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diff --git a/contrib/ncurses/ANNOUNCE b/contrib/ncurses/ANNOUNCE new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b5fd0a1 --- /dev/null +++ b/contrib/ncurses/ANNOUNCE @@ -0,0 +1,351 @@ + + Announcing ncurses 5.0 + + The ncurses (new curses) library is a free software emulation of + curses in System V Release 4.0, and more. It uses terminfo format, + supports pads and color and multiple highlights and forms characters + and function-key mapping, and has all the other SYSV-curses + enhancements over BSD curses. + + In mid-June 1995, the maintainer of 4.4BSD curses declared that he + considered 4.4BSD curses obsolete, and is encouraging the keepers of + Unix releases such as BSD/OS, freeBSD and netBSD to switch over to + ncurses. + + The ncurses code was developed under GNU/Linux. It should port easily + to any ANSI/POSIX-conforming UNIX. It has even been ported to OS/2 + Warp! + + The distribution includes the library and support utilities, including + a terminfo compiler tic(1), a decompiler infocmp(1), clear(1), + tput(1), tset(1), and a termcap conversion tool captoinfo(1). Full + manual pages are provided for the library and tools. + + The ncurses distribution is available via anonymous FTP at the GNU + distribution site [1]ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu. It is also available + at [2]ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/ncurses. + + Release Notes + + We decided to release ncurses as a new whole number release (5.0) + because it incorporates several interface changes, including some that + would invalidate existing shared libraries. These are the highlights + from the change-log since ncurses 4.2 release. + + Interface changes: + * The principal source of changes to the interface comes from the + release of X/Open Curses in 1997. Earlier versions of ncurses (4.0 + and before) were based on a draft version of the specification. + The release version adds parameters to some functions to support + the evolving internationalization of curses. These summarize the + impact: + + modified several prototypes to correspond with 1997 version + of X/Open Curses (affects ABI since developers have used + attr_get). + + corrected prototypes for slk_* functions, using chtype rather + than attr_t. + + the slk_attr_{set,off,on} functions need an additional void* + parameter according to XSI. + + correct macros for wattr_set, wattr_get, separate wattrset + macro from these to preserve behavior that allows attributes + to be combined with color pair numbers. + + reviewed/updated curses.h, term.h against X/Open Curses Issue + 4 Version 2. This includes making some parameters + NCURSES_CONST rather than const, e.g., in termcap.h. + + reviewed/corrected macros in curses.h as per XSI document. + + add set_a_attributes and set_pglen_inch to terminfo + structure, as per XSI and Solaris 2.5. + * The newest version of the X/Open Curses is implemented on Solaris + and other vendor's systems. It adds new features to the terminfo + descriptions: + + implement tparm %l format. + + implement tparm printf-style width and precision for %s, %d, + %x, %o as per XSI. + * We made additional changes to reduce impact by future interface + changes: + + change key_names[] array to static since it is not part of + the curses interface. + + move macro winch to a function, to hide details of struct + ldat + * modify configure script to embed ABI in shared libraries for HP-UX + 10.x (detailed request by Tim Mooney). + * modify configuration of shared libraries on Digital Unix so that + versioning is embedded in the library, rather than implied by + links (patch by Tim Mooney). + + New features: + * enable sigwinch handler by default. + * turn on hashmap scrolling code by default + * improved support for termcap applications + + modify tput to accept termcap names as an alternative to + terminfo names. + + provide support for termcap PC variable by copying it from + terminfo data and using it as the padding character in tputs. + + provide support for termcap ospeed variable by copying it + from the internal cur_term member, and using ospeed as the + baudrate reference for the delay_output and tputs functions. + + change name-comparisons in lib_termcap to compare no more + than 2 characters. + + add configure option --enable-tcap-names, which essentially + allows users to define new capabilities as in termcap. + * add mouse support to ncurses menus. + * add mouse and dll support for OS/2 EMX + * modify terminfo parsing to accept octal and hexadecimal constants + * add configure option --enable-no-padding, to allow environment + variable $NCURSES_NO_PADDING to eliminate non-mandatory padding, + thereby making terminal emulators (e.g., for vt100) a little more + efficient. + * modify lib_color.c to eliminate dependency on orig_colors and + orig_pair, since SVr4 curses does not require these either, but + uses them when they are available. + * add -f option to infocmp and tic, which formats the terminfo + if/then/else/endif so that they are readable (with newlines and + tabs). + * modify tic to compile into %'char' form in preference to + %{number}, since that is a little more efficient. + + Major bug fixes: + * modify lib_tstp.c to block SIGTTOU when handling SIGTSTP, fixes a + problem where ncurses applications which were run via a shell + script would hang when given a ^Z. Also, check if the terminal's + process group is consistent, i.e., a shell has not taken ownership + of it, before deciding to save the current terminal settings in + the SIGTSTP handler. + * suppress sc/rc capabilities from terminal description if they + appear in smcup/rmcup. This affects only scrolling optimization, + to fix a problem reported by several people with xterm's alternate + screen, though the problem is more general. + * modify relative_move and tputs to avoid an interaction with the + BSD-style padding. The relative_move function could produce a + string to replace on the screen which began with a numeric + character, which was then interpreted by tputs as padding. + * modify setupterm so that cancelled strings are treated the same as + absent strings, cancelled and absent booleans false (does not + affect tic, infocmp). + * modify lib_vidattr.c to allow for terminal types (e.g., + xterm-color) which may reset all attributes in the 'op' + capability, so that colors are set before turning on bold and + other attributes, but still after turning attributes off. + * use 'access()' to check if ncurses library should be permitted to + open or modify files with fopen/open/link/unlink/remove calls, in + case the calling application is running in setuid mode. + * correction to doupdate, for case where terminal does not support + insert/delete character. The logic did not check that there was a + difference in alignment of changes to old/new screens before + repainting the whole non-blank portion of the line. Modified to + fall through into logic that reduces by the portion which does not + differ. + + Features of Ncurses + + The ncurses package is fully compatible with SVr4 (System V Release 4) + curses: + + * All 257 of the SVr4 calls have been implemented (and are + documented). + * Full support for SVr4 curses features including keyboard mapping, + color, forms-drawing with ACS characters, and automatic + recognition of keypad and function keys. + * An emulation of the SVr4 panels library, supporting a stack of + windows with backing store, is included. + * An emulation of the SVr4 menus library, supporting a uniform but + flexible interface for menu programming, is included. + * An emulation of the SVr4 form library, supporting data collection + through on-screen forms, is included. + * Binary terminfo entries generated by the ncurses tic(1) + implementation are bit-for-bit-compatible with the entry format + SVr4 curses uses. + * The utilities have options to allow you to filter terminfo entries + for use with less capable curses/terminfo versions such as the + HP/UX and AIX ports. + + The ncurses package also has many useful extensions over SVr4: + + * The API is 8-bit clean and base-level conformant with the X/OPEN + curses specification, XSI curses (that is, it implements all BASE + level features, but not all EXTENDED features). Most + EXTENDED-level features not directly concerned with wide-character + support are implemented, including many function calls not + supported under SVr4 curses (but portability of all calls is + documented so you can use the SVr4 subset only). + * Unlike SVr4 curses, ncurses can write to the rightmost-bottommost + corner of the screen if your terminal has an insert-character + capability. + * Ada95 and C++ bindings. + * Support for mouse event reporting with X Window xterm and OS/2 + console windows. + * Extended mouse support via Alessandro Rubini's gpm package. + * The function wresize() allows you to resize windows, preserving + their data. + * The function use_default_colors() allows you to use the terminal's + default colors for the default color pair, achieving the effect of + transparent colors. + * The functions keyok() and define_key() allow you to better control + the use of function keys, e.g., disabling the ncurses KEY_MOUSE, + or by defining more than one control sequence to map to a given + key code. + * Support for 16-color terminals, such as aixterm and XFree86 xterm. + * Better cursor-movement optimization. The package now features a + cursor-local-movement computation more efficient than either BSD's + or System V's. + * Super hardware scrolling support. The screen-update code + incorporates a novel, simple, and cheap algorithm that enables it + to make optimal use of hardware scrolling, line-insertion, and + line-deletion for screen-line movements. This algorithm is more + powerful than the 4.4BSD curses quickch() routine. + * Real support for terminals with the magic-cookie glitch. The + screen-update code will refrain from drawing a highlight if the + magic- cookie unattributed spaces required just before the + beginning and after the end would step on a non-space character. + It will automatically shift highlight boundaries when doing so + would make it possible to draw the highlight without changing the + visual appearance of the screen. + * It is possible to generate the library with a list of pre-loaded + fallback entries linked to it so that it can serve those terminal + types even when no terminfo tree or termcap file is accessible + (this may be useful for support of screen-oriented programs that + must run in single-user mode). + * The tic(1)/captoinfo utility provided with ncurses has the ability + to translate many termcaps from the XENIX, IBM and AT&T extension + sets. + * A BSD-like tset(1) utility is provided. + * The ncurses library and utilities will automatically read terminfo + entries from $HOME/.terminfo if it exists, and compile to that + directory if it exists and the user has no write access to the + system directory. This feature makes it easier for users to have + personal terminfo entries without giving up access to the system + terminfo directory. + * You may specify a path of directories to search for compiled + descriptions with the environment variable TERMINFO_DIRS (this + generalizes the feature provided by TERMINFO under stock System + V.) + * In terminfo source files, use capabilities may refer not just to + other entries in the same source file (as in System V) but also to + compiled entries in either the system terminfo directory or the + user's $HOME/.terminfo directory. + * A script (capconvert) is provided to help BSD users transition + from termcap to terminfo. It gathers the information in a TERMCAP + environment variable and/or a ~/.termcap local entries file and + converts it to an equivalent local terminfo tree under + $HOME/.terminfo. + * Automatic fallback to the /etc/termcap file can be compiled in + when it is not possible to build a terminfo tree. This feature is + neither fast nor cheap, you don't want to use it unless you have + to, but it's there. + * The table-of-entries utility toe makes it easy for users to see + exactly what terminal types are available on the system. + * The library meets the XSI requirement that every macro entry point + have a corresponding function which may be linked (and will be + prototype-checked) if the macro definition is disabled with + #undef. + * An HTML "Introduction to Programming with NCURSES" document + provides a narrative introduction to the curses programming + interface. + + State of the Package + + Numerous bugs present in earlier versions have been fixed; the library + is far more reliable than it used to be. Bounds checking in many + `dangerous' entry points has been improved. The code is now type-safe + according to gcc -Wall. The library has been checked for malloc leaks + and arena corruption by the Purify memory-allocation tester. + + The ncurses code has been tested with a wide variety of applications + including (versions starting with those noted): + + ded + directory-editor [3]ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/ded. + + dialog + the underlying application used in Slackware's setup, and the + basis for similar applications on GNU/Linux. + + lynx-2.7 + the character-screen WWW browser + + Midnight Commander 4.1 + file manager + + mutt 0.88 + mail utility + + ncftp 2.0 + file-transfer utility + + nvi + New vi versions 1.50 are able to use ncurses versions 1.9.7 and + later. + + taper + tape archive utility + + vh-1.6 + Volks-Hypertext browser for the Jargon File + + as well as some that use ncurses for the terminfo support alone: + + minicom-1.75 + terminal emulator + + tin-unoff + tin 1.4 newsreader, supporting color, MIME + [4]ftp://ftp.akk.uni-karlsruhe.de/pub/news/clients/tin-unoff. + + vile + vi-like-emacs [5]ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/vile. + + The ncurses distribution includes a selection of test programs + (including a few games). + +Who's Who and What's What + + The original developers of ncurses are [6]Zeyd Ben-Halim and [7]Eric + S. Raymond. Ongoing work is being done by [8]Thomas Dickey and + [9]Jürgen Pfeifer. [10]Florian La Roche acts as the maintainer for the + Free Software Foundation, which holds the copyright on ncurses. + Contact the current maintainers at [11]bug-ncurses@gnu.org. + + To join the ncurses mailing list, please write email to + bug-ncurses-request@gnu.org containing the line: + subscribe <name>@<host.domain> + + This list is open to anyone interested in helping with the development + and testing of this package. + + Beta versions of ncurses and patches to the current release are made + available at [12]ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/ncurses. + +Future Plans + + * Extended-level XPG4 conformance, with internationalization + support. + * Ports to more systems, including DOS and Windows. + + We need people to help with these projects. If you are interested in + working on them, please join the ncurses list. + +Other Related Resources + + The distribution includes and uses a version of the terminfo-format + terminal description file maintained by Eric Raymond. + [13]http://earthspace.net/~esr/terminfo. + + You can find lots of information on terminal-related topics not + covered in the terminfo file at [14]Richard Shuford's archive. + +References + + 1. ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu + 2. ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/ncurses + 3. ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/ded + 4. ftp://ftp.akk.uni-karlsruhe.de/pub/news/clients/tin-unoff + 5. ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/vile + 6. mailto:zmbenhal@netcom.com + 7. http://www.ccil.org/~esr/home.html + 8. mailto:dickey@clark.net + 9. mailto:juergen.pfeifer@gmx.net + 10. mailto:florian@gnu.org + 11. mailto:bug-ncurses@gnu.org + 12. ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/ncurses + 13. http://earthspace.net/~esr/terminfo + 14. http://www.cs.utk.edu/~shuford/terminal_index.html |
