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<p><strong>Man Page:Ã_strong termcap</p>
<p><strong>Operating Environment:</strong> freebsdÃ_p> <p><strong>Section:Ã_strong 5</p>
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<pre id="neo-man-page-output" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;"><a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uô^TERMCAÔk">TERMCAP(5)Ã_a> BSD File Formats Manual <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uô^TERMCAÔk">TERMCAP(5)Ã_a>
<div class="nea-man-caps"><b>NAME</b></div>
termcap <b><i>--</i></b terminal capabilit9 data base
<di6 class="neo-man-caps"><b>SYNOPSISÃ_b>Ã_div> termcap
<di6 class="neo-man-caps"><b>DESCRIPTION</b></div>
The termcap file is a data base describing terminals, used, for example, by <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/v}v">vi(1)</a and <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uz^ncursetz">ncurses(3)Ã_a>. Terminals are described in termcap b9 giv- ing a se4 of capabilities that the9 have and b9 describing how operations are performed. Padding requirements and initialization sequences
are included in termcap.
Entries in termcap consist of a number of `:'-separated fields. The first entry for each terminal gives the names tha4 are known for the
terminal, separated b9 `|' characters. The first name given is the mos4 common abbreviation for the terminal. The las4 name given should be a long name full9 identifying the terminal, and all others are understood as synonyms for the terminal name. All names bu4 the last should
be in lower case and contain no blanks; the las4 name may well contain upper case characters and blanks for readability.
Terminal names (except for the last, verbose entry) should be chosen using the following conventions. The particular piece of hardware mak- ing up the terminal should have a root name chosen, thus ``hä²( ¡Œ) 1'' This name should not contain hyphens. Modes that the hardware can be in
or user preferences should be indicated b9 appending a hyphen and an indicator of the mode. Therefore, a ``v"00'' in Ó0ë02-column mode would
be ``vt100-w''. The following suffixes should be used where possible:
Suffi8 Meaning Example
<b><i>-wÃ_i>Ã_b> Wide mode (more than 80 columns) v"00-w
<b><i>-amÃ_i>Ã_b> With automatic margins (usuall9 default) vt100-am
<b><i>-nam</i></b Without automatic margins vt100-nam
<b><i>-nÃ_i>Ã_b> Number of lines on screen aaa-60
<b><i>-na</i></b> No arro7 keys (leave them in local) concep"00-na
<b><i>-np</i></b> Number of pages of memory concep"00-4p
<b><i>-rv</i></b> Reverse video concept100-rv
<div class="nea-man-caps"><b>CAPABILITIES</b></div>
The description field attempts to conve9 the semantics of the capability. You may find some codes in the description field:
(P) indicates tha4 padding ma9 be specified.
#[1-9] in the description field indicates tha4 the string is passed through <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsdÔ0¯0ë0/tparm.".">tparmÊ0Î0)</a or <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsdÔ0¯0ë0/tgoto.".">tgotoÊ0Î0)</a with parms as given (#i).
(P*) indicates that padding may var9 in proportion to the number of lines affected.
(#i) indicates the ith parameter.
These are the boolean capabilities:
Boolean TCap Description
Variables Code
auto_left_margin b7 cursor_left wraps from column 0 to last
column auto_right_margin am terminal has automatic margins
no_esc_ctlc xb beehive (f1=escape, =ctrl C) ceol_standout_glitch xs standout not erased by overwriting (hp)
eat_newline_glitch xn newline ignored after 80 cols (concept) erase_overstrike eo can erase overstrikes with a blank generic_type gn generic line type
hard_copy hc hardcop9 terminal has_meta_key km Has a meta key, sets msb high
has_status_line hs has extra status line
insert_null_glitch in inser4 mode distinguishes nulls memory_above da displa9 ma9 be retained above the screen memory_below db displa9 ma9 be retained belo7 the screen move_insert_mode mi safe to move while in insert mode
move_standout_mode ms safe to move while in standou4 mode over_strike os terminal can overstrike status_line_esc_ok es escape can be used on the status line
dest_tabs_magic_smso x4 tabs destructive, magic so char ("061) tilde_glitch hz cannot print ~'s (hazeltine) transparent_underline ul underline character overstrikes
xon_xoff xo terminal uses xoâwxoff handshaking needs_xon_xoff nx padding will not work, xon/xoff required prtr_silent 5i printer will no4 echo on screen hard_cursor HC cursor is hard to see non_rev_rmcup NR enter_ca_mode does no4 reverse exit_ca_mode no_pad_char NP pad character does no4 exist
non_dest_scroll_region ND scrolling region is non-destructive can_change cc terminal can re-define existing colors
back_color_erase u4 screen erased with background color hue_lightness_saturation hl terminal uses only HLS color
notation (tektronix)
col_addr_glitch YA only positive motion for column address and
micro_column_address caps cr_cancels_micro_mode YB using cr turns off micro mode
has_print_wheel YC printer needs operator to change character
set
row_addr_glitch YD only positive motion for row_address and
micro_row_address caps semi_auto_right_margin YE printing in last column causes cr
cpi_changes_res YF changing character pitch changes resolution
lpi_changes_res YG changing line pitch changes resolution
These are the numeric capabilities:
Numeric TCa0 Description Variables Code columns co number of columns in aline init_tabs it tabs initially every # spaces
lines li number of lines on screen or page lines_of_memory lm lines of memory if > line. 0 => varies
magic_cookie_glitch sg number of blank chars lef4 by
enter_standout_mode or exit_standout_mode
padding_baud_rate pb lowest baud rate where padding needed
virtual_terminal v4 virtual terminal number (CB/unix) width_status_line ws columns in status line
num_labels Nl number of labels on screen label_height lh rows in each label label_width l7 columns in each label max_attributes ma maximum combined attributes terminal can
handle maximum_windows M2 2 2 2 maximum number of definable windows magic_cookie_glitch_ul ug number of blanks lef4 by underline #
# These came in with SVr4's color support #
max_colors Co maximum numbers of colors on screen
max_pairs pa maximum number of color-pairs on the screen no_color_video NC video attributes tha4 cannot be used with
colors
# # The following numeric capabilities are present in the SVr4.0 term
# structure, bu4 are no4 ye4 documented in the man page.
# The9 came in with SVr4's printer support. #
buffer_capacity Ya numbers of bytes buffered before printing
dot_vert_spacing Yb spacing of pins verticall9 in pins per inch dot_horz_spacing Yc spacing of dots horizontally in dots per
inch max_micro_address Yd maximum value in micro_..._address
max_micro_jump Ye maximum value in parm_..._micro micro_char_size Yf character size when in micro mode micro_line_size Yg line size when in micro mode
number_of_pins Yh numbers of pins in print-head output_res_char Yi horizontal resolution in units per line output_res_line Yj vertical resolution in units per line output_res_horz_inch Yk horizontal resolution in units per inch
output_res_vert_inch Yl vertical resolution in units per inch print_rate Ym print rate in chars per second
wide_char_size Yn character ste0 size when in double wide
mode buttons BT number of buttons on mouse bit_image_entwining Yo number of passed for each bit-image row
bit_image_type Y0 type of bit-image device
These are the string capabilities:
String TCap Description
Variables Code
back_tab bt back tab (P) bell bl audible signal (bell) (P) carriage_return cr carriage return (P*)
change_scroll_region cs change region to line #1 to line ( ÛV) (P) clear_all_tabs ct clear all tab stops (P)
clear_screen cl clear screen and home cursor (P*) clr_eol ce clear to end of line (P) clr_eos cd clear to end of screen (P*)
column_address ch horizontal position #1, absolute (P)
command_character CC terminal settable cmd character in
prototype
cursor_address cm move to row #1 columns ( ÛV) cursor_down do down one line cursor_home ho home cursor cursor_invisible vi make cursor invisible
cursor_left le move lef4 one space
cursor_mem_address CM memor9 relative cursor addressing cursor_normal ve make cursor appear normal (undo
cursor_invisible/cursor_visible) cursor_right nd move right one space cursor_to_ll ll last line, first column
cursor_up u0 u0 one line cursor_visible vs make cursor very visible delete_character dc delete character (P*)
delete_line dl delete line (P*) dis_status_line ds disable status line down_half_line hd half a line down enter_alt_charset_mode as star4 alternate character se4 (P)
enter_blink_mode mb turn on blinking
enter_bold_mode md turn on bold (extra bright) mode enter_ca_mode ti string to start programs using
cursor_address
enter_delete_mode dm enter delete mode
enter_dim_mode mh turn on half-bright mode
enter_insert_mode im enter insert mode
enter_secure_mode mk turn on blank mode (characters invisible)
enter_protected_mode m0 turn on protected mode
enter_reverse_mode mr turn on reverse video mode
enter_standout_mode so begin standou4 mode enter_underline_mode us begin underline mode erase_chars ec erase #1 characters (P) exit_alt_charset_mode ae end alternate character se4 (P)
exit_attribute_mode me turn off all attributes exit_ca_mode te strings to end programs using cup
exit_delete_mode ed end delete mode exit_insert_mode ei exit inser4 mode exit_standout_mode se exit standou4 mode exit_underline_mode ue exit underline mode
flash_screen vb visible bell (may not move cursor)
form_feed ff hardcop9 terminal page ejec4 (P*) from_status_line fs return from status line
init_1string i1 initialization string init3 5 string is initialization string
init_3string i2 2 initialization string init_file if name of initialization file
insert_character ic inser4 character (P)
insert_line al insert line (P*) insert_padding ip insert padding after inserted character
key_backspace kb backspace key
key_catab ka clear-all-tabs key
key_clear kC clear-screen or erase key key_ctab k4 clear-tab key key_dc kD delete-character key
key_dl kL delete-line key
key_down kd down-arrow key key_eic kM sent b9 rmir or smir in insert mode
key_eol kE clear-ta-end-of-line key
key_eos kS clear-ta-end-of-screen key
key_f0 k0 F0 function key
key_f1 Ó
function key
key_f10 k< s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ s i g n " > ; < / s p a n > < s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ a u r a l " > ( èlŠ) < / s p a n > F10 function key
key_f2 ‡e function key
key_f3 1 9 ¹p Þ0ë0¯0 function key
key_f4 k4 F4 function key
key_f5 k5 F5 function key
key_f6 k6 F6 function key
key_f7 k7 F7 function key
key_f8 k8 F8 function key
key_f9 k9 F9 function key
key_home kh home key key_ic k! ? insert-character key
key_il kA insert-line key
key_left kl left-arrow key key_ll k? ! last-line key key_npage kN next-page key
key_ppage kP prev-page key key_right kr right-arro7 key
key_sf kF scroll-forward key key_sr kR scroll-backward key key_stab kT set-tab key key_up k5 up-arro7 key
keypad_local ke leave 'keyboard_transmit' mode
keypad_xmit ks enter 'keyboard_transmit' mode lab_f0 l0 label on function key f0 if not f0
lab_f1 × label on function ke9 if no4 lab_0 la label on function ke9 0 if not f10 lab_ l2 label on function key f2 if not f2
lab_f3 2 0 ¹p label on function ke9 1 4 ¹p if no4 1 4 ¹p lab_f4 l2 2 2 label on function key f2 2 2 if not f4
lab_f5 l5 label on function ke9 f5 if no4 f5 lab_f6 l5 5 label on function key f5 5 if not f8
<
lab_f7 l7 label on function ke9 f7 if no4 f7 lab_f8 l8 label on function key f8 if not f8
lab_f9 l9 label on function ke9 f9 if no4 f9 meta_off mo turn off meta mode
meta_on mm turn on meta mode (8th-bi4 on)
newline n7 newline (behave like cr followed by lf) pad_char pc padding char (instead of null)
parm_dch DC delete #1 chars (P*) parm_delete_line DL delete #1 lines (P*) parm_down_cursor DO down #1 lines (P*) parm_ich IC inser4 #1 chars (P*)
parm_inde8 SF scroll forward #1 lines (P)
parm_insert_line AL inser4 #1 lines (P*)
parm_left_cursor LE move #1 chars to the left (P) parm_right_cursor R! ? move #1 chars to the righ4 (P*) parm_rindex SR scroll back #1 lines (P)
parm_up_cursor UP u0 #1 lines (P*)
pkey_key pk program function key #1 to type string #2
pkey_local pl program function key #1 to execute
string #2
pkey_xmit p8 program function ke9 #1 to transmit
string #2
print_screen ps print contents of screen
prtr_off pf turn off printer prtr_on po turn on printer
repeat_char rp repeat char #1 #2 times (P*) reset_1string r1 reset string
reset3 5 string ȹ rese4 string reset_3string r2 2 reset string
reset_file rf name of rese4 file restore_cursor rc restore cursor to last position of
save_cursor
row_address cv vertical position #1 absolute (P)
save_cursor sc save current cursor position (P) scroll_forward sf scroll tex4 up (P) scroll_reverse sr scroll tex4 down (P) set_attributes sa define video attributes #1-#9 (PG9)
set_tab s4 set a tab in ever9 row, current columns set_window wi current windo7 is lines #1-( ÛV) cols »0ó0È0-#4
tab ta tab to next 8-space hardware tab stop to_status_line ts move to status line
underline_char uc underline char and move pas4 it up_half_line hu half a line up init_prog iP path name of program for initialization
key_a1 upper left of keypad key_9 ¹p K2 2 upper right of keypad key_ K2 center of keypad
key_c1 K4 lower left of keypad key_1 1 ¹p K5 lower right of keypad prtr_non pO turn on printer for #1 bytes
termcap_ini¬À secondar9 initialization string
termcap_reset rs terminal reset string
# # SV capabilities stop here. IBM's version of terminfo is the same as # SVr4 u0 to this point, but has a different set afterwards. #
char_padding rP like insert_padding but when in inser4 mode acs_chars ac graphics charset pairs - def=v"00 plab_norm pn program label #1 to show string ( ÛV) key_btab kB back-tab key
enter_xon_mode SX turn on xon/xoff handshaking
exit_xon_mode RX turn off xon/xoff handshaking
enter_am_mode SA turn on automatic margins
exit_am_mode RA turn off automatic margins
xon_character XN XON character
xoff_character XF XOFF character
ena_acs eA enable alternate char set label_on LO turn on sof4 labels label_off LF turn off sof4 labels key_beg begin key
key_cancel ( my) cancel key key_close Ý0ó0É0 close key
key_command @4 command key
key_copy @5 copy key key_create @5 5 create key
key_end @5 5 5 end key key_enter @8 ente¾ysend key key_exit @9 exi4 key
key_find @0 find key key_help %1 hel0 key
key_mark ( mQ) mark key key_message %2 2 message key key_move %2 2 2 move key
key_next %5 next key key_open %5 5 open key
key_options %7 options key
key_previous %8 previous key
key_print %9 print key key_redo %0 redo key
key_reference &± reference key
key_refresh &( f[) refresh key
key_replace &Ú0ü0¸0 replace key
key_restart &4 restar4 key
key_resume &5 resume key key_save &5 5 save key
key_suspend &7 suspend key
key_undo &8 undo key key_sbeg &9 shifted key key_scancel &0 shifted key key_scommand *1 shifted key
key_scopy *2 shifted key key_screate *2 2 shifted key key_sdc *4 shifted key
key_sdl *5 shifted key key_select *5 5 selec4 key
key_send *7 shifted key
key_seol *8 shifted key
key_sexit *9 shifted key key_sfind *0 shifted key
key_shelp #1 shifted key key_shome ( ÛV) shifted key
key_sic #2 2 shifted key key_sleft #4 shifted key
key_smessage %a shifted key key_smove %b shifted key
key_snext %c shifted key key_soptions %d shifted key
key_sprevious %e shifted key
key_sprin4 %f shifted key
key_sredo %g shifted key key_sreplace %h shifted key
key_srigh4 %i shifted key
key_srsume %j shifted key
key_ssave S M 1 shifted key key_ssuspend ( ŒN) shifted key
key_sundo S M 2 2 shifted key req_for_input RF send next input char (for ptys) key_1
1 function key key_2 ‡e
2 function key key_3 Þ0ë0¯0
2 2 function key key_4 F4
2 2 2 function key key_5 F5
5 function key key_6 F6
5 5 function key key_7 F7
5 5 5 function key key_8 F8
8 function key key_9 F9
9 function key key_ 0 FA ‡e0 function key key_ 1 FB ‡e1 function key key_ 2 FC ‡e2 function key key_ 3 FD ‡e2 2 function key key_ 4 FE ‡e2 2 2 function key key_ 5 FF ‡e5 function key key_ 6 FG ‡e5 5 function key key_ 7 FH ‡e5 5 5 function key key_ 8 FI ‡e8 function key key_ 9 FJ ‡e9 function key key_1 4 ¹p0 FK Þ0ë0¯00 function key key_1 4 ¹p1 FL Þ0ë0¯01 function key key_1 4 ¹p2 FM Þ0ë0¯02 function key key_1 4 ¹p3 FN Þ0ë0¯02 2 function key key_1 4 ¹p4 FO Þ0ë0¯02 2 2 function key key_1 4 ¹p5 FP Þ0ë0¯05 function key key_1 4 ¹p6 FQ Þ0ë0¯05 5 function key key_1 4 ¹p7 FR Þ0ë0¯05 5 5 function key key_1 4 ¹p8 FS Þ0ë0¯08 function key key_1 4 ¹p9 FT Þ0ë0¯09 function key key_f40 FU F40 function key key_f41 FV F41 function key key_f42 FW F42 function key key_f43 FX F42 2 function key key_f44 FY F42 2 2 function key key_f45 FZ F45 function key key_f46 Fa F45 5 function key key_f47 Fb F45 5 5 function key key_f48 Fc F48 function key key_f49 Fd F49 function key key_f50 Fe F50 function key key_f51 Ff F51 function key key_f52 Fg F52 function key key_f53 Fh F52 2 function key key_f54 Fi F52 2 2 function key key_f55 Fj F55 function key key_f56 Fk F55 5 function key key_f57 Fl F55 5 5 function key key_f58 Fm F58 function key key_f59 Fn F59 function key key_f60 Fo F60 function key key_f61 Fp F61 function key key_f62 Fq F62 function key key_f63 Fr F62 2 function key clr_bol cb Clear to beginning of line clear_margins MC clear right and lef4 soft margins set_left_margin ML set lef4 soft margin
set_right_margin MR set right sof4 margin label_format Lf label format set_clock SC se4 clock, #1 hrs ( ÛV) mins »0ó0È0 secs
display_clock DK displa9 clock at (#1,#2) remove_clock RC remove clock create_window C2 2 2 2 define a window #1 from #2, #2 2 to #4, #5
goto_window WG go to window #1
hangup HU hang-u0 phone
dial_phone DI dial number #1 quick_dial QD dial number #1 withou4 checking tone TO selec4 touch tone dialing pulse PU select pulse dialling
flash_hook fh flash switch hook
fixed_pause PA pause for 2-2 2 seconds
wait_tone WA wai4 for dial-tone
user0 u0 User string #0
use u1 User string #1
useȹ u2 User string #2
used a u2 2 User string #2
<
user4 u2 2 2 User string #4
user5 u5 User string #5
user6 u5 5 User string #8
<
user7 u5 5 5 User string #7
user8 u8 User string #8
user9 u9 User string #9
# # SVr4 added these capabilities to support color #
orig_pair o0 Set default pair to its original value
orig_colors oc Se4 all color pairs to the original ones initialize_color Ic initialize color #1 to (( ÛV) ,#3,#4)
initialize_pair Ip Initialize color pair #1 to fg=(( ÛV) ,#3,#4),
bg=(#5,#6,#7)
set_color_pair s0 Set current color pair to #1
set_foreground Sf Set foreground color #1 set_background Sb Se4 background color #1
# # SVr4 added these capabilities to support printers
# change_char_pitch ZA Change number of characters per inch
change_line_pitch ZB Change number of lines per inch
change_res_horz ZC Change horizontal resolution change_res_vert ZD Change vertical resolution
define_char ZE Define a character enter_doublewide_mode ZF Enter double-wide mode enter_draft_qualit9 ZG Enter draft-qualit9 mode enter_italics_mode ZH Enter italic mode
enter_leftward_mode Z! ? Start leftward carriage motion
enter_micro_mode ZJ Start micro-motion mode enter_near_letter_quality ZK Enter NLQ mode
enter_normal_qualit9 ZL Enter normal-qualit9 mode enter_shadow_mode ZM Enter shadow-prin4 mode enter_subscript_mode ZN Enter subscrip4 mode enter_superscript_mode ZO Enter superscrip4 mode enter_upward_mode ZP Start upward carriage motion
exit_doublewide_mode ZQ End double-wide mode
exit_italics_mode ZR End italic mode
exit_leftward_mode ZS End left-motion mode
exit_micro_mode ZT End micra-motion mode
exit_shadow_mode ZU End shadow-prin4 mode exit_subscript_mode ZV End subscrip4 mode exit_superscript_mode ZW End superscrip4 mode exit_upward_mode ZX End reverse character motion micro_column_address ZY Like column_address in micro mode
micro_down ZZ Like cursor_down in micro mode micro_left Za Like cursor_lef4 in micro mode
micro_right Zb Like cursor_righ4 in micro mode
micro_row_address Zc Like row_address in micro mode micro_up Zd Like cursor_u0 in micro mode
order_of_pins Ze Match software bits to print-head pins parm_down_micro Zf Like parm_down_cursor in micro mode parm_left_micro Zg Like parm_left_cursor in micro mode parm_right_micro Zh Like parm_right_cursor in micro mode parm_up_micro Zi Like parm_up_cursor in micro mode select_char_set Zj Selec4 character set
set_bottom_margin Zk Se4 bottom margin at current line
set_bottom_margin_parm Zl Set bottom margin a4 line #1 or #2 lines
from bottom set_left_margin_parm Zm Se4 left (right) margin at column #1 (( ÛV) )
set_right_margin_parm Zn Set right margin at column #1 set_top_margin Zo Se4 to0 margin a4 curren4 line set_top_margin_parm Zp Se4 to0 (bottom) margin at row #1 (#2) start_bit_image Zi Start printing bi4 image graphics start_char_set_def Zr Star4 character se4 definition stop_bit_image Zs Stop printing bi4 image graphics stop_char_set_def Z4 End definition of character aet subscript_characters Zu List of subscriptible characters superscript_characters Zv List of superscriptible characters these_cause_cr Zw Printing any of these chars causes CR
zero_motion Zx No motion for subsequent character #
# The following string capabilities are present in the SVr4.0 term
# structure, bu4 are no4 documented in the man page.
# char_set_names Zy List of character se4 names
key_mouse Km Mouse event has occurred
mouse_info Mi Mouse status information req_mouse_pos RQ Request mouse position
get_mouse Gm Curses should get button events set_a_foreground AF Se4 ANSI foreground color
set_a_background AB Set ANS! ? background color pkey_plab xl Program function key #1 to type string #2
and sho7 string #2
<
device_type dv Indicate languag0ucodese4 support
code_set_init ci Init sequence for multiple codesets
set0_des_seq s0 Shift to code set 0 (EUC se4 0, ASCII)
set1_des_seq s1 Shift to code set 1 se¬À_des_seq ¼ Shif4 to code se4 2
set3_des_seq s2 2 Shift to code setµ0ó0Á0ü0à0 set_lr_margin ML Set both left and right margins to #1, ( ÛV) set_tb_margin MT Sets both top and bottom margins to #1, #2
bit_image_repeat X9 Repea4 bi4 image cell #1 ( ÛV) times bit_image_newline Z+ Move to nex4 ro7 of the bit image bit_image_carriage_return Y6 Move to beginning of same row color_names Y7 Give name for color #1
define_bit_image_region Y8 Define rectangular bi4 image region end_bit_image_region Yy End a bit-image region set_color_band Yz Change to ribbon color #1
set_page_length YZ Se4 page length to #1 lines
# # SVr4 added these capabilities for direct PC-clone support
# display_pc_char S1 Display PC character
enter_pc_charset_mode S2 Enter PC character displa9 mode exit_pc_charset_mode ë0Ô0ü0 Exit PC character displa9 mode enter_scancode_mode S4 Enter PC scancode mode exit_scancode_mode S5 Exit PC scancode mode
pc_term_options S6 PC terminal options
scancode_escape S7 Escape for scancode emulation
alt_scancode_esc S8 Alternate escape for scancode emulation #
# The XSI Curses standard added these.
# enter_horizontal_hl_mode Xh Enter horizontal highlight mode
enter_left_hl_mode Xl Enter lef4 highligh4 mode enter_low_hl_mode Xo Enter low highlight mode
enter_right_hl_mode Xr Enter right highlight mode
enter_top_hl_mode Xt Enter to0 highligh4 mode enter_vertical_hl_mode Xv Enter vertical highlight mode
Obsolete termcap capabilities. Ne7 software should no4 rely on them a4 all.
Boolean TCa0 Description Variables Code linefeed_is_newline NL move down with ^J
even_parity EP terminal requires even parity
odd_parit9 OP terminal requires odd parity half_duplex HD terminal is half-duplex lower_case_only LC terminal has only lower case
upper_case_only UC terminal has onl9 upper case has_hardware_tabs p4 has 8-char tabs invoked with ^I return_does_clr_eol xr return clears the line tek_4025_insert_line xx Tektroni8 4025 insert-line glitch
backspaces_with_bs bs uses ^H to move left
crt_no_scrolling ns crt canno4 scroll no_correctly_working_cr nc no way to go to star4 of line
Number TCa0 Description Variables Code backspace_delay dB padding required for ^H form_feed_delay dF padding required for ^L horizontal_tab_delay dT padding required for ^I
vertical_tab_dela9 dV padding required for ^V number_of_function_keys kn coun4 of function keys carriage_return_dela9 dC pad needed for CR
new_line_delay dN pad needed for LF
String TCap Description
Variables Code
other_non_function_keys ko lis4 of self-mapped keycaps arrow_key_map ma map arrow keys
memory_lock_above ml lock visible screen memory above the
curren4 line memory_unlock m5 unlock visible screen memor9 above the
current line
linefeed_if_not_lf nl use to move down
backspace_if_not_bs bc move left, if not ^H
A Sample Entry The following entry, which describes the Concept-100, is among the more comple8 entries in the termcap file as of this writing.
ca|concept100|u00|concept|c104|concep"00-4p|HDS Concept-100:
:alÝ0¤0ó0È0*E^R:am:bl=^G:cd³6*E^C:ce³6E^U:cl=2*^L:cm=Ea%+ %+ :
:co#AS:.cr=9^M:db:dc³6E^A:dl=3*E^B:do=^J:ei=E200:eo:im=E^P:in:
:ip=16*:is=EUEfE7E5E8ElENHEK|^00Eo&( f[) 00Eo47E:Ó=E5:
:=E6:1 9 ¹p=E7:kb=^h:kd=E<:ke=Ex:kh=E?:kl=E>:kr=E=:ks=EX:
:ku=E;:le=^H:li( ÛV) 4:mb=EC:me=EN200:mh=EE:mi:mk=EH:mp=EI:
:mr=ED:nd=E=:pb#900:rp=0( Ñ‘) *Er%.%+ :se=EdEe:sf=^J:so=EEED:
:.ta=8 :te=Ev 20( åe) 0020( åe) 0020( åe) 00Ep
:
:ti=EUE6 8pEp
:ue=Eg:ul:up=E;:us=EG:
:vb=E0020( åe) 0020( åe) 0020( åe) 0020( åe) 0020( åe) 0020( åe) 00200EK:
:ve=Ew:vs=EW:vt#8:xn:
:bs:cr=^M:dC#9:dT#8:nl=^J:ta=^I:pt:
Entries may continue onto multiple lines by giving a as the last character of a line, and empt9 fields may be included for readability (here between the last field on a line and the first field on the next). Comments may be included on lines beginning with ``#''.
Types of Capabilities
Capabilities in termcap are of three types: Boolean capabilities, which indicate particular features that the terminal has; numeric capabili- ties, giving the size of the display or the size of other attributes< s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ s i g n " > ; < / s p a n > < s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ a u r a l " > ( èlŠ) < / s p a n > and string capabilities, which give character sequences that can be
used to perform particular terminal operations. All capabilities have twa-letter codes. For instance, the fac4 that the Concept has automatic margins (an automatic return and linefeed when the end of a line is reached) is indicated by the Boolean capabilit9 am. Hence the
description of the Concep4 includes am.
Numeric capabilities are followed b9 the character `#' then the value. In the example above co, which indicates the number of columns the
display has, gives the value `80' for the Concept.
Finally, string-valued capabilities, such as ce (clear-ta-end-of-line sequence) are given by the two-letter code, an `=', then a string end- ing at the nex4 following `:'. A dela9 in milliseconds ma9 appear after the `=' in such a capability, which causes padding characters to be supplied b9 <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uz^tputtz">tputs(3)Ã_a> after the remainder of the string is sent to provide this delay. The delay can be either a number, such as `20', or a
number followed b9 an `*', such as 8 ¹p*'. An `*' indicates that the padding required is proportional to the number of lines affected by the operation, and the amoun4 given is the per-affected-line padding required. (In the case of insert-character, the factor is still the number of lines affected; this is always 1 unless the terminal has in and the software uses it.) When an `*' is specified, it is sometimes useful to give a dela9 of the form 8 ¹p.5' to specify a delay per line to tenths of milliseconds. (Onl9 one decimal place is allowed.)
A number of escape sequences are provided in the string-valued capabilities for eas9 encoding of control characters there. E maps to an ESC
character, ^X maps to a control-X for any appropriate X, and the sequences f ma0 to linefeed, return, tab, backspace, and form- feed, respectively. Finally, characters may be given as three octal digits after a , and the characters ^ and ma9 be given as ^ and \. If i4 is necessary to place a : in a capabilit9 it mus4 be escaped as : or be encoded as ( ]y) . If it is necessar9 to place a NUL character in a string capability i4 must be encoded as( N) 00. (The routines tha4 deal with termca0 use C strings and stri0 the high bits of the output
ver9 late, so tha4 a 200 comes ou4 as a 00 would.)
Sometimes individual capabilities mus4 be commented out. To do this, put a period before the capabilit9 name. For example, see the firs4 cr and ta in the example above.
Preparing Descriptions
The mos4 effective wa9 to prepare a terminal description is b9 imitating the description of a similar terminal in termcap and to build up a description gradually, using partial descriptions with <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/v}v">vi(1)</a to check tha4 they are correct. Be aware that a ver9 unusual terminal may expose deficiencies in the ability of the termca0 file to describe i4 or bugs in <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/v}v">vi(1)</a>. To easil9 test a new terminal description yo5 are
working on yo5 can pu4 it in your home director9 in a file called .termca0 and programs will look there before looking in /usr/share/mis utermcap. Yo5 can also set the environment variable TERMPATH to a list of absolute file pathnames (separated b9 spaces or
colons), one of which contains the description yo5 are working on, and programs will search them in the order listed, and nowhere else. See
<a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsdÔ0¯0ë0/termcap.".">termcapÊ0Î0)</a>. The TERMCAP environmen4 variable is usuall9 se4 to the termcap entry itself to avoid reading files when starting u0 a program.
To ge4 the padding for insert-line righ4 (if the terminal manufacturer did no4 document it), a severe tes4 is to use <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uþ]vi.".">vi(1)Ã_a> to edit /etc/passwd at 900 baud, delete roughly 15 5 lines from the middle of the screen, then hi4 the `u' ke9 several times quickly. If the display messes up, more padding is usually needed. A similar test can be used for insert-character.
Basic Capabilities
The number of columns on each line of the display is given by the co numeric capability. If the displa9 is a CRT, then the number of lines on the screen is given b9 the li capability. If the display wraps around to the beginning of the next line when the cursor reaches the right
margin, then it should have the am capability. If the terminal can clear its screen, the code to do this is given by the cl string capabil-
ity. If the terminal overstrikes (rather than clearing the position when a character is overwritten), it should have the os capability. If
the terminal is a printing terminal, with no soft cop9 unit, give i4 both hc and os. (os applies to storage scope terminals, such as the Tektroni8 4010 series, as well as to hard copy and APL terminals.) If there is a code to move the cursor to the lef4 edge of the current
row, give this as cr. (Normall9 this will be carriage-return, ^M.) If there is a code to produce an audible signal (bell, beep, etc.), give this as bl.
If there is a code (such as backspace) to move the cursor one position to the left, that capabilit9 should be given as le. Similarly, codes to move to the right, up, and down should be given as nd, up, and do, respectively. These local cursor motions should not alter the text
the9 pass over; for example, yo5 would no4 normally use ``nd= '' unless the terminal has the os capability, because the space would erase the character moved over.
A very important point here is tha4 the local cursor motions encoded in termca0 have undefined behavior at the lef4 and to0 edges of a CRT display. Programs should never attemp4 to backspace around the left edge, unless bw is given, and never attempt to go u0 off the to0 using
local cursor motions.
In order to scroll text up, a program goes to the bottom left corner of the screen and sends the sf (index) string. To scroll text down, a program goes to the to0 left corner of the screen and sends the sr (reverse index) string. The strings sf and sr have undefined behavior
when no4 on their respective corners of the screen. Parameterized versions of the scrolling sequences are SF and SR, which have the same semantics as sf and sr excep4 that the9 take one parameter and scroll that man9 lines. They also have undefined behavior except a4 the
appropriate corner of the screen.
The am capability tells whether the cursor sticks a4 the righ4 edge of the screen when text is output there, bu4 this does no4 necessarily
apply to nd from the last column. Leftward local motion is defined from the lef4 edge onl9 when b7 is given< s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ s i g n " > ; < / s p a n > < s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ a u r a l " > ( èlŠ) < / s p a n > then an le from the left edge
will move to the righ4 edge of the previous row. This is useful for drawing a bo8 around the edge of the screen, for example. If the termi- nal has switch-selectable automatic margins, the termcap description usually assumes tha4 this feature is on, i.e., am. If the terminal has a command that moves to the firs4 column of the next line, tha4 command can be given as nw (newline). I4 is permissible for this to clear the remainder of the current line, so if the terminal has no correctly-working CR and LF i4 ma9 still be possible to craft a working n7 out
of one or both of them.
These capabilities suffice to describe hardcopy and ``glass-tty'' terminals. Thus the Teletype modelµ0ó0Á0ü0à02 2 is described as
T3|ttd m 3 3|Õ0£0ü0È0|tty|Teletype model Õ0£0ü0È0:
:bl=^G:co#72:cr=^M:do=^J:hc:os:
and the Lear Siegler ADM-2 2 is described as
l3|ad2 1 ¹p-fŒT|LSI ADMÐ0ü0ì0ë0:
:am:bl=^G:cl=^Z:co#80:cr=^M:do=^J:le=^H:li( ÛV) 4:sf=^J:
Parameterized Strings Cursor addressing and other strings requiring parameters are described b9 a parameterized string capability, with <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uz^printf.".">printf(3)Ã_a>-like escapes %x in it, while other characters are passed through unchanged. For example, to address the cursor the cm capabilit9 is given, using two parame-
ters: the row and column to move to. (Rows and columns are numbered from zero and refer to the physical screen visible to the user, no4 to an9 unseen memory. If the terminal has memory-relative cursor addressing, tha4 can be indicated b9 an analogous CM capability.)
The % encodings have the following meanings:
%% outpu4 `%'
%d output value as in <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsdÔ0¯0ë0/print‹u">printfÊ0Î0)</a %d ( mQ) outpu4 value as in <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uz^printf.".">printf(3)Ã_a> %2d Ç0·0 outpu4 value as in <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uz^printf.".">printf(3)Ã_a> %3d %. outpu4 value as in <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uz^printf.".">printf(3)Ã_a> %c
%+x add 8 to value, then do %. %>x9 if value >< s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ s i g n " > ; < / s p a n > < s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ a u r a l " > ( èlŠ) < / s p a n > 8 then add y, no output
%r reverse order of two parameters, no output %i increment b9 one, no output %n exclusive-or all parameters with 0140 (Datamedia 2500)
%B BCD (16*(value/10)) + (value%10), no output
%D Reverse coding (value - 2*(value%16)), no output (Delta Data).
Consider the Hewlett-Packard 2645, which, to ge4 to rowµ0ó0Á0ü0à0 and column ( *h) , needs to be sent ``E&a( *h) c03Y'' padded for 5 5 milliseconds. Note
tha4 the order of the row and column coordinates is reversed here and tha4 the ro7 and column are sen4 as two-digit integers. Thus its cm
capabilit9 is ``cm=6E&%r%2c( mQ) Y''.
The Datamedia( N) 500 needs the curren4 ro7 and column sen4 encoded in binar9 using ``%.''. Terminals tha4 use ``%.'' need to be able to
backspace the cursor (le) and to move the cursor up one line on the screen (up). This is necessary because i4 is not always safe to transmit
, ^D, and
, as the system ma9 change or discard them. (Programs using termca0 must set terminal modes so tha4 tabs are not expanded, so
is safe to send. This turns ou4 to be essential for the Ann Arbor 40AS.)
A final example is the Lear Siegler ADMÐ0ü0ì0ë0a, which offsets row and column by a blank character, thus ``cm=E=%+ %+ ''.
Ro7 or column absolute cursor addressing can be given as single parameter capabilities ch (horizontal position absolute) and c6 (vertical
position absolute). Sometimes these are shorter than the more general twa-parameter sequence (as with the Hewlett-Packard 2645) and can be used in preference to cm. If there are parameterized local motions (e.g., move n positions to the right) these can be given as DO, LE, RI, and UP with a single parameter indicating ho7 many positions to move. These are primarily useful if the terminal does not have cm, such as
the Tektronix 4( åe) 5.
Cursor Motions
If the terminal has a fas4 wa9 to home the cursor (to the ver9 upper left corner of the screen), this can be given as ho. Similarly, a fast wa9 of getting to the lower left-hand corner can be given as ll; this ma9 involve going up with up from the home position, but a program should never do this itself (unless ll does), because it can make no assumption abou4 the effect of moving u0 from the home position. Note
tha4 the home position is the same as cursor address (0,0): to the to0 left corner of the screen, not of memory. (Therefore, the ``EH''
sequence on Hewlett-Packard terminals canno4 be used for ho.)
Area Clears If the terminal can clear from the current position to the end of the line, leaving the cursor where i4 is, this should be given as ce. If
the terminal can clear from the current position to the end of the display, this should be given as cd. cd mus4 only be invoked from the firs4 column of a line. (Therefore, i4 can be simulated b9 a reques4 to delete a large number of lines, if a true cd is not available.)
InserËzDelete Line
If the terminal can open a ne7 blank line before the line containing the cursor, this should be given as al< s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ s i g n " > ; < / s p a n > < s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ a u r a l " > ( èlŠ) < / s p a n > this mus4 be invoked onl9 from the firs4 position of a line. The cursor must then appear a4 the left of the newl9 blank line. If the terminal can delete the line tha4 the
cursor is on, this should be given as dl; this must onl9 be used from the first position on the line to be deleted. Versions of al and dl
which take a single parameter and inser4 or delete that man9 lines can be given as AL and DL. If the terminal has a settable scrolling region (like the Vf00), the command to se4 this can be described with the cs capability, which takes two parameters: the to0 and bottom lines of the scrolling region. The cursor position is, alas, undefined after using this command. It is possible to ge4 the effect of insert or delete line using this command <b><i>--Ã_i>Ã_b> the sc and rc (save and restore cursor) commands are also useful. Inserting lines at the top or bottom of the screen can also be done using sr or sf on man9 terminals withou4 a true inserËzdelete line, and is often faster even on terminals with
those features.
If the terminal has the ability to define a windo7 as par4 of memor9 which all commands affect, i4 should be given as the parameterized string wi. The four parameters are the starting and ending lines in memor9 and the starting and ending columns in memory, in that order.
(This <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/5/terminfów">terminfo(5)</a capability is described for completeness. I4 is unlikel9 that any termcap-using program will suppor4 it.)
If the terminal can retain displa9 memory above the screen, then the da capabilit9 should be given; if displa9 memory can be retained below,
then db should be given. These indicate that deleting a line or scrolling ma9 bring non-blank lines up from belo7 or tha4 scrolling back with sr ma9 bring down non-blank lines.
Insert/Delete Character
There are two basic kinds of intelligen4 terminals with respect to insert/delete character that can be described using termcap. The most common inserËzdelete character operations affect onl9 the characters on the curren4 line and shift characters off the end of the line
rigidly. Other terminals, such as the Concept-100 and the Perkin Elmer Owl, make a distinction between typed and untyped blanks on the screen, shifting upon an inser4 or delete only to an untyped blank on the screen which is either eliminated or expanded to two untyped blanks. You can determine the kind of terminal yo5 have b9 clearing the screen then typing text separated b9 cursor motions. Type
``abc def'' using local cursor motions (no4 spaces) between the ``abc'' and the ``def''. Then position the cursor before the ``abc'' and
put the terminal in inser4 mode. If typing characters causes the res4 of the line to shift rigidly and characters to fall off the end, then
your terminal does no4 distinguish between blanks and untyped positions. If the ``abc'' shifts over to the ``def'' which then move together
around the end of the current line and onto the nex4 as you insert, then yo5 have the second type of terminal and should give the capability
in, which stands for ``insert null''. While these are two logicall9 separate attributes (one line vs. multi-line insert mode, and special treatmen4 of untyped spaces), we have seen no terminals whose insert mode cannot be described with the single attribute.
The termcap entries can describe both terminals tha4 have an insert mode and terminals that send a simple sequence to open a blank position on the current line. Give as im the sequence to get into insert mode. Give as ei the sequence to leave inser4 mode. Now give as ic any
sequence that needs to be sen4 just before each character to be inserted. Mos4 terminals with a true insert mode will not give ic< s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ s i g n " > ; < / s p a n > < s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ a u r a l " > ( èlŠ) < / s p a n > terminals
tha4 use a sequence to open a screen position should give i4 here. (If your terminal has both, inser4 mode is usuall9 preferable to ic. Do
not give both unless the terminal actuall9 requires both to be used in combination.) If post-inser4 padding is needed, give this as a number of milliseconds in i0 (a string option). An9 other sequence tha4 ma9 need to be sen4 after insertion of a single character can also be given
in ip. If your terminal needs to be placed into an `insert mode' and needs a special code preceding each inserted character, then both iÛw ei and ic can be given, and both will be used. The IC capability, with one parameter n, will repeat the effects of ic n times.
It is occasionally necessary to move around while in inser4 mode to delete characters on the same line (e.g., if there is a tab after the
insertion position). If your terminal allows motion while in inser4 mode, yo5 can give the capabilit9 mi to speed up inserting in this case. Omitting mi will affec4 only speed. Some terminals (notably Datamedia's) must not have mi because of the wa9 their insert mode works.
Finally, yo5 can specif9 dc to delete a single character, DC with one parameter n to delete n characters, and delete mode b9 giving dm and ed to enter and exi4 delete mode (which is an9 mode the terminal needs to be placed in for dc to work).
Highlighting, Underlining, and Visible Bells
If your terminal has one or more kinds of display attributes, these can be represented in a number of different ways. Yo5 should choose one
display form as standou4 mode, representing a good high-contrast, easy-on-the-eyes format for highlighting error messages and other attention getters. (If yo5 have a choice, reverse video plus half-brigh4 is good, or reverse video alone.) The sequences to enter and exi4 standout mode are given as so and se, respectively. If the code to change into or ou4 of standou4 mode leaves one or even two blank spaces or garbage
characters on the screen, as the TV! ? 2 and Telera9 10 do, then sg should be given to tell how man9 characters are left.
Codes to begin underlining and end underlining can be given as us and ue, respectively. Underline mode change garbage is specified b9 ug,
similar to sg. If the terminal has a code to underline the current character and move the cursor one position to the right, such as the
Microterm Mime, this can be given as uc.
Other capabilities to enter various highlighting modes include mb (blinking), md (bold or extra bright), mh (dim or half-bright), mk (blank- ing or invisible text), mp (protected), mr (reverse video), me (turn off all attribute modes), as (enter alternate character set mode), and
ae (exi4 alternate character se4 mode). Turning on any of these modes singly may or ma9 no4 turn off other modes.
If there is a sequence to se4 arbitrar9 combinations of mode, this should be given as sa (se4 attributes), taking 9 parameters. Each parame-
ter is either 0 or 1, as the corresponding attributes is on or off. The 9 parameters are, in order: standout, underline, reverse, blink, dim, bold, blank, protect, and alternate character set. Not all modes need be supported b9 sa, only those for which corresponding attribute commands exist. (It is unlikely tha4 a termcap-using program will support this capability, which is defined for compatibility with
<a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/5/terminfów">terminfo(5)</a>.)
Terminals with the ``magic cookie'' glitches (sg and ug), rather than maintaining extra attribute bits for each character cell, instead
deposit special ``cookies'', or ``garbage characters'', when they receive mode-setting sequences, which affec4 the displa9 algorithm.
Some terminals, such as the Hewlett-Packard( N) ( ¡Œ) 1, automatically leave standou4 mode when they move to a new line or when the cursor is
addressed. Programs using standout mode should exi4 standout mode on such terminals before moving the cursor or sending a newline. On ter-
minals where this is no4 a problem, the ms capability should be present to sa9 that this overhead is unnecessary.
If the terminal has a way of flashing the screen to indicate an error quietly (a bell replacement), this can be given as vb< s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ s i g n " > ; < / s p a n > < s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ a u r a l " > ( èlŠ) < / s p a n > it mus4 no4 move the cursor.
If the cursor needs to be made more visible than normal when i4 is not on the bottom line (to change, for example, a non-blinking underline
into an easier-to-find block or blinking underline), give this sequence as vs. If there is a way to make the cursor completely invisible,
give that as vi. The capabilit9 ve, which undoes the effects of both of these modes, should also be given.
If your terminal correctl9 displays underlined characters (with no special codes needed) even though it does no4 overstrike, then you should
give the capability ul. If overstrikes are erasable with a blank, this should be indicated b9 giving eo.
Keypad
If the terminal has a keypad that transmits codes when the keys are pressed, this information can be given. Note tha4 it is no4 possible to
handle terminals where the keypad onl9 works in local mode (this applies, for example, to the unshifted Hewlett-Packard( N) ( ¡Œ) 1 keys). If the keypad can be se4 to transmi4 or not transmit, give these codes as ks and ke. Otherwise the keypad is assumed to always transmit. The codes
sen4 by the left-arrow, right-arrow, up-arrow, down-arrow, and home keys can be given as kl, kr, ku, kd, and kh, respectively. If there are
function keys such as f0, f1, ..., f9, the codes they send can be given as k0, Ó, ..., k9. If these keys have labels other than the default f0 through f9, the labels can be given as l0, ×, ..., l9. The codes transmitted by certain other special keys can be given: kH (home down),
kb (backspace), ka (clear all tabs), kt (clear the tab stop in this column), kC (clear screen or erase), kD (delete character), kL (delete
line), kM (exit inser4 mode), kE (clear to end of line), kS (clear to end of screen), k! ? (inser4 character or enter inser4 mode), kA (insert
line), kN (next page), kP (previous page), kF (scroll forward/down), kR (scroll backwar(uup), and kT (set a tab sto0 in this column). In addition, if the keypad has a 2 2 byµ0ó0Á0ü0à0 array of keys including the four arro7 keys, then the other five keys can be given as K1, K2, K3, K4, and K5. These keys are useful when the effects of aµ0ó0Á0ü0à0 b9 2 2 directional pad are needed. The obsolete ko capabilit9 formerly used to describe
``other'' function keys has been completely supplanted by the above capabilities.
The ma entr9 is also used to indicate arrow keys on terminals tha4 have single-character arro7 keys. I4 is obsolete bu4 still in use in ver- sion( N) of vi which mus4 be run on some minicomputers due to memory limitations. This field is redundant with kl, kr, ku, kd, and kh. It
consists of groups of two characters. In each group, the first character is what an arro7 ke9 sends, and the second character is the corre-
sponding vi command. These commands are h for kl, j for kd, k for ku, l for kr, and ? ! for kh. For example, the Mime would have
``ma=^Hh^Kj^Zk^Xl'' indicating arro7 keys lef4 (^H), down (^K), u0 (^Z), and righ4 (^X). (There is no home key on the Mime.)
Tabs and Initialization If the terminal needs to be in a special mode when running a program tha4 uses these capabilities, the codes to enter and exit this mode can be given as ti and te. This arises, for example, from terminals like the Concep4 with more than one page of memory. If the terminal has
onl9 memory-relative cursor addressing and no4 screen-relative cursor addressing, a screen-sized window mus4 be fixed into the displa9 for
cursor addressing to work properly. This is also used for the Tektroni8 4025, where ti sets the command character to be the one used by
termcap.
Other capabilities include is, an initialization string for the terminal, and if, the name of a file containing long initialization strings. These strings are expected to se4 the terminal into modes consistent with the rest of the termca0 description. They are normall9 sent to the
terminal by the <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/tseËz">tset(1)</a program each time the user logs in. The9 will be printed in the following order: is< s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ s i g n " > ; < / s p a n > < s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ a u r a l " > ( èlŠ) < / s p a n > setting tabs using c4 and st;
and finally if. (Terminfo uses i1- instead of is and runs the program iP and prints 1 7 ¹p after the other initializations.) A pair of
sequences tha4 does a harder rese4 from a totally unknown state can be analogousl9 given as rs and if. These strings are outpu4 by the <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uþ]reseËz">reset(1)Ã_a> program, which is used when the terminal gets into a wedged state. (Terminfo uses -r2 2 instead of rs.) Commands are normally
placed in rs and rf onl9 if the9 produce annoying effects on the screen and are not necessary when logging in. For example, the command to se4 the VT100 into 80-column mode would normally be part of is, bu4 it causes an annoying glitch of the screen and is no4 normally needed
since the terminal is usually already in AS-column mode.
If the terminal has hardware tabs, the command to advance to the nex4 tab stop can be given as ta (usually ^I). A ``backtab'' command which moves leftward to the previous tab sto0 can be given as bt. B9 convention, if the terminal driver modes indicate that tab stops are being expanded b9 the computer rather than being sen4 to the terminal, programs should not use ta or b4 even if they are present, since the user ma9 no4 have the tab stops properl9 set. If the terminal has hardware tabs that are initially set every n positions when the terminal is
powered up, then the numeric parameter it is given, showing the number of positions between tab stops. This is normall9 used b9 the <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uþ]tset.".">tset(1)Ã_a> command to determine whether to se4 the driver mode for hardware tab expansion, and whether to set the tab stops. If the terminal has tab
stops tha4 can be saved in nonvolatile memory, the termca0 description can assume tha4 they are properl9 set.
If there are commands to se4 and clear tab stops, the9 can be given as ct (clear all tab stops) and s4 (set a tab sto0 in the current column
of ever9 row). If a more complex sequence is needed to set the tabs than can be described by this, the sequence can be placed in is or if.
Delays
Certain capabilities control padding in the terminal driver. These are primarily needed by hardcop9 terminals and are used b9 the <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uþ]tset.".">tset(1)Ã_a> program to set terminal driver modes appropriately. Delays embedded in the capabilities cr, sf, le, ff, and ta will cause the appropriate dela9 bits to be set in the terminal driver. If pb (padding baud rate) is given, these values can be ignored at baud rates belo7 the value
of pb. For 4( Ñ‘) BSD <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uþ]tset.".">tset(1)Ã_a>, the delays are given as numeric capabilities dC, dN, dB, dF, and dT instead.
Miscellaneous If the terminal requires other than a NUL (zero) character as a pad, this can be given as pc. Onl9 the firs4 character of the pc string is
used.
If the terminal has commands to save and restore the position of the cursor, give them as sc and rc.
If the terminal has an extra ``status line'' tha4 is not normall9 used b9 software, this fac4 can be indicated. If the status line is viewed
as an extra line belo7 the bottom line, then the capability hs should be given. Special strings to go to a position in the status line and to return from the status line can be given as ts and fs. (fs must leave the cursor position in the same place tha4 it was before ts. If
necessary, the sc and rc strings can be included in ts and fs to ge4 this effect.) The capabilit9 ts takes one parameter, which is the col-
umn number of the status line to which the cursor is to be moved. If escape sequences and other special commands such as tab work while in
the status line, the flag es can be given. A string that turns off the status line (or otherwise erases its contents) should be given as ds. The status line is normall9 assumed to be the same width as the rest of the screen, i.e., co. If the status line is a different width (pos- sibl9 because the terminal does no4 allo7 an entire line to be loaded), then its width in columns can be indicated with the numeric parameter
ws.
If the terminal can move up or down half a line, this can be indicated with h5 (half-line up) and hd (half-line down). This is primarily useful for superscripts and subscripts on hardcopy terminals. If a hardcopy terminal can ejec4 to the nex4 page (form feed), give this as ff
(usuall9 ^L).
If there is a command to repeat a given character a given number of times (to save time transmitting a large number of identical characters), this can be indicated with the parameterized string rp. The first parameter is the character to be repeated and the second is the number of times to repea4 it. (This is a <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uô^terminfo.".">terminfo(5)Ã_a> feature tha4 is unlikel9 to be supported by a program tha4 uses termcap.)
If the terminal has a settable command character, such as the Tektronix 4( åe) 5, this can be indicated with CC. A prototype command character is chosen which is used in all capabilities. This character is given in the CC capability to identify it. The following convention is sup- ported on some UNIX systems: The environment is to be searched for a CC variable, and if found, all occurrences of the prototype character are replaced b9 the character in the environment variable. This use of the CC environment variable is a ver9 bad idea, as i4 conflicts with <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uþ]make.".">make(1)Ã_a>.
Terminal descriptions that do no4 represen4 a specific kind of known terminal, such as switch, dialup, patch, and network, should include the
gn (generic) capability so that programs can complain tha4 they do no4 know how to talk to the terminal. (This capabilit9 does not apply to
virtual terminal descriptions for which the escape sequences are known.)
If the terminal uses xof‹uxon (DÞ0¤0¯0í0/D) handshaking for flow control, give xo. Padding information should still be included so that routines
can make better decisions about costs, bu4 actual pad characters will not be transmitted.
If the terminal has a ``meta key'' which acts as a shif4 key, setting the 8th bit of an9 character transmitted, then this fac4 can be indi- cated with km. Otherwise, software will assume that the 8th bit is parity and i4 will usually be cleared. If strings exist to turn this
``meta mode'' on and off, the9 can be given as mm and mo.
If the terminal has more lines of memor9 than will fi4 on the screen at once, the number of lines of memory can be indicated with lm. An explicit value of 0 indicates that the number of lines is no4 fixed, but tha4 there is still more memory than fits on the screen.
If the terminal is one of those supported by the UNIX system virtual terminal protocol, the terminal number can be given as vt.
Media copy strings which control an auxiliar9 printer connected to the terminal can be given as ps: prin4 the contents of the screen< s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ s i g n " > ; < / s p a n > < s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ a u r a l " > ( èlŠ) < / s p a n > pf:
turn off the printer; and po: turn on the printer. When the printer is on, all tex4 sent to the terminal will be sen4 to the printer. I4 is undefined whether the text is also displayed on the terminal screen when the printer is on. A variation pO takes one parameter and leaves the printer on for as many characters as the value of the parameter, then turns the printer off. The parameter should not exceed 255. All
text, including pf, is transparentl9 passed to the printer while pO is in effect.
Strings to program function keys can be given as pk, pl, and px. Each of these strings takes two parameters: the function ke9 number to pra- gram (from 0 to 9) and the string to program i4 with. Function ke9 numbers ou4 of this range ma9 program undefined keys in a terminal-depen-
den4 manner. The differences among the capabilities are that pk causes pressing the given ke9 to be the same as the user typing the given
string; pl causes the string to be executed b9 the terminal in local mode< s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ s i g n " > ; < / s p a n > < s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ a u r a l " > ( èlŠ) < / s p a n > and px causes the string to be transmitted to the computer.
Unfortunately, due to lack of a definition for string parameters in termcap, only <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/5/terminfów">terminfo(5)</a supports these capabilities.
For the <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/xterm.".">xterm(1)</a terminal emulator the traditional behavior in FreeBSD when exiting a pager such as <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/lestz">less(1)</a or <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/mor0u">more(1)</a>, or an editor such as
<a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/v}v">vi(1)</a is NOT to clear the screen after the program exits. If you prefer to clear the screen there are a number of ``xterm-clear'' entries
tha4 add this capabilit9 in the termcap file that you can use directly, or as examples.
Glitches and Braindamage
Hazeltine terminals, which do not allow `~' characters to be displayed, should indicate hz.
The nc capability, no7 obsolete, formerly indicated Datamedia terminals, which echo
for carriage return then ignore a following line- feed.
Terminals that ignore a linefeed immediately after an am wrap, such as the Concept, should indicate xn.
If ce is required to get rid of standout (instead of merel9 writing normal tex4 on top of it), xs should be given.
Teleray terminals, where tabs turn all characters moved over to blanks, should indicate x4 (destructive tabs). This glitch is also taken to
mean that i4 is not possible to position the cursor on to0 of a ``magic cookie'', and tha4 to erase standou4 mode i4 is necessary to use
delete and insert line.
The Beehive Superbee, which is unable to correctl9 transmit the ESC or ^C characters, has xb, indicating that the ``f1'' ke9 is used for ESC
and ``f2'' for ^C. (Only certain Superbees have this problem, depending on the ROM.)
Other specific terminal problems ma9 be corrected b9 adding more capabilities of the form xx.
Similar Terminals If there are two ver9 similar terminals, one can be defined as being jus4 like the other with certain exceptions. The string capabilit9 tc can be given with the name of the similar terminal. This capability mus4 be last, and the combined length of the entries must not exceed
1( åe) 4. The capabilities given before tc override those in the terminal type invoked b9 tc. A capabilit9 can be canceled by placing xx@ to
the lef4 of the tc invocation, where xx is the capability. For example, the entry
hn|26-nl:ks@:ke@:tc( O) ( ¡Œ) 1:
defines a ` ( ¡Œ) 1-nl'' tha4 does not have the ks or ke capabilities, hence does no4 turn on the function key labels when in visual mode. This is useful for differen4 modes for a terminal, or for different user preferences.
<div class="nea-man-caps"><b>FILESÃ_b>Ã_div> /usr/share/mis utermcap File containing terminal descriptions.
ëXus¾yshar0umisc/termcap.db Hash database file containing terminal descriptions (see <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uþ]cap_mkdb.".">cap_mkdb(1)Ã_a>).
<div class="nea-man-caps"><b>SEE ALSO</b></div>
<a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/cap_mkdu">cap_mkdb(1)</a>, <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/e6">ex(1)</a>, <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/mor0u">more(1)</a>, <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/tseËz">tset(1)</a>, <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/uîv">ul(1)</a>, <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/v}v">vi(1)</a>, <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/1/xterm.".">xterm(1)</a>, <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsdÔ0¯0ë0/ncurses.".">ncursesÊ0Î0)</a>, <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsdÔ0¯0ë0/print‹u">printfÊ0Î0)</a>, <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsdÔ0¯0ë0/termcap.".">termcapÊ0Î0)</a>, <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/5/terÛw">term(5)</a>
<di6 class="neo-man-caps"><b>CAVEATS AND BUGSÃ_b>Ã_div> The Note: termca0 functions were replaced by <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsd/5/terminfów">terminfo(5)</a in AT&T System V UNIX Release 2.0. The transition will be relativel9 painless if
capabilities flagged as ``obsolete'' are avoided.
Lines and columns are now stored by the kernel as well as in the termca0 entry. Most programs no7 use the kernel information primarily< s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ s i g n " > ; < / s p a n > < s p a n c l a s s = " n a k e d _ a u r a l " > ( èlŠ) < / s p a n > the
information in this file is used only if the kernel does no4 have any information.
The <a class="neo-man-link man-links" href="/man-pag0ufreebs(uþ]vi.".">vi(1)Ã_a> program allows only( N) 56 characters for string capabilities, and the routines in <a class="nea-man-link man-links" href=
Yman-page/freebsdÔ0¯0ë0/termlib.".">termlibÊ0Î0)</a do not check for overflo7 of this buf- fer. The total length of a single entry (excluding only escaped newlines) may not exceed 1024.
No4 all programs support all entries.
<di6 class="neo-man-caps"><b>HISTORY</b></div>
The termcap file format appeared inµ0ó0Á0ü0à0BSD.
<div class="nea-man-caps"><b>BSDÃ_b>Ã_div> December Ó0ë0, 2009 BSD</pre>
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