menu()

NAME

menus - curses extension for programming menus

SYNOPSIS

#include <menu.h>

DESCRIPTION

The menus library provides terminal-independent facilities for composing menu systems on character-cell terminals. The library includes: item routines, which create and modify menu items; and menu routines, which group items into menus, display menus on the screen, and handle interaction with the user.

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

Current Default Values for Item Attributes

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

Routine Name Index

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

curses Routine Name Manual Page Name
current_item() mitem_current
free_item() mitem_new
free_menu() menu_new
item_count() menu_items
item_description() mitem_name
item_index() mitem_current
item_init() menu_hook
item_name() mitem_name
item_opts() mitem_opts
item_opts_off() mitem_opts
item_opts_on() mitem_opts
item_term() menu_hook
item_userptr() mitem_userptr
item_value() mitem_value
item_visible() mitem_visible
menu_back() menu_attribs
menu_driver() menu_driver
menu_fore() menu_fore
menu_format() menu_format
menu_grey() menu_attribs
menu_init() menu_hook
menu_items() menu_items
menu_mark() menu_mark
menu_opts() menu_opts
menu_opts_off() menu_opts
menu_opts_on() menu_opts
menu_pad() menu_attribs
menu_pattern() menu_pattern
menu_sub() menu_win
menu_term() menu_hook
menu_userptr() menu_userptr
menu_win() menu_win
new_item() mitem_new
new_menu() menu_new
pos_menu_cursor() menu_cursor
post_menu() menu_post
scale_menu() menu_win
set_current_item() menu_current_item
set_item_init() menu_hook
set_item_opts() mitem_opts
set_item_term() menu_hook
set_item_userptr() mitem_userptr
set_item_value() mitem_value
set_menu_back() menu_attribs
set_menu_fore() menu_attribs
set_menu_format() menu_format
set_menu_grey() menu_attribs
set_menu_init() menu_hook
set_menu_items() menu_items
set_menu_mark() menu_mark
set_menu_opts() mitem_opts
set_menu_pad() menu_attribs
set_menu_pattern() menu_pattern
set_menu_sub() menu_win
set_menu_term() menu_hook
set_menu_userptr() menu_userptr
set_menu_win() menu_win
set_top_row() mitem_current
top_row() mitem_current
unpost_menu() menu_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_SYSTEM_ERROR
System error occurred (see errno).
E_BAD_ARGUMENT
Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument.
E_POSTED
The menu is already posted.
E_BAD_STATE
Routine was called from an initialization or termination function.
E_NO_ROOM
Menu is too large for its window.
E_NOT_POSTED
The menu has not been posted.
E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND
The menu driver code saw an unknown request code.
E_NO_MATCH
Character failed to match.
E_NOT_SELECTABLE
The designated item cannot be selected.
E_NOT_CONNECTED
No items are connected to the menu.
E_REQUEST_DENIED
The menu driver could not process the request.

SEE ALSO

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

NOTES

The header file <menu.h> automatically includes the header files <curses.h> and <eti.h>.

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

PORTABILITY

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