key F2
key_f3 kf3 7 KEY_F(3), Sent by function key F3
key_f4 kf4 7 KEY_F(4), Sent by function key F4
key_f5 kf5 7 KEY_F(5), Sent by function key F5
key_f6 kf6 7 KEY_F(6), Sent by function key F6
key_f7 kf7 7 KEY_F(7), Sent by function key F7
key_f8 kf8 7 KEY_F(8), Sent by function key F8
key_f9 kf9 7 KEY_F(9), Sent by function key F9
key_f10 kf10 7 KEY_F(10), Sent by function key F10
key_f11 kf11 7 KEY_F(11), Sent by function key F11
key_f13 kf13 7 KEY_F(12), Sent by function key F12
key_f14 kf14 7 KEY_F(13), Sent by function key F13
key_f14 kf14 7 KEY_F(14), Sent by function key F14
key_f15 kf15 7 KEY_F(15), Sent by function key F15
key_f16 kf16 7 KEY_F(16), Sent by function key F16
key_f17 kf17 7 KEY_F(17), Sent by function key F17
key_f18 kf18 7 KEY_F(18), Sent by function key F18
key_f19 kf19 7 KEY_F(19), Sent by function key F19
key_f20 kf20 7 KEY_F(20), Sent by function key F20
key_f21 kf21 7 KEY_F(21), Sent by function key F21
key_f22 kf22 7 KEY_F(22), Sent by function key F22
key_f23 kf23 7 KEY_F(23), Sent by function key F23
key_f24 kf24 7 KEY_F(24), Sent by function key F24
key_f25 kf25 7 KEY_F(25), Sent by function key F25
key_f26 kf26 7 KEY_F(26), Sent by function key F26
key_f27 kf27 7 KEY_F(27), Sent by function key F27
key_f28 kf28 7 KEY_F(28), Sent by function key F28
key_f29 kf29 7 KEY_F(29), Sent by function key F29
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 7
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
key_f30 kf30 7 KEY_F(30), Sent by function key F30
key_f31 kf31 7 KEY_F(31), Sent by function key F31
key_f32 kf32 7 KEY_F(32), Sent by function key F32
key_f33 kf33 7 KEY_F(13), Sent by function key F33
key_f34 kf34 7 KEY_F(34), Sent by function key F34
key_f35 kf35 7 KEY_F(35), Sent by function key F35
key_f36 kf36 7 KEY_F(36), Sent by function key F36
key_f37 kf37 7 KEY_F(37), Sent by function key F37
key_f38 kf38 7 KEY_F(38), Sent by function key F38
key_f39 kf39 7 KEY_F(39), Sent by function key F39
key_f40 kf40 7 KEY_F(40), Sent by function key F40
key_f41 kf41 7 KEY_F(41), Sent by function key F41
key_f42 kf42 7 KEY_F(42), Sent by function key F42
key_f43 kf43 7 KEY_F(43), Sent by function key F43
key_f44 kf44 7 KEY_F(44), Sent by function key F44
key_f45 kf45 7 KEY_F(45), Sent by function key F45
key_f46 kf46 7 KEY_F(46), Sent by function key F46
key_f47 kf47 7 KEY_F(47), Sent by function key F47
key_f48 kf48 7 KEY_F(48), Sent by function key F48
key_f49 kf49 7 KEY_F(49), Sent by function key F49
key_f50 kf50 7 KEY_F(50), Sent by function key F50
key_f51 kf51 7 KEY_F(51), Sent by function key F51
key_f52 kf52 7 KEY_F(52), Sent by function key F52
key_f53 kf53 7 KEY_F(53), Sent by function key F53
key_f54 kf54 7 KEY_F(54), Sent by function key F54
key_f55 kf55 7 KEY_F(55), Sent by function key F55
key_f56 kf56 7 KEY_F(56), Sent by function key F56
key_f57 kf57 7 KEY_F(57), Sent by function key F57
key_f58 kf58 7 KEY_F(58), Sent by function key F58
key_f59 kf59 7 KEY_F(59), Sent by function key F59
key_f60 kf60 7 KEY_F(60), Sent by function key F60
key_f61 kf61 7 KEY_F(61), Sent by function key F61
key_f62 kf62 7 KEY_F(62), Sent by function key F62
key_f63 kf63 7 KEY_F(63), Sent by function key F63
key_find kfnd 7 KEY_FIND, Sent by find key
key_help khlp 7 KEY_HELP, Sent by help key
key_home khome 7 KEY_HOME, Sent by home key
key_ic kich1 7 KEY_IC, Sent by insert-character key
(enter-insert-mode key)
key_il kil1 7 KEY_IL, Sent by insert-line key
key_left kcub1 7 KEY_LEFT, Sent by cursor-left key
(left-arrow key)
key_ll kll 7 KEY_LL, Sent by home-down key
key_mark kmrk 7 KEY_MARK, Sent by mark key
key_message kmsg 7 KEY_MESSAGE, Sent by message key
key_move kmov 7 KEY_MOVE, Sent by move key
key_next knxt 7 KEY_NEXT, Sent by next-object key
key_npage knp 7 KEY_NPAGE, Sent by next-page key
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 8
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
key_open kopn 7 KEY_OPEN, Sent by open key
key_options kopt 7 KEY_OPTIONS, Sent by options key
key_ppage kpp 7 KEY_PPAGE, Sent by previous-page key
key_previous kprv 7 KEY_PREVIOUS, Sent by
previous-object key
key_print kprt 7 KEY_PRINT, Sent by print key
(copy key)
key_redo krdo 7 KEY_REDO, Sent by redo key
key_reference kref 7 KEY_REFERENCE, Sent by reference key
(ref key)
key_refresh krfr 7 KEY_REFRESH, Sent by refresh key
key_replace krpl 7 KEY_REPLACE, Sent by replace key
key_restart krst 7 KEY_RESTART, Sent by restart key
key_resume kres 7 KEY_RESUME, Sent by resume key
key_right kcuf1 7 KEY_RIGHT, Sent by cursor-right key
(right-arrow key)
key_save ksav 7 KEY_SAVE, Sent by save key
key_sbeg kBEG 7 KEY_SBEG, Sent by shifted
beginning key
key_scancel kCAN 7 KEY_SCANCEL, Sent by shifted
cancel key
key_scommand kCMD 7 KEY_SCOMMAND, Sent by shifted
command key (cmd key)
key_scopy kCPY 7 KEY_SCOPY, Sent by shifted copy key
key_screate kCRT 7 KEY_SCREATE, Sent by shifted
create key
key_sdc kDC 7 KEY_SDC, Sent by shifted
delete-character key
key_sdl kDL 7 KEY_SDL, Sent by shifted
delete-line key
key_select kslt 7 KEY_SELECT, Sent by select key
key_send kEND 7 KEY_SEND, Sent by shifted end key
key_seol kEOL 7 KEY_SEOL, Sent by shifted
clear-to-end-of-line key
key_sexit kEXT 7 KEY_SEXIT, Sent by shifted exit key
key_sf kind 7 KEY_SF, Sent by scroll-forward key
(scroll-down key)
key_sfind kFND 7 KEY_SFIND, Sent by shifted find key
key_shelp kHLP 7 KEY_SHELP, Sent by shifted help key
key_shome kHOM 7 KEY_SHOME, Sent by shifted home key
key_sic kIC 7 KEY_SIC, Sent by shifted input key
key_sleft kLFT 7 KEY_SLEFT, Sent by shifted
cursor-left key (left-arrow key)
key_smessage kMSG 7 KEY_SMESSAGE, Sent by shifted
message key
key_smove kMOV 7 KEY_SMOVE, Sent by shifted move key
key_snext kNXT 7 KEY_SNEXT, Sent by shifted next key
key_soptions kOPT 7 KEY_SOPTIONS, Sent by shifted
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 9
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
options key
key_sprevious kPRV 7 KEY_SPREVIOUS, Sent by shifted
previous-object key
key_sprint kPRT 7 KEY_SPRINT, Sent by shifted
print key
key_sr kri 7 KEY_SR, Sent by scroll-backward key
(scroll-up key)
key_sredo kRDO 7 KEY_SREDO, Sent by shifted redo key
key_sreplace kRPL 7 KEY_SREPLACE, Sent by shifted
replace key
key_sright kRIT 7 KEY_SRIGHT, Sent by shifted
cursor-right key (right-arrow key)
key_srsume kRES 7 KEY_SRSUME, Sent by shifted
resume key
key_ssave kSAV 7 KEY_SSAVE, Sent by shifted save key
key_ssuspend kSPD 7 KEY_SSUSPEND, Sent by shifted
suspend key
key_stab khts 7 KEY_STAB, Sent by set-tab key
key_sundo kUND 7 KEY_SUNDO, Sent by shifted undo key
key_suspend kspd 7 KEY_SUSPEND, Sent by suspend key
key_undo kund 7 KEY_UNDO, Sent by undo key
key_up kcuu1 7 KEY_UP, Sent by cursor-up key
(up-arrow key)
keypad_local rmkx 7 Disable ``keypad-transmit'' mode
keypad_xmit smkx 7 Enable ``keypad-transmit'' mode
lab_f0 lf0 7 Label on function key F0 if not F0
lab_f1 lf1 7 Label on function key F1 if not F1
lab_f2 lf2 7 Label on function key F2 if not F2
lab_f3 lf3 7 Label on function key F3 if not F3
lab_f4 lf4 7 Label on function key F4 if not F4
lab_f5 lf5 7 Label on function key F5 if not F5
lab_f6 lf6 7 Label on function key F6 if not F6
lab_f7 lf7 7 Label on function key F7 if not F7
lab_f8 lf8 7 Label on function key F8 if not F8
lab_f9 lf9 7 Label on function key F9 if not F9
lab_f10 lf10 7 Label on function key F10 if not F10
label_off rmln 7 Disable soft labels
label_on smln 7 Enable soft labels
meta_off rmm 13 Disable ``meta mode''
meta_on smm 13 Enable ``meta mode'' (eight-bit I/O)
micro_column_address mhpa B Like columnaddress for micro
adjustment (G)
micro_down mcud1 B Like cursordown for micro
adjustment
micro_left mcub1 B Like cursorleft for micro
adjustment
micro_right mcuf1 B Like cursorright for micro
adjustment
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 10
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
micro_row_address mvpa B Like rowaddress for micro
adjustment (G)
micro_up mcuu1 B Like cursorup for micro adjustment
newline nel 1 Newline (like CR followed by LF)
order_of_pins porder F Matches data bits to print head pins
orig_colors oc 12 Set all color(-pair)s to defaults
orig_pair op 12 Set color-pair to the default (G)
pad_char pad 13 Pad character (rather than null)
parm_dch dch 5 Delete #1 characters (G*)
parm_delete_line dl 4 Delete #1 lines (G*)
parm_down_cursor cud 1 Move cursor down #1 lines (G*)
parm_down_micro mcud B Like parmdowncursor for micro
adjustment (G)
parm_ich ich 4 Insert #1 blank characters (G*)
parm_index indn 1 Scroll forward #1 lines (G)
parm_insert_line il 4 Add #1 new blank lines (G*)
parm_left_cursor cub 1 Move cursor left #1 spaces (G)
parm_left_micro mcub B Like parmleftcursor for micro
adjustment (G)
parm_right_cursor cuf 1 Move cursor right #1 spaces (G*)
parm_right_micro mcuf B Like parmrightcursor for micro
adjustment (G)
parm_rindex rin 1 Scroll backward #1 lines (G)
parm_up_cursor cuu 1 Move cursor up #1 lines (G*)
parm_up_micro mcuu B Like parmupcursor for micro
adjustment (G)
pkey_key pfkey 7 Program PFkey #1 to type #2 (G)
pkey_local pfloc 7 Program PFkey #1 to execute #2 (G)
pkey_xmit pfx 7 Program PFkey #1 to transmit #2 (G)
plab_norm pln 7 Program soft label #1 to show #2 (G)
print_screen mc0 13 Print contents of screen
prtr_non mc5p 13 Enable printer for #1 bytes
prtr_off mc4 13 Disable printer
prtr_on mc5 13 Enable printer
repeat_char rep 13 Repeat character #1 #2 times (G*)
req_for_input rfi 13 Send next input character (for ptys)
reset_1string rs1 8 Device full reset string 1
reset_2string rs2 8 Device full reset string 2
reset_3string rs3 8 Device full reset string 3
reset_file rf 8 Name of file containing reset string
restore_cursor rc 4,10 Move cursor to position of last sc
row_address vpa 2 Vertical position to row #1 (G)
save_cursor sc 4,10 Save cursor position for next rc
scroll_forward ind 1 Scroll text up one line
scroll_reverse ri 1 Scroll text down one line
select_char_set scs E Select character set #1 (G)
set_attributes sgr 6 Define video attributes #1-#9 (G)
set_background setb 12 Set active background color to #1 (G)
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 11
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
set_bottom_margin smgb C Set bottom margin at current line
set_bottom_margin_parm smgbp C Set bottom margin at line #1 or
#2 lines from bottom (G)
set_color_pair scp 12 Set current color-pair to #1 (G)
set_foreground setf 12 Set active foreground color to #1 (G)
set_left_margin smgl 8 Set soft left margin
set_left_margin_parm smglp C Set left margin at column #1
(right margin at #2) (G)
set_right_margin smgr 8 Set soft right margin
set_right_margin_parm smgrp C Set right margin at column #1 (G)
set_tab hts 8 Set tab in all rows, current column
set_top_margin smgt C Set top margin at current line
set_top_margin_parm smgtp C Set top margin at line #1
(bottom margin at line #2) (G)
set_window wind 4 Set current window to lines #1-#2,
columns #3-#4 (G)
start_bit_image sbim F Start printing bit image graphics,
#1 dots wide (G)
start_char_set_def scsd E Start defining character set #1,
containing #2 characters (G)
stop_bit_image rbim F End printing bit image graphics
stop_char_set_def rcsd E End defining character set #1 (G)
subscript_characters subcs D ``Subscript-able'' characters
superscript_characters supcs D ``Superscript-able'' characters
tab ht 8 Tab to next hardware tab stop
these_cause_cr docr B Any of these characters causes cr
to_status_line tsl 10 Go to status line, column #1 (G)
underline_char uc 6 Underscore character and move past
up_half_line hu 13 Move up one half-line
(reverse 1/2 linefeed)
xoff_character xoffc 13 XOFF character
xon_character xonc 13 XON character
zero_motion zerom B No motion for subsequent character
PREPARING A TERMINFO DESCRIPTION
At a mininum for a terminal, a terminfo source file should
specify capabilities to do the following:
- Clear the screen
- Specify screen size
- Specify how to scroll the screen
- Specify how to move the cursor to any point on the screen
- Display whatever graphic embellishments are available
(e.g., reverse video)
- Specify whether the cursor wraps around when it reaches
the end of a line
- Specify a scrolling region, if possible
- Insert and delete lines and characters, if available
- Save and restore the cursor position, if possible
- Describe special keys, if any
- Specify how to handle special cases of terminal behavior,
if any
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 12
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
The most effective way to prepare a new device description
is by imitating the description of a similar device in
terminfo and building up the new description gradually,
testing whether vi(1) works with the compiled description.
That is, first create a terminfo source file that includes
what you have determined to be the minimum set of
capabilities needed for the new device. Next, compile the
source with the tic(1M) command. Use vi(1) and determine
whether the device displays what it is supposed to display.
Make alterations or add more advanced capabilities to the
source file as appropriate, recompile the source, and repeat
the test. Repeat this cycle until the description is
complete and correct.
You can obtain the source description for a given device by
using the -I option of infocmp(1M). You may copy and edit
this description to accurately describe the device that you
wish to enter into the terminfo database. Most reference
manuals for terminals and printers list the codes that make
the device perform specific operations. Use these codes to
describe capabilities of the new device.
To test a new device description, set the environment
variable TERMINFO to the pathname of a directory containing
the compiled description. Programs will then search that
directory for terminal information instead of
/usr/lib/terminfo. To get the padding for insert-line
correct on a terminal (if the manufacturer did not document
it) a severe test is to comment out xon, edit a large file
at 9600 baud with vi(1), delete 16 or so lines from the
middle of the screen, then hit the u key several times
quickly. If the display is corrupted, more padding is
usually needed. An analagous test can be used for insert-
character.
Be aware that a very unusual device may expose deficiencies
in the ability of terminfo to describe it or the ability of
programs such as vi(1) to work with that device.
Similar Devices
If there are two very similar devices, one can be defined as
being just like the other with certain exceptions. The
string capability use can be given with the name of the
similar device. The capabilities given before use override
those in the device type included by use.
More than one use capability may be specified. Statements
that contain use exhibit left-to-right precedence. That is,
the earliest use statement has priority when more than one
statement defines the same capability.
A capability can be canceled by placing @ to the left of the
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 13
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
capability definition. For example:
att4424-2|Teletype 4424 in display function group ii,
rev@, sgr@, smul@, use=att4424,
defines an AT&T 4424 terminal that does not have the rev,
sgr, and smul capabilities, and hence cannot do
highlighting. This is useful for different modes of a
device, or for different user preferences.
Parameterized Strings
Cursor addressing and other strings requiring parameters for
the device are described by a parameterized string
capability, with printf(3S)-like escapes (%x) in it. The
parameter mechanism uses a stack and special % codes to
manipulate it in the manner of a Reverse Polish Notation
(postfix) calculator.
Typically a sequence pushes one of the parameters onto the
stack and then prints it in some format. When a sequence
pushes a value, the value is placed onto the top of the
terminfo stack, leaving the source unchanged. The
complement to a "push" is the "pop", which removes the
topmost value from the terminfo stack, storing it elsewhere
or using it in the current calculation.
Stack and Variable Manipulation
Parameterized strings can access arguments passed to
tparm(). The arguments are referenced positionally, by
number from 1 to 9. Terminfo also provides 52 variables
that parameterized strings can use. The variables are
referenced by letter from a to z and from A to Z. The
lowercase variable names represent automatic variables that
do not retain their values between parameterized strings.
The uppercase variable names represent static variables that
do retain their values.
%p[1-9] Push the indicated parameter.
%'c' Push the character constant 'c'.
%{n} Push the one or two digit decimal number
constant n.
%P[a-zA-Z] Pop the stack into the indicated variable.
%g[a-zA-Z] Push the current contents of the indicated
variable.
Printing Operations
The following escapes print a value in a specified format.
%% Print the `%' character.
%c Pop the stack and print the value without
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 14
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
interpretation, that is, as a single character.
%[[:]flags][width[.precision]][doxXs]
Pop the stack and print the value as a formatted
string, converting to decimal (d), octal (o), lowercase
hexadecimal (x), uppercase hexadecimal (X), or
character (s) data as indicated. For information on
the flags, width, and precision fields, and more
information on the conversions, consult printf(3S).
(The flags supported are -, +, #, and the space
character.)
NOTE: The - flag must be preceded by a colon (:) to
differentiate the flag from the %- escape described
below.
Arithmetic Operations
The following escapes pop one or two operands off the stack,
perform some arithmetic operation, and then push the result
onto the stack. Binary operations are in postfix form and
expect the first operand to be on the top of the stack.
NOTE: Whether arithmetic is signed or unsigned is
unspecified.
%+ Push the sum of the two topmost values on the stack.
%- Push the difference of the two topmost values on the
stack.
%* Push the product of the two topmost values on the
stack.
%/ Push the quotient of the two topmost values on the
stack.
%m Push the modulus of the two topmost values on the
stack.
%& Push the bitwise AND of the two topmost values on the
stack.
%| Push the bitwise OR of the two topmost values on the
stack.
%^ Push the bitwise exclusive OR of the two topmost values
on the stack.
%~ Bitwise complement the topmost value on the stack.
Logical Operations
The following escapes are like arithmetic operations except
that they return boolean values. They pop one or two
operands off the stack, perform some logical operation, and
then push the result onto the stack. Possible results are 0
for FALSE, or 1 for TRUE.
NOTE: For logical operands, any nonzero value is considered
TRUE.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 15
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
%= Push TRUE if the two topmost operands are numerically
equal.
%> Push TRUE if the topmost operand is greater than the
second operand.
%< Push TRUE if the topmost operand is less than the
second operand.
%A Push TRUE if the two topmost operands are both
logically TRUE (AND).
%O Push TRUE if either of the two topmost operands are
logically TRUE (OR).
%! Logically invert the topmost operand (NOT).
Miscellaneous Operations
%l Pop the stack, then push the length of the string
indicated by that value. This escape is similar to
strlen(3C).
%i Add one to the first two parameters passed to tparm(),
or to the single parameter if just one was passed.
This is useful for ANSI terminals, which number cursor
positions starting from one instead of zero.
%?expr%tthen%;
%?expr%tthen%eelse%;
"If-Then" and "If-Then-Else" (conditional) statements.
Expr, then, and else are all parameterized substrings.
In operation, terminfo evaluates expr and then pops the
stack. If the popped value is logically TRUE, then is
evaluated. Otherwise, if else was provided, else is
evaluated. (expr typically calculates some logical
expression, and then and else typically print
corresponding strings.)
"If-Then-ElseIf" conditionals can be written as a
string of "If-Then-Else" statements ala Algol 68, that
is:
%? c1 %t b1 %e c2 %t b2 ... %e cN %t bN %e E %;
where c[1-N] are conditionals like expr, b[1-N] are
bodies like then, and E is a body like else.
A Sample Entry
The following entry, which describes the Concept-100
terminal, is among the more complex entries in the terminfo
file as of this writing. It is provided here to illustrate
the form and content of a terminfo entry, and to provide a
point of reference for the text that follows.
concept100|c100|concept|c104|c100-4p|concept 100,
am, db, eo, in, mir, ul, xenl,
cols#80, lines#24, pb#9600, vt#8,
bel=^G, blank=\EH, blink=\EC, clear=^L$<2*>, cnorm=\Ew,
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 16
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
cr=^M$<9>, cub1=^H, cud1=^J, cuf1=\E=, cup=\Ea%p1%'
'%+%c%p2%' '%+%c, cuu1=\E;, cvvis=\EW, dch1=\E^A$<16*>,
dim=\EE, dl1=\E^B$<3*>, ed=\E^C$<16*>, el=\E^U$<16>,
flash=\Ek$<20>\EK, ht=\t$<8>, il1=\E^R$<3*>,
.ind=^J$<9>, ind=^J, ip=$<16*>,
is2=\EU\Ef\E7\E5\E8\El\ENH\EK\E\0\Eo&\0\Eo\47\E,
kbs=^h, kcub1=\E>, kcud1=\E<, kcuf1=\E=, kcuu1=\E;,
kf1=\E5, kf2=\E6, kf3=\E7, khome=\E?, prot=\EI,
rep=\Er%p1%c%p2%' '%+%c$<.2*>, rev=\ED,
rmcup=\Ev\s\s\s\s$<6>\Ep\r\n, rmir=\E\0, rmkx=\Ex,
rmso=\Ed\Ee, rmul=\Eg, rmul=\Eg, sgr0=\EN\0,
smcup=\EU\Ev\s\s8p\Ep\r, smir=\E^P, smkx=\EX,
smso=\EE\ED, smul=\EG,
Entries may continue onto multiple lines by placing white
space at the beginning of each line except the first. Lines
beginning with ``#'' are interpreted as comments.
How to Describe Device Capabilities
In the example, the boolean capabilities appear in the
second line. The numeric capabilities appear in the line
that follows the booleans. The remainder of the entry
consists of string capabilities.
The fact that a device has ``automatic margins'' (that is,
an automatic return and linefeed when the end of a line is
reached) is indicated by the boolean capability am. Thus,
the device description simply gives am. Numeric
capabilities are followed by the character `#' and then the
value assigned. Thus cols, which indicates the number of
columns the device has, specifies the value 80 for the
Concept 100 as cols#80. The value may be specified in
decimal, octal, or hexadecimal using normal C conventions.
Finally, string-valued capabilities, such as bel (sound an
audible alarm) are specified by the two- to five-character
capability name, or capname for short, an `=', and then a
string ending at the next following comma. The concept 100
responds to <Ctrl-G> by sounding its bell, so the
description specifies bel=^G.
A delay in milliseconds may appear anywhere in a string
capability, bracketed by $<..>, as in el=\EK$<3>. Padding
characters are supplied by tputs() (see curses(3X)) to
provide this delay. The delay can be either a number (for
example, 20); or a number followed by an `*' (for example,
3*), a `/' (for example, 5/), or both (for example, 10*/).
A `*' indicates that the padding required is proportional to
the number of lines affected by the operation, and the
amount given is the per-affected-unit padding required. (In
the case of insert character, the factor is still the number
of lines affected. This is always 1 unless the terminal has
in defined and the software uses it.) When an `*' is
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 17
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
specified, it is sometimes useful to give a delay of the
form 3.5 to specify a delay per unit to tenths of
milliseconds. (Only one decimal place is allowed.) A `/'
indicates that the padding is mandatory. Otherwise, if the
device has xon defined, the padding information is advisory
and is only used for cost estimates or when the device is in
raw mode. Mandatory padding is transmitted regardless of
the setting of xon.
A number of escape sequences are provided in the string
valued capabilities for easy encoding of characters there.
Both \E and \e map to an ESCAPE character, ^x maps to a
<Ctrl-x> for any appropriate x, and the sequences \n, \l,
\r, \t, \b, \f, and \s give a newline, linefeed, return,
tab, backspace, formfeed, and space, respectively. Other
escapes include: \^ for caret (^); \\ for backslash (\); \,
for comma (,); \: for colon (:); and \0 for null. (\0
actually produces \200, which does not terminate a string
but behaves as a null character on most devices.) Finally,
characters may be given as three octal digits after a
backslash (e.g., \123).
Sometimes individual capabilities must be commented out. To
do this, put a period before the capability name. For
example, see the first ind in the example above. Note that
when capabilities are defined more than once, a prior
definition overrides a later definition.
TERMINFO TERMINAL CAPABILITIES
The following subsections describe terminfo terminal
capabilities in detail. Subsections are numbered for
cross-reference to the table that appears earlier in this
man page.
1. Basic Capabilities
The number of columns on each line for the terminal is given
by the cols numeric capability. If the terminal has a
screen, then the number of lines on the screen is given by
the lines capability. If the terminal cursor wraps around
to the beginning of the next line when it reaches the right
margin, then the am capability should be given. If the
terminal can clear its screen, leaving the cursor in the
home position, then this is given by the clear string
capability. If the terminal overstrikes (rather than
clearing a position when a character is overwritten) then it
should have the os capability. If the terminal is a
printing terminal, with no soft copy unit, give it both hc
and os. (os applies to storage scope terminals, such as the
Tektronix 4010 series, as well as hardcopy and APL
terminals.) If there is a code to move the cursor to the
left edge of the current row, give this as cr. (Normally
this is carriage return, ^M.) If there is a code to produce
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 18
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
an audible signal (bell, beep, etc) give this as bel. If
the terminal uses the XON-XOFF flow control protocol, like
most terminals, specify the boolean capability xon.
If there is a code to move the cursor one position to the
left (such as backspace) that capability should be given as
cub1. Similarly, codes to move to the right, up, and down
should be given as cuf1, cuu1, and cud1. These local cursor
motions should not alter the text they pass over; for
example, you would not normally use cuf1=\s because the
space would erase the character moved over.
It is important to remember that the local cursor motions
encoded in terminfo are undefined at the left and top edges
of a screen terminal. Programs should never attempt to
backspace around the left edge, unless bw is specified, and
should never attempt to move the cursor up locally off the
top.
To scroll text up, a program moves the cursor to the bottom
left corner of the screen and sends the ind (index) string.
To scroll text down, a program moves the cursor to the top
left corner of the screen and sends the ri (reverse index)
string. The strings ind and ri are undefined when the
cursor is not on their respective corners of the screen.
Parameterized versions of the scrolling sequences are indn
and rin which have the same semantics as ind and ri except
that they take one parameter, and scroll that many lines.
They are also undefined except at the appropriate corners of
the screen.
The am capability tells whether the cursor sticks at the
right edge of the screen when text is output, but this does
not necessarily apply to a cuf1 from the last column. The
only local motion which is defined from the left edge is if
bw is given, then a cub1 from the left edge moves to the
right edge of the previous row. If bw is not given, the
effect is undefined. bw is useful for drawing a box around
the edge of the screen, for example. If the terminal has
switch selectable automatic margins, the terminfo file
usually assumes that this is on; i.e., am. If the terminal
has a command which moves to the first column of the next
line, that command can be given as nel (newline). It does
not matter if the command clears the remainder of the
current line, so if the terminal has no CR and LF it may
still be possible to craft a working nel out of one or both
of them.
These capabilities suffice to describe hardcopy and screen
terminals. Thus the model 33 teletype is described as
follows:
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 19
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
33|tty33|tty|model 33 teletype,
bel=^G, cols#72, cr=^M, cud1=^J, hc, ind=^J, os,
The Lear Siegler ADM-3 is described as follows:
adm3|lsi adm3,
am, bel=^G, clear=^Z, cols#80, cr=^M, cub1=^H,
cud1=^J, ind=^J, lines#24,
2. Cursor Motions
If the terminal has a fast way to home the cursor (to the
very upper left corner of the screen) then this can be given
as home; similarly a fast way of getting to the lower left-
hand corner can be given as ll; this may involve going up
with cuu1 from the home position, but a program should never
do this itself (unless ll does) because it can make no
assumption about the effect of moving up from the home
position. Note that the home position is the same as
addressing to (0,0): to the top left corner of the screen,
not of memory. (Thus, the \EH sequence on Hewlett-Packard
terminals cannot be used for home without losing some of the
other features on the terminal.)
If the terminal has a way to move the cursor to any selected
position on the screen, specify this with the cup string
capability, which takes two parameters: the row and column
of the new cursor position. (Rows and columns are numbered
from zero and refer to the physical screen visible to the
user, not to any unseen memory.) If the terminal has memory
relative cursor addressing, that can be indicated by the
string capability mrcup.
If the terminal has row or column absolute cursor
addressing, these can be given as single parameter
capabilities hpa (horizontal position absolute) and vpa
(vertical position absolute). Sometimes these are shorter
than the more general two-parameter sequence (as with the
Hewlett-Packard 2645) and can be used in preference to cup.
If there are parameterized local motions (e.g., move n
spaces to the right) these can be given as cud, cub, cuf,
and cuu with a single parameter indicating how many spaces
to move. These are primarily useful if the terminal does
not have cup, as with the Tektronix 4025.
3. Area Clears
If the terminal can clear from the current position to the
end of the line, leaving the cursor where it is, this should
be given as el. If the terminal can clear from the
beginning of the line to the current position inclusive,
leaving the cursor where it is, this should be given as el1.
If the terminal can clear from the current position to the
end of the display, then this should be given as ed. ed is
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 20
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
only defined from the first column of a line. (Thus, it can
be simulated by a request to delete a large number of lines,
if a true ed is not available.)
4. Insert/delete line
If the terminal can open a new blank line before the line
containing the cursor, this should be given as il1; this is
done only from the first position of a line. The cursor
must then appear on the newly blank line. If the terminal
can delete the line which the cursor is on, then this should
be given as dl1; this is done only from the first position
on the line to be deleted. Versions of il1 and dl1 which
take a single parameter and insert or delete that many lines
can be given as il and dl.
If the terminal has a destructive programmable scrolling
region (like the VT100), the command to set the region can
be described with the csr string capability, which takes two
parameters: the top and bottom lines of the scrolling
region. It is possible to get the effect of insert or
delete line using this command -- the sc and rc (save and
restore cursor) string capabilities are also useful. The
cursor position is, alas, undefined after using this
command. It must be reset using other terminfo capabilities
such as cup, home, or rc. Inserting lines at the top or
bottom of the screen can also be done using ri or ind on
many terminals without a true insert/delete line, and is
often faster even on terminals with those features.
To determine whether a terminal has destructive scrolling
regions or non-destructive scrolling regions, create a
scrolling region in the middle of the screen, place data on
the bottom line of the scrolling region, move the cursor to
the top line of the scrolling region, and do a reverse index
(ri) followed by a delete line (dl1) or index (ind). If the
data that was originally on the bottom line of the scrolling
region was restored into the scrolling region by the dl1 or
ind, then the terminal has non-destructive scrolling
regions. Otherwise, it has destructive scrolling regions.
Do not specify csr if the terminal has non-destructive
scrolling regions, unless ind, ri, indn, rin, dl, and dl1
all simulate destructive scrolling.
If the terminal has the ability to define a window as part
of memory, which all commands affect, it should be given as
the parameterized string wind. The four parameters are the
starting and ending lines in memory and the starting and
ending columns in memory, in that order.
If the terminal can retain display memory above, then the da
boolean capability should be given; if display memory can be
retained below, then db should be given. These indicate
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 21
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
that deleting a line or scrolling a full screen may bring
non-blank lines up from below or that scrolling back with ri
may bring down non-blank lines.
5. Insert/Delete Character
There are two basic kinds of intelligent terminals with
respect to insert/delete character operations which can be
described using terminfo. The most common insert/delete
character operations affect only the characters on the
current line and shift characters off the end of the line
rigidly (i.e., all characters to the right of the insertion
or deletion shift as a unit). Other terminals, such as the
Concept-100 and the Perkin Elmer Owl, make a distinction
between typed and untyped blanks on the screen, shifting
upon an insert or delete only to an untyped blank on the
screen which is either eliminated, or expanded to two
untyped blanks.
You can determine the kind of terminal you have by clearing
the screen and then typing text separated by cursor motions.
Type ``abc def'' using local cursor motions (not spaces)
between the abc and the def. Then position the cursor
before the abc and put the terminal in insert mode. If
typing characters causes the rest of the line to shift
rigidly and characters to "fall off" the end, then your
terminal does not distinguish between blanks and untyped
positions. If the abc shifts over to the def which then
move together around the end of the current line and onto
the next as you insert, you have the second type of
terminal, and thus you should define the boolean capability
in, which stands for ``insert null''. While these are two
logically separate attributes (one line versus multiline
insert mode, and special treatment of untyped spaces), we
have seen no terminals whose insert mode cannot be described
with the single attribute.
Terminfo can describe both terminals which have an insert
mode and terminals which send a simple sequence to open a
blank position on the current line. Give as smir the
sequence to get into insert mode. Give as rmir the sequence
to leave insert mode. Now give as ich1 any sequence needed
to be sent just before sending the character to be inserted.
Most terminals with a true insert mode do not specify ich1;
terminals which send a sequence to open a screen position
should specify it here. (If your terminal has both, insert
mode is usually preferable to ich1. Do not give both unless
the terminal actually requires both to be used in
combination.)
If post-insert padding is needed, give this as a number of
milliseconds padding in ip (a string capability). Any other
sequence that may need to be sent after an insert of a
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 22
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
single character may also be given in ip. If your terminal
needs both to be placed into an `insert mode' and a special
code to precede each inserted character, then both smir/rmir
and ich1 can be given, and both are used.
The ich capability, with one parameter, n, repeats the
effects of ich1 n times.
If padding is necessary between characters typed while not
in insert mode, give this as a number of milliseconds
padding in rmp.
It is occasionally necessary to move around while in insert
mode to delete characters on the same line (e.g., if there
is a tab after the insertion position). If your terminal
allows motion while in insert mode you can give the
capability mir to speed up inserting in this case. Omitting
mir affects only speed. Some terminals (notably
Datamedia's) must not have mir because of the way their
insert mode works.
Finally, you can give dch1 to delete a single character, dch
with one parameter, n, to delete n characters, and smdc and
rmdc to enter and exit delete mode (any mode the terminal
needs to be placed in for dch1 to work).
A command to erase n characters (equivalent to outputting n
blanks without explicitly moving the cursor) can be given as
ech with one parameter.
6. Highlighting, Underlining, and Visible Bells
If your terminal has one or more kinds of display attributes
(graphic embellishments to text), these can be represented
in a number of different ways. You should choose one
display form as ``standout mode'' (see curses(3X)),
representing a good, high contrast, easy-on-the-eyes format
for highlighting error messages and other attention getters.
(If you have a choice, reverse video plus half-bright is
good, or reverse video alone; however, different users have
different preferences on different terminals.) The
sequences to enter and exit standout mode are given as smso
and rmso, respectively. If the code to change into or out
of standout mode leaves one or even two blank spaces on the
screen, as on the TVI 912 and the Teleray 1061, then xmc
should be given to tell how many spaces are left.
Codes to begin underlining and end underlining can be given
as smul and rmul respectively. If the terminal has a code
to underline the current character and move the cursor one
space to the right, such as the Micro-Term MIME, this can be
given as uc.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 23
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
Other capabilities to enter various highlighting modes
include blink (blinking), bold (bold or extra-bright), dim
(dim or half-bright), invis (blanking or invisible text),
prot (protected), rev (reverse video), sgr0 (turn off all
attribute modes), smacs (enter alternate-character-set
mode), and rmacs (exit alternate-character-set mode).
Turning on any of these modes singly may or may not turn off
other modes. If a command is necessary before alternate
character set mode is entered, give the sequence in enacs
(enable alternate-character-set mode).
If there is a sequence to set arbitrary combinations of
modes, this should be given as sgr (set attributes), taking
nine parameters. Each parameter is either zero or non-zero,
as the corresponding attribute is on or off. The nine
parameters are, in order: standout, underline, reverse,
blink, dim, bold, invisible, protected, and alternate
character set. Not all modes need be supported by sgr, only
those for which corresponding separate attribute commands
exist. (See the example at the end of this section.)
Terminals with the ``magic cookie'' glitch (xmc) deposit
special ``cookies'' when they receive mode-setting
sequences, rather than having extra attribute bits for each
character. These ``cookies'' affect the display algorithm
to provide video attributes, but also take up (blank) space
on the screen.
Some terminals, such as the Hewlett-Packard 2621,
automatically leave standout mode when the cursor is moved
to a new line or is addressed. Programs using standout mode
should exit standout mode before moving the cursor or
sending a newline, unless the msgr capability, asserting
that it is safe to move in standout mode, is present.
If the terminal has a way of flashing the screen to indicate
an error quietly (a bell replacement), then this can be
given as flash; it must not move the cursor. A good flash
can be done by changing the screen into reverse video,
padding for 200 ms, then returning the screen to normal
video.
If the cursor needs to be made more visible than normal when
it is not on the bottom line (to make, for example, a non-
blinking underline into an easier to find block or blinking
underline) give this sequence as cvvis. The boolean chts
should also be given. If there is a way to make the cursor
completely invisible, give that as civis. The capability
cnorm should be given which undoes the effects of either of
these modes.
If the terminal needs to be in a special mode when running a
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 24
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
program that uses terminfo capabilities, the codes to enter
and exit this mode can be given as smcup and rmcup. This
arises, for example, from terminals like the Concept-100
with more than one page of memory. If the terminal has only
memory relative cursor addressing and not screen relative
cursor addressing, a window the size of the screen must be
fixed into the terminal for cursor addressing to work
properly. This is also used for the Tektronix 4025, where
smcup sets the command character to the one used by
terminfo. If the smcup sequence does not restore the screen
after an rmcup sequence is output (to the state prior to
outputting rmcup), specify the boolean capability nrrmc.
If your terminal generates underlined characters by using
the underline character (with no special codes needed) even
though it does not otherwise overstrike characters, then you
should give the capability ul. For terminals where a
character overstriking another leaves both characters on the
screen, give the capability os. If overstrikes are erasable
with a blank, then this should be indicated by giving eo.
Here is an example of highlighting: assume that a terminal
needs the following escape sequences to turn on various
modes.
tparm attribute escape sequence
parameter
none \E[0m
p1 standout \E[0;4;7m
p2 underline \E[0;3m
p3 reverse \E[0;4m
p4 blink \E[0;5m
p5 dim \E[0;7m
p6 bold \E[0;3;4m
p7 invis \E[0;8m
p8 protect not available
p9 altcharset ^O (off) ^N(on)
Note that each escape sequence requires a 0 to turn off
other modes before turning on its own mode. Combinations of
attributes are allowed by appending a digit that represents
each attribute, separated by a semicolon. For instance,
underline + blink needs the sequence \E[0;3;5m. Note that,
as suggested above, standout is set up to be the combination
of reverse and dim. Also, since this terminal has no bold
mode, bold is set up as the combination of reverse and
underline. The terminal doesn't have protect mode, either,
but that cannot be simulated in any way, so p8 is ignored.
The altcharset mode is different in that it requires either
<Ctrl-O> or <Ctrl-N> depending on whether it is to be turned
off or on. If all modes were to be turned on, the sequence
would be \E[0;3;4;5;7;8m^N.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 25
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
Now look at the cases in which different sequences are
output. For example, ;3 is output when either p2 or p6 is
true, that is, if either underline or bold modes are turned
on. Writing out the above sequences, along with their
dependencies, gives the following:
sequence when to output terminfo translation
\E[0 always \E[0
;3 if p2 or p6 %?%p2%p6%|%t;3%;
;4 if p1 or p3 or p6 %?%p1%p3%|%p6%|%t;4%;
;5 if p4 %?%p4%t;5%;
;7 if p1 or p5 %?%p1%p5%|%t;7%;
;8 if p7 %?%p7%t;8%;
m always m
^N or ^O if p9 ^N, else ^O %?%p9%t^N%e^O%;
Putting this all together into the sgr sequence gives:
sgr=\E[0%?%p2%p6%|%t;3%;%?%p1%p3%|%p6%|%t;4%;%?%p5%t;5%;
%?%p1%p5%|%t;7%;%?%p7%t;8%;m%?%p9%t^N%e^O%;,
7. Keypad
If the terminal has a keypad that transmits codes when
special keys are pressed, this information can be given.
Note that it is not possible to handle terminals where the
keypad only works in local mode (this applies, for example,
to the unshifted Hewlett-Packard 2621 keys). If the keypad
can be set to transmit or not transmit, give these codes as
smkx and rmkx. Otherwise the keypad is assumed to always
transmit.
The codes sent by the left arrow, right arrow, up arrow,
down arrow, and home keys can be given as kcub1, kcuf1,
kcuu1, kcud1, and khome respectively. If there are function
keys such as F0, F1, ..., F63, the codes they send can be
given as kf0, kf1, ..., kf63. If the first 11 keys have
labels other than the default F0 through F10, the labels can
be given as lf0, lf1, ..., lf10. The codes transmitted by
certain other special keys can be given: kll (home down),
kbs (backspace), ktbc (clear all tabs), kctab (clear the tab
stop in this column), kclr (clear screen or erase), kdch1
(delete character), kdl1 (delete line), krmir (exit insert
mode), kel (clear to end of line), ked (clear to end of
screen), kich1 (insert character or enter insert mode), kil1
(insert line), knp (next page), kpp (previous page), kind
(scroll forward/down), kri (scroll backward/up), khts (set a
tab stop in this column). In addition, if the keypad has a
3 by 3 array of keys including the four arrow keys, the
other five keys can be given as ka1, ka3, kb2, kc1, and kc3.
These keys are useful when the effects of a 3 by 3
directional pad are needed. Further keys are defined above
in the capabilities list.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 26
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
Strings to program function keys can be given as pfkey,
pfloc, and pfx. A string to program their soft screen
labels can be given as pln. Each of these strings takes two
parameters: the function key number to program (from 0 to
10) and the string to program it with. Function key numbers
out of this range may program undefined keys in a terminal-
dependent manner. The difference between the capabilities
is that pfkey causes the given key to act as if the user had
typed the given string; pfloc causes the string to be
executed by the terminal in local mode; and pfx causes the
string to be transmitted to the computer. The capabilities
nlab, lw, and lh define how many soft labels there are and
how wide and high they are. If there are commands to turn
the labels on and off, give them as smln and rmln. smln is
normally output after one or more pln sequences to make sure
that the change becomes visible.
8. Tabs and Initialization
If the terminal has hardware tabs, the command to advance to
the next tab stop can be given as ht (usually <Ctrl-I>). A
``backtab'' command which moves leftward to the previous tab
stop can be given as cbt. By convention, if the terminal
driver modes indicate that tabs are being expanded by the
computer rather than being sent to the terminal, programs
should not use ht or cbt even if they are present, since the
user may not have the tab stops properly set.
If the terminal has hardware tabs which are initially set
every n spaces when the terminal is powered up, the numeric
parameter it should be given, showing the number of spaces n
to which the tabs are set. This is normally used by tput
init (see tput(1)) to determine whether to set the mode for
hardware tab expansion and whether to set the tab stops.
If the terminal has tab stops that can be saved in
nonvolatile memory, the terminfo description can assume that
they are properly set. If there are commands to set and
clear tab stops, they can be given as tbc (clear all tab
stops) and hts (set a tab stop in the current column of
every row).
Other capabilities include: is1, is2, and is3,
initialization strings for the terminal; iprog, the path
name of a program to run to initialize the terminal; and if,
the name of a file containing long initialization strings.
These strings are expected to set the terminal into modes
consistent with the rest of the terminfo description. They
must be sent to the terminal each time the user logs in and
be output in the following order: run the program iprog;
output is1; output is2; set the margins using mgc, smgl, and
smgr; set the tabs using tbc and hts; print the file if; and
finally output is3. This is usually done using the init
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 27
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
option of tput(1); see profile(4).
Most initialization is done with is2. Special terminal
modes can be set up without duplicating strings by putting
the common sequences in is2 and special cases in is1 and
is3. Sequences that do a harder reset from a totally
unknown state can be given as rs1, rs2, rf, and rs3,
analogous to is1, is2, if, and is3. (The method using
files, if and rf, is used for a few terminals, from
/usr/lib/tabset/*; however, the recommended method is to use
the initialization and reset strings.) These strings are
output by tput reset, which is used when the terminal gets
into a wedged state. Commands are normally placed in rs1,
rs2, rs3, and rf only if they produce annoying effects on
the screen and are not necessary when logging in. For
example, the command to set a terminal into 80-column mode
would normally be part of is2, but on some terminals it
causes an annoying glitch on the screen and is not normally
needed since the terminal is usually already in 80-column
mode.
If a more complex sequence is needed to set the tabs than
can be described by using tbc and hts, the sequence can be
placed in is2 or if.
If there are commands to set and clear margins, they can be
given as mgc (clear all margins), smgl (set left margin),
and smgr (set right margin).
9. Delays
Certain capabilities control padding in the terminal driver
(see termio(7) and tty(7)). These are primarily needed by
hardcopy terminals, and are used by tput init to set
terminal driver modes appropriately. Delays embedded in the
capabilities cr, ind, cub1, ff, and tab can be used to set
the appropriate delay bits in the terminal driver. If pb
(padding baud rate) is given, these values can be ignored at
baud rates below the value of pb.
10. Status Lines
If the terminal has an extra ``status line'' that is not
normally used by software, this fact can be indicated. If
the status line is viewed as an extra line below the bottom
line, into which a program can cursor address normally (such
as the Heathkit h19's 25th line, or the 24th line of a VT100
which is set to a 23-line scrolling region), the capability
hs should be given. Special strings that go to a given
column of the status line and return from the status line
can be given as tsl and fsl. (fsl must leave the cursor
position in the same place it was before tsl. If necessary,
the sc and rc strings can be included in tsl and fsl to get
this effect.) The capability tsl takes one parameter, which
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 28
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
is the column number of the new cursor position in the
status line.
If escape sequences and other special commands, such as tab,
work while in the status line, the flag eslok can be given.
A string which turns off the status line (or otherwise
erases its contents) should be given as dsl. If the
terminal has commands to save and restore the position of
the cursor, give them as sc and rc. The status line is
normally assumed to be the same width as the rest of the
screen, e.g., cols. If the status line is a different width
(possibly because the terminal does not allow an entire line
to be loaded) the width, in columns, can be indicated with
the numeric parameter wsl.
11. Line Graphics
If the terminal has a line drawing alternate character set,
the mapping of glyph to character would be given in acsc.
The definition of this string is based on the alternate
character set used in the DEC VT100 terminal, extended
slightly with some characters from the AT&T 4410v1 terminal.
glyph name vt100+
character
arrow pointing right +
arrow pointing left ,
arrow pointing down .
solid square block 0
lantern symbol I
arrow pointing up -
diamond `
checker board (stipple) a
degree symbol f
plus/minus g
board of squares h
lower right corner j
upper right corner k
upper left corner l
lower left corner m
plus n
scan line 1 o
horizontal line q
scan line 9 s
left tee (†) t
right tee (-|) u
bottom tee (|) v
top tee w
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 29
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
vertical line x
bullet ~
The best way to describe a new terminal's line graphics set
is to add a third column to the above table with the
characters for the new terminal that produce the appropriate
glyphs when the terminal is in the alternate character set
mode. For example,
glyph name vt100+ new tty
char char
upper left corner l R
lower left corner m F
upper right corner k T
lower right corner j G
horizontal line q ,
vertical line x .
Now write down the characters left to right, as in
acsc=lRmFkTjGq\,x.
12. Color Manipulation
Let us define two methods of color manipulation: the
Tektronix method and the HP method. The Tektronix method
uses a set of N predefined colors (usually 8) from which a
program can select "current" foreground and background
colors. Thus a terminal can support up to N colors mixed
into N*N color-pairs to be displayed on the screen at the
same time. When using an HP method the program cannot
define the foreground independently of the background, or
vice-versa. Instead, the program must define an entire
color-pair at once. Up to M color-pairs, made from 2*M
different colors, can be defined this way. Most existing
color terminals belong to one of these two classes.
The numeric capabilities colors and pairs define the number
of colors and color-pairs that can be displayed on the
screen at the same time. If a terminal can change the
definition of a color (for example, the Tektronix 4100 and
4200 series terminals), this should be specified with the
boolean capability ccc (can change color). To change the
definition of a color (Tektronix method), use the
parameterized string capability initc (initialize color).
It requires four parameters: color number (ranging from 0
to colors-1) and three RGB (red, green, and blue) values
(ranging from 0 to 1000).
Tektronix 4100 series terminals use a type of color notation
called HLS (Hue Lightness Saturation) instead of RGB color
notation. For such terminals one must define a boolean
capability hls. The last three parameters of the initc
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 30
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
string would then be HLS values: H, ranging from 0 to 360;
and L and S, ranging from 0 to 100.
To set the current foreground or background to a given
color, use parameterized string capabilities setf (set
foreground) and setb (set background). They each require
one parameter: the number of the color. To initialize a
color-pair (HP method), use initp (initialize pair). It
requires seven parameters: the number of a color-pair
(ranging from 0 to pairs-1), and six RGB values: three for
the foreground followed by three for the background. (When
initc or initp is used, RGB or HLS arguments should be in
the order "red, green, blue" or "hue, lightness,
saturation", respectively.) To make a color-pair current,
use the parameterized string capability scp (set color-
pair). It takes one parameter, the number of a color-pair.
If a terminal can change the definitions of colors, but uses
a color notation different from RGB and HLS, a mapping to
either RGB or HLS must be developed and encoded in the initc
and initp capabilities.
Some terminals (for example, most color terminal emulators
for PCs) erase areas of the screen using the current
background color. In such cases, the boolean capability bce
(background color erase) should be defined. The string
capability op (original pair) contains a sequence for
setting the foreground and background colors to what they
were at the terminal start-up time. Similarly, oc (original
colors) contains a sequence for setting all colors (for the
Tektronix method) or color-pairs (for the HP method) to the
values they had at the terminal start-up time.
Some video attributes on some color terminals should not be
combined with colors. For instance, some color terminals
substitute color for video attributes, so each attribute can
be displayed in only one color. Information about these
video attributes should be packed into the numeric
capability ncv (no color video). There is a one-to-one
correspondence between the nine least significant bits of
this capability and the video attributes. The following
table depicts this correspondence.
Bit Decimal
Attribute Position Value
_________________________________
A_STANDOUT 0 1
A_UNDERLINE 1 2
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 31
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
A_REVERSE 2 4
A_BLINK 3 8
A_DIM 4 16
A_BOLD 5 32
A_INVIS 6 64
A_PROTECT 7 128
A_ALTCHARSET 8 256
When a particular video attribute should not be used with
colors, the corresponding ncv bit should be set to 1;
otherwise it should be set to zero. To determine the
information to pack into the ncv capability, you must add
together the decimal values corresponding to those
attributes that cannot coexist with colors. For example, if
the terminal uses colors to simulate reverse video (bit
number 2 and decimal value 4) and bold (bit number 5 and
decimal value 32), the resulting value for ncv will be 36 (4
+ 32).
13. Miscellaneous
If the terminal requires any character other than a null
(zero) as a pad, then this can be given as pad. Only the
first character of the pad string is used. If the terminal
does not have a pad character, specify npc.
If the terminal can move up or down half a line, this can be
indicated with hu (half-line up) and hd (half-line down).
This is primarily useful for superscripts and subscripts on
hardcopy terminals. If a hardcopy terminal can eject to the
next page (form feed), give this as ff (usually ^L).
If there is a command to repeat a given character a given
number of times (to save time transmitting a large number of
identical characters) this can be indicated with the
parameterized string rep. The first parameter is the
character to be repeated and the second is the number of
times to repeat it. Thus, tparm(repeatchar, 'x', 10)
produces the same effect as xxxxxxxxxx.
If the terminal has a programmable command character, such
as the Tektronix 4025, this can be indicated with cmdch. A
prototype command character is chosen which is used in all
capabilities. This character is given in the cmdch
capability to identify it. The following convention is
supported on some UNIX systems: If the environment variable
CC exists, all occurrences of the prototype character are
replaced with the character in CC.
Terminal descriptions that do not represent a specific kind
of known terminal, such as switch, dialup, patch, and
network, should include the gn (generic) capability so that
programs can complain that they do not know how to talk to
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 32
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
the terminal. (This capability does not apply to virtual
terminal descriptions for which the escape sequences are
known.) If the terminal is one of those supported by the
UNIX system virtual terminal protocol, the terminal number
can be given as vt. A line-turn-around sequence to be
transmitted before doing reads should be specified in rfi.
If the terminal uses XON/XOFF handshaking for flow control,
define xon. Padding information should still be included so
that routines can make better decisions about costs, but
actual pad characters are not transmitted. Sequences to
turn on and off XON/XOFF handshaking may be given in smxon
and rmxon. If the characters used for handshaking are not
<Ctrl-S> and <Ctrl-Q>, they may be specified with xonc and
xoffc.
If the terminal has a ``meta key'' which acts as a shift
key, setting the eighth bit of any character transmitted,
this can be specified with the boolean capability km.
Otherwise, software assumes that the eighth bit is parity
and it is usually cleared. If strings exist to turn this
``meta mode'' on and off, they can be specified as smm and
rmm.
If the terminal has more lines of memory than can fit on the
screen at once, the number of lines of memory can be
indicated with lm. A value of zero for lm indicates that
the number of lines is not fixed, but that there is still
more memory than fits on the screen.
If the terminal cursor can wrap around to the beginning of
the next line when it reaches the right margin, this can be
specified with the boolean capability am. If a string
exists to enable this wrapping, specify it as smam. A
string to make the cursor stick in the last column of a line
is specified as rmam.
Media copy strings which control an auxiliary printer
connected to the terminal can be given as mc0: print the
contents of the screen, mc4: turn off the printer, and mc5:
turn on the printer. When the printer is on, all text sent
to the terminal is sent to the printer. A variation, mc5p,
takes one parameter, and leaves the printer on for as many
characters as the value of the parameter, then turns the
printer off. The parameter should not exceed 255. If the
text is not displayed on the terminal screen when the
printer is on, specify mc5i (silent printer). All text,
including mc4, is transparently passed to the printer while
an mc5p is in effect.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 33
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
14. Special Cases
The working model used by terminfo fits most terminals
reasonably well. However, some terminals do not completely
match that model, requiring special support by terminfo.
These are not meant to be construed as deficiencies in the
terminals; they are just differences between the working
model and the actual hardware. They may be unusual devices
or, for some reason, do not have all the features of the
terminfo model implemented.
Terminals which cannot display tilde (~) characters, such as
certain Hazeltine terminals, should indicate hz.
Terminals which ignore a linefeed immediately after an am
wrap, such as the Concept-100, should indicate xenl. Those
terminals whose cursor remains on the rightmost column until
another character has been received, rather than wrapping
immediately upon receiving the rightmost character, such as
the VT100, should also indicate xenl.
If el is required to get rid of standout mode (instead of
writing normal text on top of it), xhp should be given.
Those Teleray terminals whose tabs overwrite blanks should
indicate xt (destructive tabs). This capability is also
taken to mean that it is not possible to position the cursor
on top of a ``magic cookie''; therefore, to erase standout
mode, it is instead necessary to use delete and insert line.
Those Beehive Superbee terminals which do not transmit the
<ESC> or <Ctrl-C> characters should specify xsb, indicating
that the F1 key is to be used for <ESC> and the F2 key for
<Ctrl-C>.
Most terminals can use padding as an alternative to XON-XOFF
flow control. Some terminals, though, require XON-XOFF flow
control. For these, specify the boolean capability nxon.
TERMINFO PRINTER CAPABILITIES
The terminfo database allows you to define capabilities of
printers as well as terminals. To find out what
capabilities are available for printers as well as for
terminals, see the table in the "Device Capabilities"
section. Most subsections below are lettered for cross-
reference to that table.
Rounding Values
Because parameterized string capabilities work only with
integer values, we recommend that terminfo designers create
strings that expect numeric values that have been rounded.
Application designers should note this and should always
round values to the nearest integer before using them with a
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 34
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
parameterized string capability.
Printer Resolution
A printer's resolution is defined to be the smallest spacing
of characters it can achieve. In general printers have
independent resolution horizontally and vertically. Thus
the vertical resolution of a printer can be determined by
measuring the smallest achievable distance between
consecutive printing baselines, while the horizontal
resolution can be determined by measuring the smallest
achievable distance between the leftmost edges of
consecutive printed, identical, characters. (The terms
``smallest distance'' and ``smallest step'' will be used
later to refer to these smallest achievable distances.)
All printers are assumed to be capable of printing with a
uniform horizontal and vertical resolution. The view of
printing that terminfo currently presents is one of printing
inside a uniform matrix: All characters are printed at
fixed positions relative to each ``cell'' in the matrix;
furthermore, each cell has the same size given by the
smallest horizontal and vertical step sizes dictated by the
resolution. (The cell size can be changed as will be seen
later.)
Many printers are capable of ``proportional printing,''
where the horizontal spacing depends on the size of the
character last printed. Terminfo does not make use of this
capability, although it does provide enough capability
definitions to allow an application to simulate proportional
printing.
A printer must not only be capable of printing characters as
close together as the horizontal and vertical resolutions
suggest, but also of ``moving'' to a position an integral
multiple of the resolution from a previous position. Thus
printed characters can be spaced apart a distance that is an
integral multiple of the smallest distance, up to the length
or width of a single page.
Some printers can have different resolutions depending on
different ``modes.'' In ``normal mode,'' the existing
terminfo capabilities are assumed to work on columns and
lines, just like a video terminal. Thus the old lines
capability would give the length of a page in lines, and the
cols capability would give the width of a page in columns.
In ``micro mode,'' many terminfo capabilities work on
increments of lines and columns. With some printers the
micro mode may be concomitant with normal mode, so that all
the capabilities work at the same time.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 35
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
A. Specifying Printer Resolution
The printing resolution of a printer is given in several
ways. Each specifies the resolution as the number of
smallest steps per distance:
Numeric Capabilities for Specifying
Characteristic Number of Smallest Steps
__________________________________________
orhi Steps per inch horizontally
orvi Steps per inch vertically
orc Steps per column
orl Steps per line
When printing in normal mode, each character printed causes
movement to the next column, except in special cases
described later; the distance moved is the same as the per-
column resolution. Some printers cause an automatic
movement to the next line when a character is printed in the
rightmost position; the distance moved vertically is the
same as the per-line resolution. When printing in micro
mode, these distances can be different, and may be zero for
some printers.
Numeric Capabilities for Specifying
Automatic Motion after Printing
________________________________________
Normal Mode:
orc Steps moved horizontally
orl Steps moved vertically
Micro Mode:
mcs Steps moved horizontally
mls Steps moved vertically
Some printers are capable of printing wide characters. The
distance moved when a wide character is printed in normal
mode may be different from when a regular width character is
printed. The distance moved when a wide character is
printed in micro mode may also be different from when a
regular character is printed in micro mode, but the
differences are assumed to be related: If the distance
moved for a regular character is the same whether in normal
mode or micro mode (mcs=orc), then the distance moved for a
wide character is also the same whether in normal mode or
micro mode. This doesn't mean the normal character distance
is necessarily the same as the wide character distance, just
that the distances don't change with a change in normal to
micro mode. However, if the distance moved for a regular
character is different in micro mode from the distance moved
in normal mode (mcs<orc), the micro mode distance is assumed
to be the same for a wide character printed in micro mode,
as the table below shows.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 36
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
Numeric Capabilities for Specifying
Automatic Motion after Printing Wide Character
______________________________________________________
Normal Mode or Micro Mode (mcs = orc):
widcs Steps moved horizontally
Micro Mode (mcs < orc):
mcs Steps moved horizontally
There may be control sequences to change the number of
columns per inch (the character pitch) and to change the
number of lines per inch (the line pitch). If these are
used, the resolution of the printer changes, but the type of
change depends on the printer:
String and Boolean Capabilities for
Changing the Character/Line Pitches
______________________________________________________
cpi Change character pitch
cpix If set, cpi changes orhi, otherwise changes orc
lpi Change line pitch
lpix If set, lpi changes orvi, otherwise changes orl
chr Change steps per column
cvr Change steps per line
The cpi and lpi string capabilities each require a single
parameter, the pitch in columns (or characters) and lines
per inch, respectively. The chr and cvr string capabilities
each require a single parameter, the number of steps per
column and line, respectively.
Using any of the control sequences in these strings will
imply a change in some of the values of orc, orhi, orl, and
orvi. Also, the distance moved when a wide character is
printed, widcs, changes in relation to orc. The distance
moved when a character is printed in micro mode, mcs,
changes similarly, with one exception: if the distance is 0
or 1, then no change is assumed (see items marked with † in
the following table).
Programs that use cpi, lpi, chr, or cvr should recalculate
the printer resolution (and should recalculate other values
- see the topic "Effect of Changing Printing Resolution" in
the section "Dot-Matrix Graphics").
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 37
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
Specification of Printer Resolution
Effects of Changing the Character/Line Pitches
_________________________________________________
Before After
_________________________________________________
Using cpi with cpix clear:
orhi ' orhi
orhi
orc ' orc=Vcpi
Using cpi with cpix set:
orhi ' orhi=orc.Vcpi
orc ' orc
Using lpi with lpix clear:
orvi ' orvi
orvi
orl ' orl=Vlpi
Using lpi with lpix set:
orvi ' orvi=orl.Vlpi
orl ' orl
Using chr:
orhi ' orhi
orc ' Vchr
Using cvr:
orvi ' orvi
orl ' Vcvr
Using cpi or chr:
_orc
widcs ' widcs=widcs 'orc '
_orc
mcs '† mcs=mcs 'orc '
Vcpi, Vlpi, Vchr, and Vcvr are the parameters required by
cpi, lpi, chr, and cvr, respectively. The ' mark indicates
the old value.
B. Capabilities that Cause Movement
In the following descriptions, ``movement'' refers to the
motion of the ``current position.'' With video terminals
this would be the cursor; with some printers this is the
carriage position. Other printers have different
equivalents. In general, the current position is where a
character would be displayed if printed.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 38
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
Terminfo has string capabilities for control sequences that
cause movement a number of full columns or lines. It also
has equivalent string capabilities for control sequences
that cause movement a number of smallest steps.
String Capabilities for Specifying
Single and Multiple Motions
__________________________________
mcub1 Move 1 step left
mcuf1 Move 1 step right
mcuu1 Move 1 step up
mcud1 Move 1 step down
mcub Move N steps left
mcuf Move N steps right
mcuu Move N steps up
mcud Move N steps down
mhpa Move N steps from the left
mvpa Move N steps from the top
The latter six strings each require a single parameter, N.
Some printers limit the motion to less than the width or
length of a page. Also, some printers don't accept absolute
motion to the left of the current position. Terminfo has
capabilities for specifying these limits.
Numeric and Boolean Capabilities for
Specifying Limits to Motion
______________________________________________________
mjump Limit on use of mcub1, mcuf1, mcuu1, and mcud1
maddr Limit on use of mhpa and mvpa
xhpa If set, hpa and mhpa cannot move left
xvpa If set, vpa and mvpa cannot move up
If a printer needs to be in a ``micro mode'' for the motion
capabilities described above to work, there are string
capabilities defined to enter and exit this mode. A boolean
capability is available for those printers where using a
carriage return causes an automatic return to normal mode.
String and Boolean Capabilities for
Entering and Exiting Micro Mode
_________________________________________
smicm Enter micro mode
rmicm Exit micro mode
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 39
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
crxm If set, using cr exits micro mode
The movement made when a character is printed in the
rightmost position varies among printers. Some make no
movement, some move to the beginning of the next line,
others move to the beginning of the same line. Terminfo has
boolean capabilities for describing all three cases.
Boolean Capabilities for Specifying
What Happens After Character
Printed in Rightmost Position
______________________________________________
sam Automatic move to beginning of same line
Some printers can be put in a mode where the normal
direction of motion is reversed. This mode can be
especially useful when there are no capabilities for
leftward or upward motion, because those capabilities can be
built from the motion reversal capability and the rightward
or downward motion capabilities. It is best to leave it up
to an application to build the leftward or upward
capabilities, though, and not enter them in the terminfo
database. This allows several reverse motions to be strung
together without intervening wasted steps that leave and
reenter reverse mode.
String Capabilities for
Entering and Exiting Reverse Modes
___________________________________________
slm Reverse sense of horizontal motions
rlm Restore sense of horizontal motions
sum Reverse sense of vertical motions
rum Restore sense of vertical motions
While sense of horizontal motions reversed:
mcub1 Move 1 step right
mcuf1 Move 1 step left
mcub Move N steps right
mcuf Move N steps left
cub1 Move 1 column right
cuf1 Move 1 column left
cub Move N columns right
cuf Move N columns left
While sense of vertical motions reversed:
mcuu1 Move 1 step down
mcud1 Move 1 step up
mcuu Move N steps down
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 40
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
mcud Move N steps up
cuu1 Move 1 line down
cud1 Move 1 line up
cuu Move N lines down
cud Move N lines up
The reverse motion modes should not affect the mvpa and mhpa
absolute motion capabilities. The reverse vertical motion
mode should, however, also reverse the action of the line
``wrapping'' that occurs when a character is printed in the
rightmost position. Thus printers that have the standard
terminfo capability am defined should experience motion to
the beginning of the previous line when a character is
printed in the rightmost position under reverse vertical
motion mode.
The action when any other motion capabilities are used in
reverse motion modes is not defined; thus, programs must
exit reverse motion modes before using other motion
capabilities.
Two miscellaneous capabilities complete the list of new
motion capabilities. One of these is needed for printers
that move the current position to the beginning of a line
when certain control characters, such as ``linefeed'' or
``formfeed,'' are used. The other is used for the
capability of suspending the motion that normally occurs
after printing a character.
String Capabilities for Specifying
Miscellaneous Motion
________________________________________________________________
docr List of control characters causing cr
zerom Prevent auto motion after printing next single character
C. Margins
Terminfo provides two strings for setting margins on
terminals: one for the left margin and one for the right.
Printers, however, have two additional margins, for the top
and bottom of each page. Furthermore, instead of using
motion strings to move the current position to a margin and
then fixing the margin there, some printers require the
specification of where a margin should be regardless of the
current position. Therefore terminfo offers six additional
strings for defining margins with printers.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 41
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
String Capabilities for
Setting Margins
__________________________________________
smgl Set left margin at current column
smgr Set right margin at current column
smgb Set bottom margin at current line
smgt Set top margin at current line
smgbp Set bottom margin at line N
smglp Set left margin at column N
smgrp Set right margin at column N
smgtp Set top margin at line N
The last four strings each require one or more parameters
that give the position of the margin or margins to set. If
both of smglp and smgrp are defined, each requires a single
parameter, N, that gives the column number of the left and
right margin, respectively. If both of smgtp and smgbp are
defined, they are used to set the top and bottom margin,
respectively: smgtp requires a single parameter, N, the
line number of the top margin; however, smgbp requires two
parameters, N and M, that each give the line number of the
bottom margin, the first counting from the top of the page
and the second counting from the bottom. This accommodates
the two methods used by different manufacturers to specify
the bottom margin. When coding a terminfo entry for a
printer that has a settable bottom margin, only the first or
second parameter should be used, depending on the printer.
When writing an application that uses smgbp to set the
bottom margin, both arguments must be given.
If only one of smglp and smgrp is defined, then it requires
two parameters, the column numbers of the left and right
margins, in that order. Likewise, if only one of smgtp and
smgbp is set, then it requires two parameters that give the
top and bottom margins, in that order, counting from the top
of the page. Thus when coding a terminfo entry for a
printer that requires setting both left and right or top and
bottom margins simultaneously, only one of smglp and smgrp,
or smgtp and smgbp, should be defined; the other capability
of the pair should not be included in the entry. When
writing an application that uses these string capabilities,
each pair should first be checked to see if both members of
the pair are defined or if only one is defined; the defined
capabilities should then be instantiated accordingly.
In counting lines or columns, line zero is the top line and
column zero is the leftmost column. A zero value for the
second argument with smgbp means the bottom line of the
page.
All margins can be cleared with mgc.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 42
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
D. Shadows, Italics, Wide Characters, Superscripts, Subscripts
Five new sets of string capabilities are used to describe
the methods printers have of enhancing printed text.
String Capabilities for Specifying
Enhanced Printing
____________________________________________________
sshm Enter shadow-printing mode
rshm Exit shadow-printing mode
sitm Enter italicizing mode
ritm Exit italicizing mode
swidm Enter wide character mode
rwidm Exit wide character mode
ssupm Enter superscript mode
rsupm Exit superscript mode
supcs List of characters available as superscripts
ssubm Enter subscript mode
rsubm Exit subscript mode
subcs List of characters available as subscripts
If a printer requires the sshm control sequence before every
character to be shadow-printed, the rshm string should be
left undefined. Thus programs that find a control sequence
in sshm but none in rshm should use the sshm control
sequence before every character to be shadow-printed;
otherwise, the sshm control sequence should be used once
before the set of characters to be shadow-printed, followed
by rshm. The same is also true of each of the sitm/ritm,
swidm/rwidm, ssupm/rsupm, and ssubm/rsubm pairs.
Note that terminfo also has a capability for printing
emboldened text (bold). While shadow printing and
emboldened printing are similar in that they ``darken'' the
text, many printers produce these two types of print in
slightly different ways. Generally, emboldened printing is
done by overstriking the same character one or more times.
Shadow printing likewise usually involves overstriking, but
with a slight movement up and/or to the side so that the
character is ``fatter.''
Terminfo requires that enhanced printing modes be
independent, so that it would be possible, for instance, to
shadow print italicized subscripts.
As mentioned earlier, the amount of motion automatically
made after printing a wide character should be given in the
numeric capability widcs.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 43
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
If only a subset of the printable ASCII characters can be
printed as superscripts or subscripts, they should be listed
in the supcs or subcs strings, respectively. If the ssupm
(or ssubm) string contains control sequences, but the
corresponding supcs (or subcs) string is undefined, a
program can assume that all printable ASCII characters are
available as superscripts (or subscripts).
Automatic motion made after printing a superscript or
subscript must be the same as for regular characters. Thus,
for example, printing any of the following two-character
sequences will result in equivalent motion: Bi Bi Bi
Note that the existing msgr boolean capability describes
whether motion control sequences can be used while in
``standout mode.'' This capability has been extended to
cover the enhanced printing modes added here. msgr should
be set for those printers that accept any motion control
sequences without affecting shadow, italicized, widened,
superscript, or subscript printing. Conversely, if msgr is
not set, a program should exit these modes before attempting
any motion.
E. Alternate Character Sets
In addition to allowing you to define line graphics
(described in the "Line Graphics" section), terminfo lets
you define alternate character sets. The following
capabilities cover printers and terminals with multiple
selectable or definable character sets.
String and Boolean Capabilities for Specifying
Alternate Character Sets
_________________________________________________________
scs Select character set N
scsd Start definition of character set N, M characters
defc Define character A, B dots wide, descender D
rcsd End definition of character set N
csnm List of character set names
daisy If set, printer has manually changed print wheels
The scs, rcsd, and csnm strings each require a single
parameter, N, a number from 0 to 63 that identifies the
character set. The scsd string also requires the parameter
N and another, M, that gives the number of characters in the
set. The defc string requires three parameters: A gives
the ASCII code representation for the character, B gives the
width of the character in dots, and D is zero or one
depending on whether the character is a ``descender'' or
not. The defc string is also followed by a string of
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 44
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
``image data'' bytes that describe how the character looks
(see below).
Character set 0 is the default character set present after
the printer has been initialized. Not every printer has 64
character sets, of course; using scs with an argument that
doesn't select an available character set should cause a
null result from tparm().
If a character set has to be defined before it can be used,
the scsd control sequence must be used before defining the
character set, and rcsd must be used after. They should
also cause a null result from tparm() when used with an
argument N that doesn't apply. If a character set still has
to be selected after being defined, the scs control sequence
must follow the rcsd control sequence. By examining the
results of using each of the scs, scsd, and rcsd strings
with a character set number in a call to tparm(), a program
can determine which of the three are needed.
Between use of the scsd and rcsd strings, the defc string
should be used to define each character. To print any
character on printers covered by terminfo, the ASCII code is
sent to the printer. This is true for characters in an
alternate set as well as ``normal'' characters. Thus the
definition of a character includes the ASCII code that
represents it. In addition, the width of the character in
dots is given, along with an indication of whether the
character should descend below the print line (such as the
lower case letter g in most character sets). The width of
the character in dots also indicates the number of image
data bytes that will follow the defc string. These image
data bytes indicate where in a dot-matrix pattern ink should
be applied to ``draw'' the character; the number of these
bytes and their form are defined below in the "Dot-Matrix
Graphics" section.
It's easiest for the creator of terminfo entries to refer to
each character set by number; however, these numbers will be
meaningless to the application developer. The csnm string
alleviates this problem by providing names for each number.
When used with a character set number in a call to tparm(),
the csnm string will produce the equivalent name. These
names should be used as a reference only. No naming
convention is specified, although anyone who creates a
terminfo entry for a printer should use names consistent
with the names found in user documents for the printer.
Application developers should allow a user to specify a
character set by number (leaving it up to the user to
examine the csnm string to determine the correct number), or
by name, where the application examines the csnm string to
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 45
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
determine the corresponding character set number.
The boolean daisy indicates printers that have manually
changed print wheels or font cartridges. However, the
capabilities described above are likely to be used only with
dot-matrix printers.
F. Dot-Matrix Graphics
Dot-matrix printers typically have the capability of
reproducing ``raster graphics'' images. Three new numeric
capabilities and three new string capabilities help a
program draw raster graphics images independent of the type
of dot-matrix printer or the number of pins or dots the
printer can handle at one time.
Numeric and String Capabilities for Specifying
Dot-Matrix Graphics
_______________________________________________________
npins Number of pins, N, in print head
spinv Spacing of pins vertically in pins per inch
spinh Spacing of dots horizontally in dots per inch
porder Matches software bits to print head pins
sbim Start printing bit image graphics, B bits wide
rbim End printing bit image graphics
The sbim sring requires a single parameter, B, the width of
the image in dots.
The model of dot-matrix or raster graphics that terminfo
presents is similar to the technique used for most dot-
matrix printers: Each pass of the printer's print head is
assumed to produce a dot-matrix that is N dots high and B
dots wide. This is typically a wide, squat, rectangle of
dots. The height of this rectangle in dots will vary from
one printer to the next; this is given in the npins numeric
capability. The size of the rectangle in fractions of an
inch will also vary; it can be deduced from the spinv and
spinh numeric capabilities. With these three values an
application can divide a complete raster graphics image into
several horizontal strips, perhaps interpolating to account
for different dot spacing vertically and horizontally.
The sbim and rbim strings start and end a dot-matrix image,
respectively. The sbim string requires a single parameter
that gives the width of the dot-matrix in dots. A sequence
of ``image data'' bytes is sent to the printer after the
sbim string and before the rbim string. The number of bytes
is an integral multiple of the width of the dot-matrix; the
multiple and the form of each byte are determined by the
porder string as described below.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 46
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
The porder string is a comma-separated list of pin numbers
optionally followed by a numerical offset. The offset, if
given, is separated from the list with a semicolon. The
position of each pin number in the list corresponds to a bit
in an eight-bit data byte. The pins are numbered
consecutively from 1 to npins, with 1 being the top pin.
Note that the term ``pin'' is used loosely here; ``ink-jet''
dot-matrix printers don't have pins, but can be considered
to have an equivalent method of applying a single dot of ink
to paper. The bit positions in porder are in groups of
eight; the first position of each group is the most
significant bit and the last position is the least
significant bit. An application produces eight-bit bytes in
the order of the groups in porder .
An application computes the ``image data'' bytes from its
internal image, mapping vertical dot positions in each print
head pass into eight-bit bytes, using a 1 bit where ink
should be applied and 0 where no ink should be applied.
This can be reversed (0 bit for ink, 1 bit for no ink) by
giving a negative pin number in porder. If a position is
skipped in porder, a 0 bit is assumed (indicating no ink can
be applied for this position). If a position has a lower
case `x' instead of a pin number, a 1 bit is assumed
(indicating ink is always applied for this position). For
consistency, a lower case `o' can be used to represent a 0
filled (no-ink) bit. There must be a multiple of 8 bit
positions used or skipped in porder ; if not, 0 bits are
used to fill the last byte in the least significant bits.
The offset, if given, is added to each data byte; the offset
can be negative.
Some examples may help clarify the use of the porder string.
The AT&T 470, AT&T 475 and C.Itoh 8510 printers provide
eight pins for graphics. The pins are identified top to
bottom by the 8 bits in a byte, from least significant to
most. The porder strings for these printers would be
8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1. The AT&T 478 and AT&T 479 printers also
provide eight pins for graphics. However, the pins are
identified in the reverse order. The porder strings for
these printers would be 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. The AT&T 5310,
AT&T 5320, DEC LA100, and DEC LN03 printers provide six pins
for graphics. The pins are identified top to bottom by the
decimal values 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32. These correspond to
the low six bits in an 8-bit byte, although the decimal
values are further offset by the value 63. The porder
string for these printers would be ,,6,5,4,3,2,1;63, or
alternately o,o,6,5,4,3,2,1;63.
G. Effect of Changing Printing Resolution
If the control sequences to change the character pitch or
the line pitch are used, the pin or dot spacing may change:
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 47
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
String and Boolean Capabilities for
Changing the Character and Line Pitches
________________________________________
cpi Change character pitch
cpix If set, cpi changes spinh
lpi Change line pitch
lpix If set, lpi changes spinv
Programs that use cpi or lpi should recalculate the dot
spacing:
Dot-Matrix Graphics
Effects of Changing the Character and Line Pitches
___________________________________________________
Before After
___________________________________________________
Using cpi with cpix clear:
spinh ' spinh
Using cpi with cpix set: _orhi
spinh ' spinh=spinh '.orhi '
Using lpi with lpix clear:
spinv ' spinv
Using lpi with lpix set: _orhi
spinv ' spinv=spinv '.orhi '
Using chr:
spinh ' spinh
Using cvr:
spinv ' spinv
orhi' and orhi are the values of the horizontal resolution
in steps per inch, before using cpi and after using cpi,
respectively. Likewise, orvi' and orvi are the values of
the vertical resolution in steps per inch, before using lpi
and after using lpi, respectively. Thus, the changes in the
dots per inch for dot-matrix graphics follow the changes in
steps per inch for printer resolution.
H. Print Quality
Many dot-matrix printers can alter the dot spacing of
printed text to produce ``near-letter-quality'' printing or
``draft quality'' printing. Usually it is important to be
able to choose one or the other because the rate of printing
generally falls off as the quality improves. There are
three new string capabilities used to describe these print
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 48
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
quality levels.
String Capabilities for Specifying
Print Quality
________________________________________
snlq Set near-letter-quality printing
snrmq Set normal quality printing
sdrfq Set draft quality printing
The capabilities are listed in decreasing levels of quality.
If a printer doesn't have all three levels, one or two of
the strings should be left undefined as appropriate.
I. Printing Rate and Buffer Size
Because there is no standard protocol that can be used to
keep a program synchronized with a printer, and because
modern printers can buffer data before printing it, a
program generally cannot determine at any time what has been
printed. However, two new numeric capabilities can help a
program estimate what has been printed.
Numeric Capabilities for Specifying
Print Rate and Buffer Size
___________________________________________________
cps Nominal print rate in characters per second
bufsz Buffer capacity in characters
cps is the nominal or average rate at which the printer
prints characters; if this value is not given, the rate
should be estimated at one-tenth the prevailing baud rate.
bufsz is the maximum number of subsequent characters
buffered before the guaranteed printing of an earlier
character, assuming proper flow control has been used. If
this value is not given it is assumed that the printer does
not buffer characters, but prints them as they are received.
As an example, if a printer has a 1000-character buffer,
then sending the letter a followed by 1000 additional
characters is guaranteed to cause the letter a to print. If
the same printer prints at the rate of 100 characters per
second, then it should take 10 seconds to print all the
characters in the buffer, less if the buffer is not full.
By keeping track of the characters sent to a printer, and
determining the print rate and buffer size, a program can
synchronize itself with the printer.
Note that most printer manufacturers advertise the maximum
print rate, not the nominal print rate. A good way to get a
value for cps is to generate a few pages of text, count the
number of printable characters, and then see how long it
takes to print the text.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 49
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
Applications that use these values should recognize the
variability in print rate. Straight text, in short lines,
with no embedded control sequences will probably print at
close to the advertised print rate and probably faster than
the rate in cps. Graphics data with a lot of control
sequences, or very long lines of text, will print at well
below the advertised rate and below the rate in cps. If the
application is using cps to decide how long it should take a
printer to print a block of text, the application should pad
the estimate. If the application is using cps to decide how
much text has already been printed, it should shrink the
estimate. The application will thus err in favor of the
user, who wants, above all, to see all the output in its
correct place.
TERMINFO/TERMCAP CORRESPONDENCE
The table below presents the correspondence between terminfo
and termcap(5) codes. The first two columns correspond to
the first two columns in the previously presented table of
terminfo capabilities. The last column shows the Termcap
Code, which is the two-letter code that corresponds to the
termcap(5) capability. The table is sorted alphabetically
by Capname.
Variable Cap- Termcap
name Code
acs_chars acsc ac
auto_right_margin am am
back_color_erase bce be
bell bel bl
enter_blink_mode blink mb
enter_bold_mode bold md
buffer_capacity bufsz Ya
auto_left_margin bw bw
back_tab cbt bt
can_change ccc cc
change_res_horz chr ZC
hard_cursor chts HC
cursor_invisible civis vi
clear_screen clear cl
command_character cmdch CC
cursor_normal cnorm ve
max_colors colors Co
columns cols co
change_char_pitch cpi ZA
cpi_changes_res cpix YF
print_rate cps Ym
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 50
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
carriage_return cr cr
cr_cancels_micro_mode crxm YB
char_set_names csnm Zy
change_scroll_region csr cs
parm_left_cursor cub LE
cursor_left cub1 le
parm_down_cursor cud DO
cursor_down cud1 do
parm_right_cursor cuf RI
cursor_right cuf1 nd
cursor_address cup cm
parm_up_cursor cuu UP
cursor_up cuu1 up
change_res_vert cvr ZD
cursor_visible cvvis vs
memory_above da da
has_print_wheel daisy YC
memory_below db db
parm_dch dch DC
delete_character dch1 dc
define_char defc ZE
enter_dim_mode dim mh
parm_delete_line dl DL
delete_line dl1 dl
these_cause_cr docr Zw
dis_status_line dsl ds
erase_chars ech ec
clr_eos ed cd
clr_eol el ce
clr_bol el1 cb
ena_acs enacs eA
erase_overstrike eo eo
status_line_esc_ok eslok es
form_feed ff ff
flash_screen flash vb
from_status_line fsl fs
generic_type gn gn
hard_copy hc hc
down_half_line hd hd
hue_lightness_saturation hls hl
cursor_home home ho
column_address hpa ch
has_status_line hs hs
tab ht ta
set_tab hts st
up_half_line hu hu
tilde_glitch hz hz
parm_ich ich IC
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 51
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
insert_character ich1 ic
init_file if if
parm_insert_line il AL
insert_line il1 al
insert_null_glitch in in
scroll_forward ind sf
parm_index indn SF
initialize_color initc Ic
initialize_pair initp Ip
enter_secure_mode invis mk
insert_padding ip ip
init_prog iprog iP
init_1string is1 i1
init_2string is2 is
init_3string is3 i3
init_tabs it it
key_sbeg kBEG &9
key_scancel kCAN &0
key_scommand kCMD *1
key_scopy kCPY *2
key_screate kCRT *3
key_sdc kDC *4
key_sdl kDL *5
key_send kEND *7
key_seol kEOL *8
key_sexit kEXT *9
key_sfind kFND *0
key_shelp kHLP #1
key_shome kHOM #2
key_sic kIC #3
key_sleft kLFT #4
key_smove kMOV %b
key_smessage kMSG %a
key_snext kNXT %c
key_soptions kOPT %d
key_sprint kPRT %f
key_sprevious kPRV %e
key_sredo kRDO %g
key_srsume kRES %j
key_sright kRIT %i
key_sreplace kRPL %h
key_ssave kSAV !1
key_ssuspend kSPD !2
key_sundo kUND !3
key_a1 ka1 K1
key_a3 ka3 K3
key_b2 kb2 K2
key_beg kbeg @1
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 52
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
key_backspace kbs kb
key_c1 kc1 K4
key_c3 kc3 K5
key_cancel kcan @2
key_btab kcbt kB
key_close kclo @3
key_clear kclr kC
key_command kcmd @4
key_copy kcpy @5
key_create kcrt @6
key_ctab kctab kt
key_left kcub1 kl
key_down kcud1 kd
key_right kcuf1 kr
key_up kcuu1 ku
key_dc kdch1 kD
key_dl kdl1 kL
key_eos ked kS
key_eol kel kE
key_end kend @7
key_enter kent @8
key_exit kext @9
key_f0 kf0 k0
key_f1 kf1 k1
key_f10 kf10 k;
key_f11 kf11 F1
key_f12 kf12 F2
key_f13 kf13 F3
key_f14 kf14 F4
key_f15 kf15 F5
key_f16 kf16 F6
key_f17 kf17 F7
key_f18 kf18 F8
key_f19 kf19 F9
key_f2 kf2 k2
key_f20 kf20 FA
key_f21 kf21 FB
key_f22 kf22 FC
key_f23 kf23 FD
key_f24 kf24 FE
key_f25 kf25 FF
key_f26 kf26 FG
key_f27 kf27 FH
key_f28 kf28 FI
key_f29 kf29 FJ
key_f3 kf3 k3
key_f30 kf30 FK
key_f31 kf31 FL
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 53
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
key_f32 kf32 FM
key_f33 kf33 FN
key_f34 kf34 FO
key_f35 kf35 FP
key_f36 kf36 FQ
key_f37 kf37 FR
key_f38 kf38 FS
key_f39 kf39 FT
key_f4 kf4 k4
key_f40 kf40 FU
key_f41 kf41 FV
key_f42 kf42 FW
key_f43 kf43 FX
key_f44 kf44 FY
key_f45 kf45 FZ
key_f46 kf46 Fa
key_f47 kf47 Fb
key_f48 kf48 Fc
key_f49 kf49 Fd
key_f5 kf5 k5
key_f50 kf50 Fe
key_f51 kf51 Ff
key_f52 kf52 Fg
key_f53 kf53 Fh
key_f54 kf54 Fi
key_f55 kf55 Fj
key_f56 kf56 Fk
key_f57 kf57 Fl
key_f58 kf58 Fm
key_f59 kf59 Fn
key_f6 kf6 k6
key_f60 kf60 Fo
key_f61 kf61 Fp
key_f62 kf62 Fq
key_f63 kf63 Fr
key_f7 kf7 k7
key_f8 kf8 k8
key_f9 kf9 k9
key_find kfnd @0
key_help khlp %1
key_home khome kh
key_stab khts kT
key_ic kich1 kI
key_il kil1 kA
key_sf kind kF
key_ll kll kH
has_meta_key km km
key_move kmov %4
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 54
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
key_mark kmrk %2
key_message kmsg %3
key_npage knp kN
key_next knxt %5
key_open kopn %6
key_options kopt %7
key_ppage kpp kP
key_print kprt %9
key_previous kprv %8
key_redo krdo %0
key_reference kref &1
key_resume kres &5
key_refresh krfr &2
key_sr kri kR
key_eic krmir kM
key_replace krpl &3
key_restart krst &4
key_save ksav &6
key_select kslt *6
key_suspend kspd &7
key_catab ktbc ka
key_undo kund &8
lab_f0 lf0 l0
lab_f1 lf1 l1
lab_f10 lf10 la
lab_f2 lf2 l2
lab_f3 lf3 l3
lab_f4 lf4 l4
lab_f5 lf5 l5
lab_f6 lf6 l6
lab_f7 lf7 l7
lab_f8 lf8 l8
lab_f9 lf9 l9
label_height lh lh
lines lines li
cursor_to_ll ll ll
lines_of_memory lm lm
change_line_pitch lpi ZB
lpi_changes_res lpix YG
label_width lw lw
max_micro_address maddr Yd
print_screen mc0 ps
prtr_off mc4 pf
prtr_on mc5 po
prtr_silent mc5i 5i
prtr_non mc5p pO
micro_col_size mcs Yf
parm_left_micro mcub Zg
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 55
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
micro_left mcub1 Za
parm_down_micro mcud Zf
micro_down mcud1 ZZ
parm_right_micro mcuf Zh
micro_right mcuf1 Zb
parm_up_micro mcuu Zi
micro_up mcuu1 Zd
clear_margins mgc MC
micro_column_address mhpa ZY
move_insert_mode mir mi
max_micro_jump mjump Ye
micro_line_size mls Yg
cursor_mem_address mrcup CM
move_standout_mode msgr ms
micro_row_address mvpa Zc
no_color_video ncv NC
newline nel nw
num_labels nlab Nl
no_pad_char npc NP
number_of_pins npins Yh
non_rev_rmcup nrrmc NR
needs_xon_xoff nxon nx
orig_colors oc oc
orig_pair op op
output_res_char orc Yi
output_res_horz_inch orhi Yk
output_res_line orl Yj
output_res_vert_inch orvi Yl
over_strike os os
pad_char pad pc
max_pairs pairs pa
padding_baud_rate pb pb
pkey_key pfkey pk
pkey_local pfloc pl
pkey_xmit pfx px
plab_norm pln pn
order_of_pins porder Ze
enter_protected_mode prot mp
stop_bit_image rbim Zs
restore_cursor rc rc
stop_char_set_def rcsd Zt
repeat_char rep rp
enter_reverse_mode rev mr
reset_file rf rf
req_for_input rfi RF
scroll_reverse ri sr
parm_rindex rin SR
exit_italics_mode ritm ZR
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 56
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
exit_leftward_mode rlm ZS
exit_alt_charset_mode rmacs ae
exit_am_mode rmam RA
exit_ca_mode rmcup te
exit_delete_mode rmdc ed
exit_micro_mode rmicm ZT
exit_insert_mode rmir ei
keypad_local rmkx ke
label_off rmln LF
meta_off rmm mo
char_padding rmp rP
exit_standout_mode rmso se
exit_underline_mode rmul ue
exit_xon_mode rmxon RX
reset_1string rs1 r1
reset_2string rs2 r2
reset_3string rs3 r3
exit_shadow_mode rshm ZU
exit_subscript_mode rsubm ZV
exit_superscript_mode rsupm ZW
exit_upward_mode rum ZX
exit_doublewide_mode rwidm ZQ
semi_auto_right_margin sam YE
start_bit_image sbim Zq
save_cursor sc sc
set_color_pair scp sp
select_char_set scs Zj
start_char_set_def scsd Zr
enter_draft_quality sdrfq ZG
set_background setb Sb
set_foreground setf Sf
set_attributes sgr sa
exit_attribute_mode sgr0 me
enter_italics_mode sitm ZH
enter_leftward_mode slm ZI
enter_alt_charset_mode smacs as
enter_am_mode smam SA
enter_ca_mode smcup ti
enter_delete_mode smdc dm
set_bottom_margin smgb Zk
set_bottom_margin_parm smgbp Zl
set_left_margin smgl ML
set_left_margin_parm smglp Zm
set_right_margin smgr MR
set_right_margin_parm smgrp Zn
set_top_margin smgt Zo
set_top_margin_parm smgtp Zp
enter_micro_mode smicm ZJ
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 57
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
enter_insert_mode smir im
keypad_xmit smkx ks
label_on smln LO
meta_on smm mm
enter_standout_mode smso so
enter_underline_mode smul us
enter_xon_mode smxon SX
enter_near_letter_quality snlq ZK
enter_normal_quality snrmq ZL
dot_horz_spacing spinh Yc
dot_vert_spacing spinv Yb
enter_shadow_mode sshm ZM
enter_subscript_mode ssubm ZN
enter_superscript_mode ssupm ZO
subscript_characters subcs Zu
enter_upward_mode sum ZP
superscript_characters supcs Zv
enter_doublewide_mode swidm ZF
clear_all_tabs tbc ct
to_status_line tsl ts
underline_char uc uc
transparent_underline ul ul
row_address vpa cv
virtual_terminal vt vt
wide_char_size widcs Yn
set_window wind wi
width_status_line wsl ws
eat_newline_glitch xenl xn
ceol_standout_glitch xhp xs
col_addr_glitch xhpa YA
magic_cookie_glitch xmc sg
xoff_character xoffc XF
xon_xoff xon xo
xon_character xonc XN
no_esc_ctlc xsb xb
dest_tabs_magic_smso xt xt
row_addr_glitch xvpa YD
zero_motion zerom Zx
FILES
/usr/lib/terminfo/?/*
compiled device description database
/usr/src/lib/libcurses/terminfo/*.ti
source device descriptions
/usr/lib/tabset/*
tab settings for some devices, in a format
appropriate to be output to the device (escape
sequences that set margins and tabs)
SEE ALSO
curses(3X), printf(3S), term(5), profile(4), termcap(5).
captoinfo(1M), infocmp(1M), tic(1M), termio(7), tty(7) in
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 58
terminfo(4) DG/UX 4.30 terminfo(4)
the System Manager's Reference for the DG/UX System.
tput(1) in the User's Reference for the DG/UX System.
WARNINGS
As described in the "Tabs and Initialization" section above,
a device's initialization strings, is1, is2, and is3, if
defined, must be output before a curses(3X) program is run.
An available mechanism for outputting such strings is tput
init (see tput(1) and profile(4)).
If a null character (\0) is encountered in a string, the
null and all characters after it are lost. Therefore it is
not possible to code a null character (\0) in a string
capability and send it to a device (either a terminal or a
printer). The suggestion of sending \0200 where \0 (null)
is needed can succeed only if the device ignores the eighth
bit. For example, because all eight bits are used in the
standard international ISO character set, devices that
adhere to this standard will treat \0200 differently from
\0.
Tampering with entries in /usr/lib/terminfo/?/* (for
example, changing or removing an entry) can affect programs
such as vi(1) that expect the entry to be present and
correct. In particular, removing the description for the
dumb terminal causes unexpected problems.
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s) Page 59