TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
Name
terminfo - Terminal capability data base
Syntax
/usr/lib/terminfo/*/*
Description
terminfo is a data base describing terminals, used, e.g., by
terminfo(S). Terminals are described in terminfo by a set
of capabilities that they have, and by describing how
operations are performed. Padding requirements and
initialization sequences are included in terminfo.
Entries in terminfo consist of a number of fields separated
by commas `,'. White space after each `,' is ignored. The
first entry for each terminal gives the various names that
are known for the terminal. Each of these entries is
separated by `|'. The first name given is the most common
abbreviation for the terminal, (referred to as the ``root
name'') the last name given should be a long name fully
identifying the terminal, and all others are understood as
synonyms for the terminal name. All names but the last
should be in lower case and contain no blanks; the last name
can contain upper case and blanks for readability.
Terminal names (except for the last entry) should be chosen
using the following conventions. The particular piece of
hardware making up the terminal should have a root name
chosen, for example, ``hp2621''. This name should not
contain hyphens, except that synonyms may be chosen that do
not conflict with other names. Modes that the hardware can
be in, or user preferences, should be indicated by appending
a hyphen and an indicator of the mode. Thus, a vt-100 in
132 column mode would be vt100-w. The following suffixes
should be used where possible:
Suffix Meaning Example
-w Wide mode (more than 80 columns) vt100-w
-am With auto margins (usually default) vt100-am
-nam Without automatic margins vt100-nam
-n Number of lines on the screen aaa-60
-na No arrow keys (leave them in local) c100-na
-np Number of pages of memory c100-4p
-rv Reverse video c100-rv
In the following table, the is the name by which the
programmer (using the terminfo library) accesses the
capability. The ``capname'' is the short name used in the
text of the database, and is used by a person updating the
database. The ``i.code'' is the two letter internal code
used in the compiled database, and always corresponds to the
termcap(M) capability name.
Page 1 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
Capability names have no hard length limit, but an informal
limit of 5 characters has been adopted to keep them short.
Whenever possible, 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 specification.
(P) indicates that padding may be specified
(G) indicates that the string is passed through tparm with
parms as given (#i).
(*) indicates that padding may be based on the number of
lines affected
(#i) indicates the ith parameter.
(-) Not present in all versions of termcap.
Variable Cap- I. Description
Booleans: name Code
auto_left_margin, bw bw cub1 wraps from column 0 to last
column
auto_right_margin, am am Terminal has automatic margins
beehive_glitch, xsb xb Beehive (f1=escape, f2=ctrl C)
ceol_standout_glitch, xhp xs Standout not erased by overwriting
(hp)
eat_newline_glitch, xenl xn Newline ignored after 80 cols
(Concept)
erase_overstrike, eo eo Can erase overstrikes with a blank
generic_type, gn gn Generic line type (e.g., dialup,
switch).
hard_copy, hc hc Hardcopy terminal
has_meta_key, km km Has a meta key (shift, sets parity
bit)
has_status_line, hs hs Has extra "status line"
insert_null_glitch, in in Insert mode distinguishes nulls
memory_above, da da Display may be retained above
the screen
memory_below, db db Display may be retained below
the screen
move_insert_mode, mir mi Safe to move while in insert mode
move_standout_mode, msgr ms Safe to move in standout modes
over_strike, os os Terminal overstrikes
status_line_esc_ok, eslok es Escape can be used on the status
line
teleray_glitch, xt xt Tabs ruin, magic so char
(Teleray 1061)
tilde_glitch, hz hz Hazeltine; can not print ~'s
transparent_underline, ul ul Underline character overstrikes
Page 2 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
xon_xoff, xon xo Terminal uses XON/XOFF
handshaking
Numbers:
columns, cols co Number of columns in a line
init_tabs, it it Tabs initially every # spaces
lines, lines li Number of lines on screen or page
lines_of_memory, lm lm Lines of memory if > lines.
0 means varies
magic_cookie_glitch, xmc sg Number of blank chars left by
smso or rmso
padding_baud_rate, pb pb Lowest baud where cr/nl padding
is needed
virtual_terminal, vt vt Virtual terminal number (UNIX
system)
width_status_line, wsl ws No. columns in status line
Strings:
back_tab, cbt bt Back tab (P)
bell, bel bl Audible signal (bell) (P)
carriage_return, cr cr Carriage return (P*)
change_scroll_region, csr cs Change to lines #1 through #2
(vt-100) (PG)
clear_all_tabs, tbc ct Clear all tab stops (P)
clear_screen, clear cl Clear screen and home cursor (P*)
clr_eol, el ce Clear to end of line (P)
clr_eos, ed cd Clear to end of display (P*)
column_address, hpa ch Set cursor column (PG)
command_character, cmdch CC Term. settable cmd char in
prototype
cursor_address, cup cm Screen rel. cursor motion row #1
col #2 (PG)
cursor_down, cud1 do Down one line
cursor_home, home ho Home cursor (if no cup)
cursor_invisible, civis vi Make cursor invisible
cursor_left, cub1 le Move cursor left one space
cursor_mem_address, mrcup CM- Memory relative cursor addressing
cursor_normal, cnorm ve Make cursor appear normal
(undo vs/vi)
cursor_right, cuf1 nd Non-destructive space (cursor
right)
cursor_to_ll, ll ll Last line, first column (if no cup)
cursor_up, cuu1 up Upline (cursor up)
cursor_visible, cvvis vs Make cursor very visible
delete_character, dch1 dc Delete character (P*)
delete_line, dl1 dl Delete line (P*)
dis_status_line, dsl ds Disable status line
down_half_line, hd hd Half-line down (forward 1/2
linefeed)
enter_alt_charset_mode, smacs as Start alternate character set (P)
enter_blink_mode, blink mb Turn on blinking
enter_bold_mode, bold md Turn on bold (extra bright) mode
Page 3 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
enter_ca_mode, smcup ti String to begin programs that use
cup
enter_delete_mode, smdc dm Delete mode (enter)
enter_dim_mode, dim mh Turn on half-bright mode
enter_insert_mode, smir im Insert mode (enter);
enter_protected_mode, prot mp Turn on protected mode
enter_reverse_mode, rev mr Turn on reverse video mode
enter_secure_mode, invis mk Turn on blank mode (chars
invisible)
enter_standout_mode, smso so Begin stand out mode
enter_underline_mode, smul us Start underscore mode
erase_chars ech ec Erase #1 characters (PG)
exit_alt_charset_mode, rmacs ae End alternate character set (P)
exit_attribute_mode, sgr0 me Turn off all attributes
exit_ca_mode, rmcup te String to end programs that use
cup
exit_delete_mode, rmdc ed End delete mode
exit_insert_mode, rmir ei End insert mode
exit_standout_mode, rmso se End stand out mode
exit_underline_mode, rmul ue End underscore mode
flash_screen, flash vb Visible bell (may not move cursor)
form_feed, ff ff Hardcopy terminal page eject (P*)
from_status_line, fsl fs Return from status line
init_1string, is1 i1 Terminal initialization string
init_2string, is2 i2 Terminal initialization string
init_3string, is3 i3 Terminal initialization string
init_file, if if Name of file containing is
insert_character, ich1 ic Insert character (P)
insert_line, il1 al Add new blank line (P*)
insert_padding, ip ip Insert pad after character inserted
(p*)
key_backspace, kbs kb Sent by backspace key
key_catab, ktbc ka Sent by clear-all-tabs key
key_clear, kclr kC- Sent by clear screen or erase key
key_ctab, kctab kt Sent by clear-tab key
key_dc, kdch1 kD- Sent by delete character key
key_dl, kdl1 kL- Sent by delete line key
key_down, kcud1 kd Sent by terminal down arrow key
key_eic, krmir kM- Sent by rmir or smir in insert
mode
key_eol, kel kE- Sent by clear-to-end-of-line key
key_eos, ked kS- Sent by clear-to-end-of-screen
key
key_f0, kf0 k0 Sent by function key f0
key_f1, kf1 k1 Sent by function key f1
key_f10, kf10 ka Sent by function key f10
key_f2, kf2 k2 Sent by function key f2
key_f3, kf3 k3 Sent by function key f3
key_f4, kf4 k4 Sent by function key f4
key_f5, kf5 k5 Sent by function key f5
key_f6, kf6 k6 Sent by function key f6
key_f7, kf7 k7 Sent by function key f7
Page 4 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
key_f8, kf8 k8 Sent by function key f8
key_f9, kf9 k9 Sent by function key f9
key_home, khome kh Sent by home key
key_ic, kich1 kI Sent by ins char/enter ins mode
key
key_il, kil1 kA- Sent by insert line
key_left, kcub1 kl Sent by terminal left arrow key
key_ll, kll kH- Sent by home-down key
key_npage, knp kN- Sent by next-page key
key_ppage, kpp kP- Sent by previous-page key
key_right, kcuf1 kr Sent by terminal right arrow key
key_sf, kind kF- Sent by scroll-forward/down key
key_sr, kri kR- Sent by scroll-backward/up key
key_stab, khts kT- Sent by set-tab key
key_up, kcuu1 ku Sent by terminal up arrow key
keypad_local, rmkx ke Out of "keypad transmit" mode
keypad_xmit, smkx ks Put terminal in "keypad transmit"
mode
lab_f0, lf0 l0 Labels on function key f0 if not f0
lab_f1, lf1 l1 Labels on function key f1 if not f1
lab_f10, lf10 la Labels on function key f10 if not
f10
lab_f2, lf2 l2 Labels on function key f2 if not f2
lab_f3, lf3 l3 Labels on function key f3 if not f3
lab_f4, lf4 l4 Labels on function key f4 if not f4
lab_f5, lf5 l5 Labels on function key f5 if not f5
lab_f6, lf6 l6 Labels on function key f6 if not f6
lab_f7, lf7 l7 Labels on function key f7 if not f7
lab_f8, lf8 l8 Labels on function key f8 if not f8
lab_f9, lf9 l9 Labels on function key f9 if not f9
meta_on, smm mm Turn on "meta mode" (8th bit)
meta_off, rmm mo Turn off "meta mode"
newline, nel nw Newline (behaves like cr followed
by lf)
pad_char, pad pc Pad character (rather than null)
parm_dch, dch DC- Delete #1 chars (PG*)
parm_delete_line, dl DL- Delete #1 lines (PG*)
parm_down_cursor, cud DO- Move cursor down #1 lines (PG*)
parm_ich, ich IC- Insert #1 blank chars (PG*)
parm_index, indn SF- Scroll forward #1 lines (PG)
parm_insert_line, il AL- Add #1 new blank lines (PG*)
parm_left_cursor, cub LE- Move cursor left #1 spaces (PG)
parm_right_cursor, cuf RI- Move cursor right #1 spaces
(PG*)
parm_rindex, rin SR- Scroll backward #1 lines (PG)
parm_up_cursor, cuu UP- Move cursor up #1 lines (PG*)
pkey_key, pfkey pk Prog funct key #1 to type
string #2
pkey_local, pfloc pl Prog funct key #1 to execute
string #2
Page 5 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
pkey_xmit, pfx px Prog funct key #1 to xmit
string #2
print_screen, mc0 ps Print contents of the screen
prtr_off, mc4 pf Turn off the printer
prtr_on, mc5 po Turn on the printer
repeat_char, rep rp Repeat char #1 #2 times. (PG*)
reset_1string, rs1 r1 Reset terminal completely to sane
modes
reset_2string, rs2 r2 Reset terminal completely to sane
modes
reset_3string, rs3 r3 Reset terminal completely to sane
modes
reset_file, rf rf Name of file containing reset string
restore_cursor, rc rc Restore cursor to position of last sc
row_address, vpa cv Vertical position absolute
(set row) (PG)
save_cursor, sc sc Save cursor position (P)
scroll_forward, ind sf Scroll text up (P)
scroll_reverse, ri sr Scroll text down (P)
set_attributes, sgr sa Define the video attributes (PG9)
set_tab, hts st Set a tab in all rows, current
column
set_window, wind wi Current window is lines #1-#2
cols #3-#4
tab, ht ta Tab to next 8 space hardware tab
stop
to_status_line, tsl ts Go to status line, column #1
underline_char, uc uc Underscore one char and move
past it
up_half_line, hu hu Half-line up (reverse 1/2 linefeed)
init_prog, iprog iP Path name of program for init
key_a1, ka1 K1- Upper left of keypad
key_a3, ka3 K3- Upper right of keypad
key_b2, kb2 K2- Center of keypad
key_c1, kc1 K4- Lower left of keypad
key_c3, kc3 K5- Lower right of keypad
prtr_non, mc5p pO- Turn on the printer for #1 bytes
Page 6 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
A Sample Entry
The following entry, which describes the Concept-100, is
among the more complex entries in the terminfo file.
concept100|c100|concept|c104|c100-4p|concept 100,
am, bel=^G, blank=\EH, blink=\EC, clear=^L$<2*>, cnorm=\Ew,
cols#80, cr=^M$<9>, cub1=^H, cud1=^J, cuf1=\E=,
cup=\Ea%p1%' '%+%c%p2%' '%+%c,
cuu1=\E;, cvvis=\EW, db, dch1=\E^A$<16*>, dim=\EE, dl1=\E^B$<3*>,
ed=\E^C$<16*>, el=\E^U$<16>, eo, flash=\Ek$<20>\EK, ht=\t$<8>,
il1=\E^R$<3*>, in, ind=^J, .ind=^J$<9>, ip=$<16*>,
is2=\EU\Ef\E7\E5\E8\El\ENH\EK\E\200\Eo&\200\Eo\47\E,
kbs=^h, kcub1=\E>, kcud1=\E<, kcuf1=\E=, kcuu1=\E;,
kf1=\E5, kf2=\E6, kf3=\E7, khome=\E?,
lines#24, mir, pb#9600, prot=\EI, rep=\Er%p1%c%p2%' '%+%c$<.2*>,
rev=\ED, rmcup=\Ev $<6>\Ep\r\n, rmir=\E\200, rmkx=\Ex,
rmso=\Ed\Ee, rmul=\Eg, rmul=\Eg, sgr0=\EN\200,
smcup=\EU\Ev 8p\Ep\r, smir=\E^P, smkx=\EX, smso=\EE\ED,
smul=\EG, tabs, ul, vt#8, xenl,
Entries may continue onto multiple lines by placing white
space at the beginning of each line except the first.
Comments lines begin with ``#''. Capabilities in terminfo
are of three types: Boolean capabilities which indicate that
the terminal has some particular feature, numeric
capabilities giving the size of the terminal or the size of
particular delays, and string capabilities, which give a
sequence that can be used to perform particular terminal
operations.
Types of Capabilities
All capabilities have names. For instance, the fact that
the Concept has automatic margins (i.e., an automatic return
and linefeed when the end of a line is reached) is indicated
by the capability am. Hence the description of the Concept
includes am. Numeric capabilities are followed by the
character `#' and then the value. Thus cols, which
indicates the number of columns the terminal has, gives the
value `80' for the Concept.
Finally, string valued capabilities, such as el (clear to
end of line sequence) are given by the two-character code,
an `=', and then a string ending at the next following `,'.
A delay in milliseconds may appear anywhere in such a
capability, enclosed in $<..> brackets, as in el=\EK$<3>,
and padding characters are supplied by tputs to provide this
delay. The delay can be either a number, e.g., `20', or a
number followed by an `*', i.e., `3*'. A `*' indicates that
the padding required is proportional to the number of lines
affected by the operation, and the amount given is the per-
Page 7 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
affected-unit padding required. (In the case of insert
character, the factor is still the number of lines affected.
This is always one unless the terminal has xenl and the
software uses it.) When a `*' is 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 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
control-x for any appropriate x, and the sequences \n \l \r
\t \b \f \s give a newline, linefeed, return, tab,
backspace, formfeed, and space. Other escapes include \^
for ^, \\ for \, \, for comma, \: for :, and \0 for null.
(\0 will produce \200, which does not terminate a string but
behaves as a null character on most terminals.) Finally,
characters may be given as three octal digits after a \.
Sometimes individual capabilities must be commented out. To
do this, put a period before the capability name. For
example, see the second ind in the example above.
Preparing Descriptions
The most effective way to prepare a terminal description is
to imitate the description of a similar terminal in terminfo
and to build up a description gradually, using partial
descriptions with vi to check that they are correct. Be
aware that a very unusual terminal may expose deficiencies
in the ability of the terminfo file to describe it or bugs
in vi. To test easily a new terminal description you can set
the environment variable TERMINFO to a pathname of a
directory containing the compiled description you are
working on and programs will look there rather than in
/usr/lib/terminfo. To get the padding for insert line right
(if the terminal manufacturer did not document it) a severe
test is to edit a copy of /etc/passwd at 9600 baud, delete
16 or so lines from the middle of the screen, then hit the
`u' key several times quickly. If the terminal display is
scrambled, more padding is usually needed. A similar test
can be used for insert character.
Basic Capabilities
The cols numeric capability describes the number of columns
on each line for the terminal. If the terminal is a CRT,
then the number of lines on the screen is given by the lines
capability. If the terminal wraps around to the beginning
of the next line when it reaches the right margin, then it
should have the am capability. If the terminal can clear
its screen, leaving the cursor in the home position, then
Page 8 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
this is given by the clear string capability. If the
terminal overstrikes (rather than clearing a position when a
character is struck over) 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 TEKTRONIX 4010 series, as
well as hard copy 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 will be carriage return, control
M.) If there is a code to produce an audible signal (bell,
beep, etc) define this as bel.
If there is a code to move the cursor one position to the
left (such as backspace) that capability should be defined
as cub1. Similarly, codes to move to the right, up, and
down should be defined 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= ' because the
space would erase the character moved over.
A very important point here is that the local cursor motions
encoded in terminfo are undefined at the left and top edges
of a CRT terminal. Programs should never attempt to
backspace around the left edge, unless bw is given, and
never attempt to go up locally off the top. In order to
scroll text up, a program will go to the bottom left corner
of the screen and send the ind (index) string.
To scroll text down, a program goes to the top left corner
of the screen and sends the ri (reverse index) string. The
strings ind and ri are undefined when 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 edge 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
when bw is given, in which case a cub1 from the left edge
will move to the right edge of the previous row. If bw is
not given, the effect is undefined. This 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
Page 9 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
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 glass-
tty terminals. Thus the model 33 teletype is described as:
33|tty33|tty|model 33 teletype,
bel=^G, cols#72, cr=^M, cud1=^J, hc, ind=^J, os,
while the Lear Siegler ADM-3 is described as:
adm3|3|lsi adm3,
am, bel=^G, clear=^Z, cols#80, cr=^M, cub1=^H, cud1=^J,
ind=^J, lines#24,
Parameterized Strings
Cursor addressing and other strings requiring parameters in
the terminal are described by a parameterized string
capability, with printf(S) like escapes %x in it. For
example, to address the cursor, the cup capability is given,
using two parameters: the row and column to address to.
(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 mrcup.
The parameter mechanism uses a stack and special % codes to
manipulate it. Typically a sequence will push one of the
parameters onto the stack and then print it in some format.
Often more complex operations are necessary.
The % encodings have the following meanings:
%% outputs `%'
%d print pop() as in printf
%2d print pop() like %2d
%3d print pop() like %3d
%02d
%03d as in printf
%c print pop() gives %c
%s print pop() gives %s
%p[1-9] push ith parm
%P[a-z] set variable [a-z] to pop()
%g[a-z] get variable [a-z] and push it
%'c' char constant c
%{nn} integer constant nn
%+ %- %* %/ %m
arithmetic (%m is mod): push(pop() op pop())
Page 10 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
%& %| %^ bit operations: push(pop() op pop())
%= %> %< logical operations: push(pop() op pop())
%! %~ unary operations push(op pop())
%i add 1 to first two parms (for ANSI terminals)
%? expr %t thenpart %e elsepart %;
if-then-else, %e elsepart is optional.
else-if's are possible ala Algol 68:
%? c1 %t b1 %e c2 %t b2 %e c3 %t b3 %e c4 %t b4 %e %;
ci are conditions, bi are bodies.
Binary operations are in postfix form with the operands in
the usual order. That is, to get x-5 one would use
"%gx%{5}%-".
Consider the HP2645, which, to get to row 3 and column 12,
needs to be sent \E&a12c03Y padded for 6 milliseconds. Note
that the order of the rows and columns is inverted here, and
that the row and column are printed as two digits. Thus its
cup capability is cup=\E&%p2%2dc%p1%2dY$<6>.
The Microterm ACT-IV needs the current row and column sent
preceded by a ^T, with the row and column simply encoded in
binary, cup=^T%p1%c%p2%c. Terminals that use %c need to be
able to backspace the cursor (cub1), and to move the cursor
up one line on the screen (cuu1). This is necessary because
it is not always safe to transmit \n ^D and \r, as the
system may change or discard them. (The library routines
dealing with terminfo set tty modes so that tabs are never
expanded, so \t is safe to send. This turns out to be
essential for the Ann Arbor 4080.)
A final example is the LSI ADM-3a, which uses row and column
offset by a blank character, thus cup=\E=%p1%' '%+%c%p2%'
'%+%c. After sending `\E=', this pushes the first
parameter, pushes the ASCII value for a space (32), adds
them (pushing the sum on the stack in place of the two
previous values) and outputs that value as a character.
Then the same is done for the second parameter. More
complex arithmetic is possible using the stack.
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
HP2645) 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, such
as the TEKTRONIX 4025.
Page 11 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
Cursor Motions
If the terminal has a fast way to home the cursor (to very
upper left corner of 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 HP terminals
cannot be used for home.)
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 current
position to the end of the display, then this should be
given as ed. ed is 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.)
Insert/delete line
If the terminal can open a new blank line before the line
where the cursor is positioned, 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 on which the cursor is
positioned, 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 that take a single parameter and
insert or delete that many lines can be given as il and dl.
If the terminal has a settable scrolling region (like the
vt-100) the command that sets this can be described with the
csr capability, which takes two parameters: the top and
bottom lines of the scrolling region. The cursor position
is, however, undefined after using this command. It is
possible to get the effect of insert or delete line using
this command - the sc and rc (save and restore cursor)
commands are also useful. 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.
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.
Page 12 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
If the terminal can retain display memory above, then the da
capability should be given; if display memory can be
retained below, then db should be given. These indicate
that deleting a line or scrolling may bring non-blank lines
up from below or that scrolling back with ri may bring down
non-blank lines.
Insert/Delete Character
There are two basic kinds of intelligent terminals with
respect to insert/delete character that 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. 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 should give the capability in,
which stands for insert null. While these are two logically
separate attributes (one line vs. 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 that have an insert
mode, and terminals that send a simple sequence to open a
blank position on the current line. To get into insert mode
use the smir sequence. To leave insert mode use the rmir
sequence. 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 will not give ich1;
terminals that send a sequence to open a screen position
should give 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 in ip (a string option). Any other
sequence which may need to be sent after an insert of a
single character may also be given in ip. If your terminal
needs both to be placed into an `insert mode' and a special
Page 13 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
code to precede each inserted character, then both smir/rmir
and ich1 can be given, and both will be used. The ich
capability, with one parameter, n, will repeat the effects
of ich1 n times.
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 will affect only speed. Some terminals (notably
Datamedia's) must not have mir because of the way their
insert mode works.
Finally, you can specify dch1 to delete a single character,
dch with one parameter, n, to delete n characters, and
delete mode by giving 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 moving the cursor) can be given as ech with
one parameter.
Highlighting, Underlining, and Visible Bells
If your terminal has one or more kinds of display
attributes, these can be represented in a number of
different ways. You should choose one display form as
standout mode, 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.) 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 the TVI 912 and Teleray 1061 do, 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 Microterm Mime, this can be
given as uc.
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.
Page 14 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
If there is a sequence to set arbitrary combinations of
modes, this should be given as sgr (set attributes), taking
9 parameters. Each parameter is either 0 or 1, as the
corresponding attribute is on or off. The 9 parameters are,
in order: standout, underline, reverse, blink, dim, bold,
blank, protect, alternate character set. Not all modes need
be supported by sgr, only those for which corresponding
separate attribute commands exist.
Terminals with the ``magic cookie'' glitch (xmc) deposit
special ``cookies'' when they receive mode-setting
sequences, which affect the display algorithm rather than
having extra bits for each character. Some terminals, such
as the HP 2621, automatically leave standout mode when they
move to a new line or the cursor 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.
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. 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 both of these modes.
If the terminal needs to be in a special mode when running a
program that uses these 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
with more than one page of memory. If the terminal has only
memory relative cursor addressing and not screen relative
cursor addressing, a one screen-sized window 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 be the one used by terminfo.
If your terminal correctly generates underlined characters
(with no special codes needed) even though it does not
overstrike, then you should give the capability ul. If
overstrikes are erasable with a blank, then this should be
indicated by giving eo.
Keypad
If the terminal has a keypad that transmits codes when the
Page 15 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
keys are pressed, this information can be given. Note that
it is not possible to handle terminals where the keypad only
works in local (this applies, for example, to the unshifted
HP 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,
..., f10, the codes they send can be given as kf0, kf1, ...,
kf10. If these 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 key), 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.
Tabs and Initialization
If the terminal has hardware tabs, the command to advance to
the next tab stop can be given as ht (usually control I). A
``backtab'' command that moves leftward to the next tab stop
can be given as cbt. By convention, if the teletype 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 is given,
showing the number of spaces the tabs are set to. This is
normally used by the tset(C) command 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.
Other capabilities include is1, is2, and is3, initialization
strings for the terminal, iprog, the path name of a program
to be 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 are normally
Page 16 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
sent to the terminal, by the tset program, each time the
user logs in. They will be printed in the following order:
is1; is2; setting tabs using tbc and hts; if; running the
program iprog; and finally is3. 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. A pair of sequences that
does a harder reset from a totally unknown state can be
analogously given as rs1, rs2, rf, and rs3, analogous to is2
and if. Commands are normally placed in rs2 and rf only if
they produce annoying effects on the screen and are not
necessary when logging in. For example, the command to set
the vt-100 into 80-column mode would normally be part of
is2, but it causes an annoying glitch of the screen and is
not normally needed since the terminal is usually already in
80 column mode.
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). If a more complex
sequence is needed to set the tabs than can be described by
this, the sequence can be placed in is2 or if.
Delays
Certain capabilities control padding in the teletype driver.
These are primarily needed by hard copy terminals, and are
used by the tset program to set teletype modes
appropriately. Delays embedded in the capabilities cr, ind,
cub1, ff, and tab will cause the appropriate delay bits to
be set in the teletype driver. If pb (padding baud rate) is
given, these values can be ignored at baud rates below the
value of pb.
Miscellaneous
If the terminal requires other than a null (zero) character
as a pad, then this can be given as pad. Only the first
character of the pad string is used.
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 one can cursor address normally (such as
the Heathkit h19's 25th line, or the 24th line of a vt-100
which is set to a 23-line scrolling region), the capability
hs should be given. Special strings to go to the beginning
of the status line and to 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 parameter tsl takes one parameter, which is the
Page 17 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
column number of the status line the cursor is to be moved
to. 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.
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 control 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(repeat_char, 'x', 10) is
the same as `xxxxxxxxxx'.
If the terminal has a settable 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 systems: The environment is to be
searched for a CC variable, and if found, all occurrences of
the prototype character are replaced with the character in
the environment variable.
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
the terminal.
If the terminal uses XON/XOFF handshaking for flow control,
give xon. Padding information should still be included so
that routines can make better decisions about costs, but
actual pad characters will not be transmitted.
If the terminal has a ``meta key'' which acts as a shift
key, setting the 8th bit of any character transmitted, this
fact can be indicated with km. Otherwise, software will
assume that the 8th bit is parity and it will usually be
Page 18 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
cleared. If strings exist to turn this ``meta mode'' on and
off, they can be given as smm and rmm.
If the terminal has more lines of memory than will fit on
the screen at once, the number of lines of memory can be
indicated with lm. A value of lm#0 indicates that the
number of lines is not fixed, but that there is still more
memory than fits on the screen.
If the terminal is one of those supported by the UNIX
virtual terminal protocol, the terminal number can be given
as vt.
Media copy strings that 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 will be sent to the printer. It is
undefined whether the text is also displayed on the terminal
screen when the printer is on. 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. All text, including
mc4, is transparently passed to the printer while an mc5p is
in effect.
Strings to program function keys can be given as pfkey,
pfloc, and pfx. 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 pressing the given key to be the same as the
user typing the given string; pfloc causes the string to be
executed by the terminal in local; and pfx causes the string
to be transmitted to the computer.
Glitches and Unusual Capabilities
Hazeltine terminals, which do not allow `~' characters to be
displayed should indicate hz.
Terminals that ignore a linefeed immediately after an am
wrap, such as the Concept and vt-100, should indicate xenl.
If el is required to get rid of standout (instead of merely
writing normal text on top of it), xhp should be given.
Teleray terminals, where tabs turn all characters moved over
to blanks, should indicate xt (destructive tabs). This
glitch is also taken to mean that it is not possible to
position the cursor on top of a ``magic cookie'', that to
Page 19 (printed 8/7/87)
TERMINFO(M) UNIX System V TERMINFO(M)
erase standout mode it is instead necessary to use delete
and insert line.
The Beehive Superbee, which is unable to correctly transmit
the escape or control C characters, has xsb, indicating that
the f1 key is used for escape and f2 for control C. (Only
certain Superbees have this problem, depending on the ROM.)
Other specific terminal problems may be corrected by adding
more capabilities of the form xx.
Similar Terminals
If there are two very similar terminals, 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 terminal. The capabilities given before use
override those in the terminal type invoked by use. A
capability can be cancelled by placing xx@ to the left of
the capability definition, where xx is the capability. For
example, the entry
2621-nl, smkx@, rmkx@, use=2621,
defines a 2621-nl that does not have the smkx or rmkx
capabilities, and hence does not turn on the function key
labels when in visual mode. This is useful for different
modes for a terminal, or for different user preferences.
Files
/usr/lib/terminfo/?/*
files containing terminal descriptions compiled by tic(C)
See Also
terminfo(S), term(F), tic(C)
Notes
Neither vi, tset, nor any other command presently uses
terminfo. It is intended that a full integration of termcap
and terminfo will be provided in a future version of .
Page 20 (printed 8/7/87)