TPUT(1) INTERACTIVE UNIX System TPUT(1)
NAME
tput - initialize a terminal or query terminfo data base
SYNOPSIS
tput [-Ttype] [-S] capname [parms ...]
tput [-Ttype] [-S] init
tput [-Ttype] [-S] reset
tput [-Ttype] [-S] longname
DESCRIPTION
The tput command uses the terminfo(4) data base to make the
values of terminal-dependent capabilities and information
available to the shell [see sh(1)], to initialize or reset
the terminal, or return the long name of the requested ter-
minal type. tput outputs a string if the attribute (capa-
bility name) is of type string, or an integer if the attri-
bute is of type integer. If the attribute is of type
Boolean, tput simply sets the exit code (0 for TRUE if the
terminal has the capability, 1 for FALSE if it does not),
and produces no output. Before using a value returned on
standard output, the user should test the exit code [$?, see
sh(1)] to be sure it is 0. (See EXIT CODES and DIAGNOSTICS
below.) For a complete list of capabilities and the capname
associated with each, see terminfo(4).
-Ttype indicates the type of terminal. Normally, this
option is unnecessary because the default is
taken from the environment variable TERM. If -T
is specified, then the shell variables LINES and
COLUMNS and the layer size [see layers(1)] will
not be referenced.
-S causes the capname to be read in from standard
input instead of from the command line.
capname indicates the attribute from the terminfo(4) data
base.
parms If the attribute is a string that takes parame-
ters, the arguments parms will be inserted into
the string. An all numeric argument will be
passed to the attribute as a number.
init If the terminfo(4) data base is present and an
entry for the user's terminal exists (see -Ttype,
above), the following will occur: (1) if
present, the terminal's initialization strings
will be output (is1, is2, is3, if, iprog), (2)
any delays (e.g., new-line) specified in the
entry will be set in the tty driver, (3) tabs
expansion will be turned on or off according to
the specification in the entry, and (4) if tabs
are not expanded, standard tabs will be set
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TPUT(1) INTERACTIVE UNIX System TPUT(1)
(every 8 spaces). If an entry does not contain
the information needed for any of the four above
activities, that activity will be silently
skipped.
reset Instead of putting out initialization strings,
the terminal's reset strings will be output, if
present (rs1, rs2, rs3, rf). If the reset
strings are not present, but initialization
strings are, the initialization strings will be
output. Otherwise, reset acts identically to
init.
longname If the terminfo(4) data base is present and an
entry for the user's terminal exists (see -Ttype
above), then the long name of the terminal will
be output. The long name is the last name in the
first line of the terminal's description in the
terminfo(4) data base [see term(5)].
EXAMPLES
tput init Initialize the terminal according to the
type of terminal in the environmental
variable TERM. This command should be
included in everyone's .profile after the
environmental variable TERM has been
exported, as illustrated on the profile(4)
manual page.
tput -T5620 reset Reset an AT&T 5620 terminal, overriding
the type of terminal in the environmental
variable TERM.
tput cup 0 0 Send the sequence to move the cursor to
row 0, column 0 (the upper left corner of
the screen, usually known as the "home"
cursor position).
tput clear Echo the clear-screen sequence for the
current terminal.
tput cols Print the number of columns for the
current terminal.
tput -T450 cols Print the number of columns for the 450
terminal.
bold=`tput smso`
offbold=`tput rmso`
Set the shell variables bold to begin
stand-out mode sequence, and offbold to
end stand-out mode sequence, for the
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TPUT(1) INTERACTIVE UNIX System TPUT(1)
current terminal. This might be followed
by a prompt:
echo "${bold}Please type in your name:
${offbold}\c"
tput hc Set exit code to indicate if the current
terminal is a hardcopy terminal.
tput cup 23 4 Send the sequence to move the cursor to
row 23, column 4.
tput longname Print the long name from the terminfo(4)
data base for the type of terminal speci-
fied in the environmental variable TERM.
FILES
/usr/lib/terminfo/?/* compiled terminal description data
base
/usr/include/curses.h curses(3X) header file
/usr/include/term.h terminfo(4) header file
/usr/lib/tabset/* tab settings for some terminals, in
a format appropriate to be output
to the terminal (escape sequences
that set margins and tabs); for
more information, see the "Tabs and
Initialization" section of term-
info(4)
SEE ALSO
stty (1), tabs (1).
profile(4), terminfo(4) in the INTERACTIVE SDS Guide and
Programmer's Reference Manual.
Chapter 10 of the Programmer's Guide.
EXIT CODES
If capname is of type Boolean, a value of 0 is set for TRUE
and 1 for FALSE.
If capname is of type string, a value of 0 is set if the
capname is defined for this terminal type (the value of cap-
name is returned on standard output); a value of 1 is set if
capname is not defined for this terminal type (a null value
is returned on standard output).
If capname is of type integer, a value of 0 is always set,
whether or not capname is defined for this terminal type.
To determine if capname is defined for this terminal type,
the user must test the value of standard output. A value of
-1 means that capname is not defined for this terminal type.
Any other exit code indicates an error; see DIAGNOSTICS,
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TPUT(1) INTERACTIVE UNIX System TPUT(1)
below.
DIAGNOSTICS
tput prints the following error messages and sets the
corresponding exit codes:
exit
code error message
0 -1 (capname is a numeric variable that is not specified
in the terminfo(4) data base for this terminal
type, e.g., tput -T450 lines and tput -T2621 xmc)
1 no error message is printed, see EXIT CODES above.
2 usage error
3 unknown terminal type or no terminfo(4) data base
4 unknown terminfo(4) capability capname
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