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
DESCRIPTION
tput uses the terminfo(4) 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 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.
capname indicates the attribute from the terminfo(4)
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.
init If the terminfo(4) 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 (e.g., 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
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TPUT(1) TPUT(1)
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(4) 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(4) database (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
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TPUT(1) TPUT(1)
end standout mode sequence, for the
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)
database for the type of terminal
specified in the environmental variable
TERM.
FILES
/usr/lib/terminfo/?/* compiled terminal description
database
/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
terminfo(4)
SEE ALSO
stty (1), tabs (1).
profile(4), terminfo(4) in the Programmer's Reference
Manual.
Chapter 9 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
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 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.
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TPUT(1) TPUT(1)
Any other exit code indicates an error; see DIAGNOSTICS,
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) database 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) database
4 unknown terminfo(4) capability capname
ORIGIN
AT&T V.3
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