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diff --git a/contrib/ncurses/README b/contrib/ncurses/README new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cf1ab65 --- /dev/null +++ b/contrib/ncurses/README @@ -0,0 +1,175 @@ +-- $Id: README,v 1.17 1998/02/15 01:26:47 tom Exp $ +------------------------------------------------------------------------------- + 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, where d.d +is the current version number (see the dist.mk file in this directory for +that). There should be a number of subdirectories, including `c++', `form', +`man', `menu', `misc', `ncurses', `panel', `progs', `test', 'tack' and `Ada95'. +(The 'tack' program is distributed separately). + +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.so (shared) + libpanel_g.a (debug and trace code enabled) + + libmenu.a (normal) + libmenu.so (shared) + libmenu_g.a (debug enabled) + + libform.a (normal) + libform.so (shared) + 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, forms, menus and panels library packaged as C++ classes, and a demo program in C++ +to test it. These class definition modules are not installed by the 'make +install.libs' rule as libncurses++. + +In the `Ada95' directory, you'll find code and documentation for an +Ada95 binding of the curses API, to be used with the GNAT compiler. +This binding is built by a normal top-level `make' if configure detects +an usable version of GNAT (3.10 or above). It is not installed automatically. +See the Ada95 directory for more build and installation instructions and +for documentation of the binding. + +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 +--enable-termcap option enabled, and the ncurses library cannot 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. + toe -- table of entries utility + tset -- terminal-initialization utility + +The first two (tic and infocmp) are used for manipulating terminfo +descriptions; the next two (clear and tput) are for use in shell scripts. The +last (tset) 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. Manpages in HTML format +are under `Ada95/html'. + +The `test' directory contains programs that can be used to verify or +demonstrate 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. + +AUTHORS: + +Pavel Curtis: + wrote the original ncurses + +Zeyd M. Ben-Halim: + port of original to Linux and many enhancements. + +Thomas Dickey (maintainer since 1.9.9e): + configuration scripts, porting, mods to adhere to XSI Curses in the + areas of background color, terminal modes. Also memory leak testing, + the wresize, default colors and key definition extensions and numerous + bug fixes (more than half of those enumerated in NEWS beginning with + the internal release 1.8.9). + +Florian La Roche (official maintainer for FSF's ncurses 4.2) + Beginning with release 4.2, ncurses is distributed under an MIT-style + license. + +Eric S. Raymond: + the man pages, infocmp(1), tput(1), clear(1), captoinfo(1), tset(1), + toe(1), most of tic(1), 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. + +Juergen Pfeifer + The menu and form libraries, C++ bindings for ncurses, menus, forms and + panels, as well as the Ada95 binding. Ongoing support for panel. + +CONTRIBUTORS: + +Alexander V. Lukyanov + for numerous fixes and improvements to the optimization logic. + +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. + +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. + +Richard Stallman, + for his commitment to making ncurses free software. + +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. |
