		README file for the ncurses package

See the file ANNOUNCE for a summary of ncurses features and ports.
See the file INSTALL for instructions on how to build and install ncurses.
See the file NEWS for a release history and bug-fix notes.
See the file TO-DO for things that still need doing, including known bugs.

Browse the file misc/ncurses-intro.html for narrative descriptions of how
to use ncurses and the panel, menu, and form libraries.
 
Browse the file misc/hackguide.html for a tour of the package internals.

ROADMAP AND PACKAGE OVERVIEW:

You should be reading this file in a directory called: ncurses-d.d.d, where
d.d.d is the current version number (see the dist.mk file in this
directory for that).  There should be several subdirectories, including `c++',
`form', `man', `menu', `misc', `ncurses', `panel', `progs', and `test'.

A full build/install of this package typically installs several libraries, a
handful of utilities, and a database hierarchy.  Here is an inventory of the
pieces:

The libraries are:

	libncurses.a       (normal)
	libncurses.so      (shared)
	libncurses_g.a     (debug and trace code enabled)
	libncurses_p.a     (profiling enabled)

	libpanel.a         (normal)
	libpanel_g.a       (debug and trace code enabled)

	libmenu.a          (normal)
	libmenu_g.a        (debug enabled)

	libform.a          (normal)
	libform_g.a        (debug enabled)

The ncurses libraries implement the curses API.  The panel, menu and forms
libraries implement clones of the SVr4 panel, menu and forms APIs.  The
source code for these lives in the `ncurses', `panel', `menu', and
`form' directories respectively.

In the `c++' directory, you'll find code that defines an interface to the
curses and panels library packaged as a C++ class, and a demo program in C++
to test it.  These class definition modules are not installed anywhere by
default; it's up to you what you do with them.

In order to do its job, the ncurses code needs your terminal type to be set in
the environment variable TERM (normally set by your OS; under UNIX, getty(1)
typically does this, but you can override it in your .profile); and, it needs a
database of terminal descriptions in which to look up your terminal type's
capabilities.

In older (V7/BSD) versions of curses, the database was a flat text file,
/etc/termcap; in newer (USG/USL) versions, the database is a hierarchy of
fast-loading binary description blocks under /usr/lib/terminfo.  These binary
blocks are compiled from an improved editable text representation called
`terminfo' format (documented in man/terminfo.5).  The ncurses library can use
either /etc/termcap or the compiled binary terminfo blocks, but prefers the
second form.

In the `misc' directory, there is a text file terminfo.src, in editable
terminfo format, which can be used to generate the terminfo binaries (that's
what make install.data does).  If the package was built with the
--with-termcap option enabled, and the ncurses library can't find a terminfo
description for your terminal, it will fall back to the termcap file supplied
with your system (which the ncurses package installation leaves strictly
alone).

The utilities are as follows:

	tic             -- terminfo source to binary compiler
	infocmp         -- terminfo binary to source decompiler/comparator
	clear           -- emits clear-screen for current terminal
	tput            -- shell-script access to terminal capabilities.
	tset            -- terminal-initialization utility
	toe		-- table of entries utility

The first two are used for manipulating terminfo descriptions; the next two
are for use in shell scripts.  The last is provided for 4.4BSD compatibility.
The source code for all of these lives in the `progs' directory.

Detailed documentation for all libraries and utilities can be found in
the `man' directory.  An HTML introduction to ncurses, panels, and
menus programming lives in the `misc' directory.

The `test' directory contains programs that can be used to verify the 
functions of the ncurses libraries.  See test/README for descriptions of
these programs.  Notably, the `ncurses' utility is designed to help you
systematically exercise the library functions.

RELATED RESOURCES:

This distribution now includes (and uses) a copy of the master terminfo
database maintained by Eric Raymond.  This database (which is the 
official descendant of the 4.4BSD termcap file) changes faster than this
code does.

You can surf to a WWW page that carries the current terminfo master file,
and news about ncurses, at

	http://www.ccil.org/~esr/ncurses.html

AUTHORS:

Pavel Curtis: 
	wrote the original ncurses

Zeyd M. Ben-Halim:
	port of original to Linux and many enhancements.

Eric S. Raymond:
	the man pages, infocmp(1), tput(1), clear(1), captoinfo(1), tset(1),
	toe(1), most of tic(1), src/lib_twait.c, trace levels, the HTML intro,
	wgetnstr() and many other entry points,	the cursor-movement
	optimization, the scroll-pack optimizer for vertical motions,
	the mouse interface and xterm mouse support, and the ncurses
	test program.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Thomas Dickey and David MacKenzie
	for first-class bug-chasing and methodical testing.

Ross Ridge
	for the code that hacks termcap parameterized strings into terminfo.

Warren Tucker and Gerhard Fuernkranz,
	for writing and sending the panel library.

Juergen Pfeifer
	the menu and form code

Hellmuth Michaelis,
	for many patches and testing the optimization code.

Eric Newton, Ulrich Drepper, and Anatoly Ivasyuk:
	the C++ code.

Jonathan Ross,
	for lessons in using sed.

Keith Bostic (maintainer of 4.4BSD curses)
	for help, criticism, comments, bug-finding, and being willing to
	deep-six BSD curses for this one when it grew up.

Countless other people have contributed by reporting bugs, sending fixes,
suggesting improvements, and generally whining about ncurses :-)

BUGS:
	See the INSTALL file for bug and developer-list addresses.
	The Hacker's Guide in the misc directory includes some guidelines
	on how to report bugs in ways that will get them fixed most quickly.
