forms(3)                                                       forms(3)

  form()

  NAME

    forms - curses extension for programming forms

  SYNOPSIS

    #include 

  DESCRIPTION

    The forms library provides terminal-independent facilities for composing
    form screens on character-cell terminals. The library includes: field
    routines, which create and modify form fields; and form routines, which
    group fields into forms, display forms on the screen, and handle
    interaction with the user.

    The forms library uses the curses libraries, and a curses initialization
    routine such as initscr(3) must be called before using any of these
    functions. To use the forms library, link with the options -lform -
    lcurses.

  Current Default Values for Field Attributes

    The forms library maintains a default value for field attributes. You can
    get or set this default by calling the appropriate get_ or set_ routine
    with a NULL field pointer. Changing this default with a set_ function
    affects future field creations, but does not change the rendering of
    fields already created.

  Routine Name Index

    The following table lists each form routine and the name of the manual
    page on which it is described.

    curses Routine Name        Manual Page Name

    current_field()            form_page

    data_ahead()               form_data

    data_behind()              form_data

    dup_field()                form_field_new

    dynamic_fieldinfo()        form_field_info

    field_arg()                form_field_validation

    field_back()               form_field_attributes

    field_buffer()             form_field_buffer

    field_count()              form_field

    field_fore()               form_field_attributes

    field_index()              form_page

    field_info()               form_field_info

    field_init()               form_hook

    field_just()               form_field_just

    field_opts()               form_field_opts

    field_opts_off()           form_field_opts

    field_opts_on()            form_field_opts

    field_pad()                form_field_attributes

    field_status()             form_field_buffer

    field_term()               form_hook

    field_type()               form_field_validation

    field_userptr()            form_field_userptr

    form_driver()              form_driver

    form_fields()              form_field

    form_init()                form_hook

    form_opts()                form_opts

    form_opts_off()            form_opts

    form_opts_on()             form_opts

    form_page()                form_page

    form_sub()                 form_win

    form_term()                form_hook

    form_userptr()             form_userptr

    form_win()                 form_win

    free_field()               form_field_new

    free_form()                form_new

    link_field()               form_field_new

    link_fieldtype()           link_fieldtype

    move_field()               form_field

    new_field()                form_field_new

    new_form()                 form_new

    new_page()                 form_new_page

    pos_form_cursor()          form_cursor

    post_form()                form_post

    scale_form()               form_win

    set_current_field()        form_page

    set_field_back()           form_field_attributes

    set_field_buffer()         form_field_buffer

    set_field_fore()           form_field_attributes

    set_field_init()           form_hook

    set_field_just()           form_field_just

    set_field_opts()           form_field_opts

    set_field_pad()            form_field_attributes

    set_field_status()         form_field_buffer

    set_field_term()           form_hook

    set_field_type()           form_field_validation

    set_field_userptr()        form_field_userptr

    set_fieldtype_arg()        form_fieldtype

    set_fieldtype_choice()     form_fieldtype

    set_form_fields()          form_field

    set_form_init()            form_hook

    set_form_opts()            form_field_opts

    set_form_page()            form_page

    set_form_sub()             form_win

    set_form_term()            form_hook

    set_form_userptr()         form_userptr

    set_form_win()             form_win

    set_max_field()            form_field_buffer

    set_new_page()             form_new_page

    unpost_form()              form_post

  RETURN VALUE

    Routines that return pointers return NULL on error. Routines that return
    an integer return one of the following error codes:

    E_OK
        The routine succeeded.

    E_CONNECTED
        The field is already connected to a form.

    E_SYSTEM_ERROR
        System error occurred (see errno

    E_BAD_ARGUMENT
        Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument.

    E_POSTED
        The form is already posted.

    E_BAD_STATE
        Routine was called from an initialization or termination function.

    E_NO_ROOM
        Form is too large for its window.

    E_NOT_POSTED
        The form has not been posted.

    E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND
        The form driver code saw an unknown request code.

    E_INVALID_FIELD
        Contents of a field are not valid.

    E_NOT_CONNECTED
        No fields are connected to the form.

    E_REQUEST_DENIED
        The form driver could not process the request.

  SEE ALSO

    curses(3) and pages whose names begin form_ for detailed descriptions of
    the entry points.

  NOTES

    The header file  automatically includes the header files
     and .

    In your library list, libform.a should be before libncurses.a; that is,
    you want to say -lform -lncurses, not the other way around (which would
    give you a link error using many linkers).

  PORTABILITY

    These routines emulate the System V forms library. They were not supported
    on Version 7 or BSD versions.