tput(1) tput(1)
NAME
tput - initialize a terminal or query terminfo database
SYNOPSIS
tput [-Ttype] capname [parms . . . ]
tput [-Ttype] init
tput [-Ttype] reset
tput [-Ttype] longname
tput -S <<
DESCRIPTION
tput uses the terminfo database 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 terminal type. tput
outputs a string if the attribute (capability name) is of type
string, or an integer if the attribute 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 the EXIT
CODES and DIAGNOSTICS sections.) 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 will not be referenced.
capname indicates the attribute from the terminfo database.
parms If the attribute is a string that takes parameters,
the arguments parms will be instantiated into the
string. An all numeric argument will be passed to
the attribute as a number.
-S allows more than one capability per invocation of
tput. The capabilities must be passed to tput from
the standard input instead of from the command line
(see example). Only one capname is allowed per
line. The -S option changes the meaning of the 0
and 1 boolean and string exit codes (see the EXIT
CODES section).
Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc. Page 1
tput(1) tput(1)
init If the terminfo database 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 (for
example, newline) 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 (every 8 spaces). If an
entry does not contain the information needed for
any of the four above activities, that activity
will silently be 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 database is present and an entry
for the user's terminal exists (see -Ttype above),
then the long name of the terminal will be put out.
The long name is the last name in the first line of
the terminal's description in the terminfo database
[see term(5)].
International Functions
capnames for international functionality can also be
specified.
EXAMPLES
tput bold In Terminal windows on the Desktop (xterm windows),
tput bold will change the font used to the font
defined with the -fb option or the boldFont
resource of xterm; if these are not used, this
option to tput will result in an unusable font in
the Terminal window. The Fonts application in the
Preferences folder of the Desktop will change the
xterm font class to a single font, so that both the
font and boldFont resources are the same font; this
makes xterm use artificial emboldening to achieve a
bold font for Terminal windows. The use of tput
sgr0 will turn off the bold mode in a Terminal
window.
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tput(1) tput(1)
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 standout
mode sequence (usually reverse video in a Desktop
Terminal window), and offbold, to end standout mode
sequence, for the current terminal. This might be
followed by a prompt:
echo "${bold}Please enter 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 database for
the type of terminal specified in the environmental
variable TERM.
Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc. Page 3
tput(1) tput(1)
tput -S <<!
> clear
> cup 10 10
> bold
> ! This example shows tput processing several
capabilities in one invocation. This example
clears the screen, moves the cursor to position 10,
10 and turns on bold (extra bright) mode. The list
is terminated by an exclamation mark (!) on a line
by itself.
FILES
/usr/share/lib/terminfo/?/*
compiled terminal description database
/usr/include/curses.h
curses(3curses) header file
/usr/include/term.h
terminfo 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 terminfo(4)
REFERENCES
clear(1), profile(4), stty(1), tabs(1), terminfo(4)
EXIT CODES
If capname is of type boolean, a value of 0 is set for TRUE
and 1 for FALSE unless the -S option is used.
If capname is of type string, a value of 0 is set if the
capname is defined for this terminal type (the value of
capname 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 boolean or string and the -S option is
used, a value of 0 is returned to indicate that all lines were
successful. No indication of which line failed can be given
so exit code 1 will never appear. Exit codes 2, 3, and 4
retain their usual interpretation.
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tput(1) tput(1)
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 the DIAGNOSTICS
section.
DIAGNOSTICS
tput sets the following exit codes and prints the
corresponding diagnostics:
0 -1 (capname is a numeric variable that is not specified
in the terminfo(4) database for this terminal type, for
example, tput -T450 lines and tput -T2621 xmc)
1 No error message is printed; see the EXIT CODES section.
2 Usage error
3 Unknown terminal type or no terminfo database
4 Unknown terminfo capability capname
Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc. Page 5