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diff --git a/contrib/ncurses/announce.html b/contrib/ncurses/announce.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..aa05b002d32c --- /dev/null +++ b/contrib/ncurses/announce.html @@ -0,0 +1,387 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//IETF//DTD HTML 3.0//EN"> +<!-- + $Id: announce.html,v 1.30 1999/05/16 17:01:39 juergen Exp $ +--> +<HTML> +<HEAD> +<TITLE>Announcing ncurses 5.0</TITLE> +<link rev=made href="mailto:bug-ncurses@gnu.org"> +</HEAD> +<BODY> + +<H1>Announcing ncurses 5.0</H1> + +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.<P> + +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.<P> + +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!<P> + +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.<P> + +The ncurses distribution is available via anonymous FTP at +the GNU distribution site +<A HREF="ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu">ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu</A>. +It is also available at +<A HREF="ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/ncurses">ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/ncurses</A>. + +<H1>Release Notes</H1> + +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. +<p> +Interface changes: +<ul> + <li>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: +<ul> + <li>modified several prototypes to correspond with 1997 version of + X/Open Curses (affects ABI since developers have used attr_get). + + <li>corrected prototypes for slk_* functions, using chtype rather than + attr_t. + + <li>the slk_attr_{set,off,on} functions need an additional void* + parameter according to XSI. + + <li>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. + + <li>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. + + <li>reviewed/corrected macros in curses.h as per XSI document. + + <li>add set_a_attributes and set_pglen_inch to terminfo structure, as per + XSI and Solaris 2.5. +</ul> + <li>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: +<ul> + <li>implement tparm %l format. + + <li>implement tparm printf-style width and precision for %s, %d, %x, %o + as per XSI. +</ul> + <li>We made additional changes to reduce impact by future interface + changes: +<ul> + <li>change key_names[] array to static since it is not part of the curses + interface. + + <li>move macro winch to a function, to hide details of struct ldat +</ul> + <li>modify configure script to embed ABI in shared libraries for HP-UX + 10.x (detailed request by Tim Mooney). + + <li>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). +</ul> +New features: +<ul> + <li>enable sigwinch handler by default. + + <li>turn on hashmap scrolling code by default + + <li>improved support for termcap applications +<ul> + <li>modify tput to accept termcap names as an alternative to terminfo + names. + + <li>provide support for termcap PC variable by copying it from terminfo + data and using it as the padding character in tputs. + + <li>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. + + <li>change name-comparisons in lib_termcap to compare no more than 2 + characters. + + <li>add configure option --enable-tcap-names, which essentially + allows users to define new capabilities as in termcap. +</ul> + <li>add mouse support to ncurses menus. + + <li>add mouse and dll support for OS/2 EMX + + <li>modify terminfo parsing to accept octal and hexadecimal constants + + <li>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. + + <li>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. + + <li>add -f option to infocmp and tic, which formats the terminfo + if/then/else/endif so that they are readable (with newlines and + tabs). + + <li>modify tic to compile into %'char' form in preference to %{number}, + since that is a little more efficient. +</ul> +Major bug fixes: +<ul> + <li>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. + + <li>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. + + <li>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. + + <li>modify setupterm so that cancelled strings are treated the same as + absent strings, cancelled and absent booleans false (does not affect + tic, infocmp). + + <li>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. + + <li>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. + + <li>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. +</ul> + +<H1>Features of Ncurses</H1> + +The ncurses package is fully compatible with SVr4 (System V Release 4) curses:<P> + +<UL> +<LI>All 257 of the SVr4 calls have been implemented (and are documented). +<LI>Full support for SVr4 curses features including keyboard mapping, color, +forms-drawing with ACS characters, and automatic recognition of keypad +and function keys. +<LI>An emulation of the SVr4 panels library, supporting +a stack of windows with backing store, is included. +<LI>An emulation of the SVr4 menus library, supporting +a uniform but flexible interface for menu programming, is included. +<LI>An emulation of the SVr4 form library, supporting +data collection through on-screen forms, is included. +<LI>Binary terminfo entries generated by the ncurses tic(1) implementation +are bit-for-bit-compatible with the entry format SVr4 curses uses. +<LI>The utilities have options to allow you to filter terminfo +entries for use with less capable <STRONG>curses</STRONG>/<STRONG>terminfo</STRONG> +versions such as the HP/UX and AIX ports.</UL> + +The ncurses package also has many useful extensions over SVr4:<P> + +<UL> +<LI>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). +<LI>Unlike SVr4 curses, ncurses can write to the rightmost-bottommost corner +of the screen if your terminal has an insert-character capability. +<LI>Ada95 and C++ bindings. +<LI>Support for mouse event reporting with X Window xterm and OS/2 console windows. +<LI>Extended mouse support via Alessandro Rubini's gpm package. +<LI>The function <CODE>wresize()</CODE> allows you to resize windows, preserving +their data. +<LI>The function <CODE>use_default_colors()</CODE> allows you to +use the terminal's default colors for the default color pair, +achieving the effect of transparent colors. +<LI>The functions <CODE>keyok()</CODE> +and <CODE>define_key()</CODE> 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. +<LI>Support for 16-color terminals, such as aixterm and XFree86 xterm. +<LI>Better cursor-movement optimization. The package now features a +cursor-local-movement computation more efficient than either BSD's +or System V's. +<LI>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. +<LI>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. +<LI>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). +<LI>The tic(1)/captoinfo utility provided with ncurses has the +ability to translate many termcaps from the XENIX, IBM and +AT&T extension sets. +<LI>A BSD-like tset(1) utility is provided. +<LI>The ncurses library and utilities will automatically read terminfo +entries from $HOME/.terminfo if it exists, and compile to that directory +if it exists and the user has no write access to the system directory. +This feature makes it easier for users to have personal terminfo entries +without giving up access to the system terminfo directory. +<LI>You may specify a path of directories to search for compiled +descriptions with the environment variable TERMINFO_DIRS (this +generalizes the feature provided by TERMINFO under stock System V.) +<LI>In terminfo source files, use capabilities may refer not just to +other entries in the same source file (as in System V) but also to +compiled entries in either the system terminfo directory or the user's +$HOME/.terminfo directory. +<LI>A script (<STRONG>capconvert</STRONG>) 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. +<LI>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. +<LI>The table-of-entries utility <STRONG>toe</STRONG> makes it easy for users to +see exactly what terminal types are available on the system. +<LI>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 +<CODE>#undef</CODE>. +<LI>An HTML "Introduction to Programming with NCURSES" document provides +a narrative introduction to the curses programming interface. +</UL> + +<H1>State of the Package</H1> + +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.<P> + +The ncurses code has been tested with a wide variety of applications +including (versions starting with those noted):<P> +<DL> +<DT> ded +<DD> directory-editor +<A HREF="ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/ded">ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/ded</A>. +<DT> dialog +<DD> the underlying application used in Slackware's setup, and the basis +for similar applications on GNU/Linux. +<DT> lynx-2.7 +<DD> the character-screen WWW browser +<DT> Midnight Commander 4.1 +<DD> file manager +<DT> mutt 0.88 +<DD> mail utility +<DT> ncftp 2.0 +<DD> file-transfer utility +<DT> nvi +<DD> New vi versions 1.50 are able to use ncurses versions 1.9.7 and later. +<DT> taper +<DD> tape archive utility +<DT> vh-1.6 +<DD> Volks-Hypertext browser for the Jargon File +</DL> +as well as some that use ncurses for the terminfo support alone: +<DL> +<DT> minicom-1.75 +<DD> terminal emulator +<DT> tin-unoff +<DD> tin 1.4 newsreader, supporting color, MIME +<A HREF="ftp://ftp.akk.uni-karlsruhe.de/pub/news/clients/tin-unoff">ftp://ftp.akk.uni-karlsruhe.de/pub/news/clients/tin-unoff</A>. +<DT> vile +<DD> vi-like-emacs +<A HREF="ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/vile">ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/vile</A>. +</DL> +<P> + +The ncurses distribution includes a selection of test programs (including +a few games). + +<H2>Who's Who and What's What</H2> + +The original developers of ncurses are <A +HREF="mailto:zmbenhal@netcom.com">Zeyd Ben-Halim</A> and +<A HREF="http://www.ccil.org/~esr/home.html">Eric S. Raymond</A>. +Ongoing work is being done by +<A HREF="mailto:dickey@clark.net">Thomas Dickey</A> +and +<A HREF="mailto:juergen.pfeifer@gmx.net">Jürgen Pfeifer</A>. +<A HREF="mailto:florian@gnu.org">Florian La Roche</A> +acts as the maintainer for the Free Software Foundation, which holds the +copyright on ncurses. +Contact the current maintainers at +<A HREF="mailto:bug-ncurses@gnu.org">bug-ncurses@gnu.org</A>. +<P> + +To join the ncurses mailing list, please write email to +<CODE>bug-ncurses-request@gnu.org</CODE> containing the line: +<PRE> + subscribe <name>@<host.domain> +</PRE> + +This list is open to anyone interested in helping with the development and +testing of this package.<P> + +Beta versions of ncurses and patches to the current release are made available at +<A HREF="ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/ncurses">ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/dickey/ncurses</A>. + +<H2>Future Plans</H2> +<UL> +<LI>Extended-level XPG4 conformance, with internationalization support. +<LI>Ports to more systems, including DOS and Windows. +</UL> +We need people to help with these projects. If you are interested in working +on them, please join the ncurses list. + +<H2>Other Related Resources</H2> + +The distribution includes and uses a version of the terminfo-format +terminal description file maintained by Eric Raymond. +<A HREF="http://earthspace.net/~esr/terminfo">http://earthspace.net/~esr/terminfo</A>.<P> + +You can find lots of information on terminal-related topics +not covered in the terminfo file at +<A HREF="http://www.cs.utk.edu/~shuford/terminal_index.html">Richard Shuford's +archive</A>. +</BODY> +</HTML> +<!-- +# The following sets edit modes for GNU EMACS +# Local Variables: +# mode:html +# case-fold-search:nil +# fill-column:70 +# End: +--> |