# menu 3x

    menu(3x)                                                              menu(3x)

## NAME

           menu - curses extension for programming menus

## SYNOPSIS

           #include <menu.h>

## DESCRIPTION

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

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

### Current Default Values for Item Attributes

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

### Routine Name Index

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

           curses Routine Name    Manual Page Name
           --------------------------------------------
           current_item           mitem_current(3x)
           free_item              mitem_new(3x)
           free_menu              menu_new(3x)
           item_count             menu_items(3x)
           item_description       mitem_name(3x)
           item_index             mitem_current(3x)
           item_init              menu_hook(3x)
           item_name              mitem_name(3x)
           item_opts              mitem_opts(3x)
           item_opts_off          mitem_opts(3x)
           item_opts_on           mitem_opts(3x)
           item_term              menu_hook(3x)
           item_userptr           mitem_userptr(3x)
           item_value             mitem_value(3x)
           item_visible           mitem_visible(3x)
           menu_back              menu_attributes(3x)
           menu_driver            menu_driver(3x)
           menu_fore              menu_attributes(3x)
           menu_format            menu_format(3x)
           menu_grey              menu_attributes(3x)
           menu_init              menu_hook(3x)
           menu_items             menu_items(3x)
           menu_mark              menu_mark(3x)
           menu_opts              menu_opts(3x)
           menu_opts_off          menu_opts(3x)
           menu_opts_on           menu_opts(3x)
           menu_pad               menu_attributes(3x)
           menu_pattern           menu_pattern(3x)
           menu_request_by_name   menu_requestname(3x)
           menu_request_name      menu_requestname(3x)
           menu_spacing           menu_spacing(3x)

           menu_sub               menu_win(3x)
           menu_term              menu_hook(3x)
           menu_userptr           menu_userptr(3x)
           menu_win               menu_win(3x)
           new_item               mitem_new(3x)
           new_menu               menu_new(3x)
           pos_menu_cursor        menu_cursor(3x)
           post_menu              menu_post(3x)
           scale_menu             menu_win(3x)
           set_current_item       mitem_current(3x)
           set_item_init          menu_hook(3x)
           set_item_opts          mitem_opts(3x)
           set_item_term          menu_hook(3x)
           set_item_userptr       mitem_userptr(3x)
           set_item_value         mitem_value(3x)
           set_menu_back          menu_attributes(3x)
           set_menu_fore          menu_attributes(3x)
           set_menu_format        menu_format(3x)
           set_menu_grey          menu_attributes(3x)
           set_menu_init          menu_hook(3x)
           set_menu_items         menu_items(3x)
           set_menu_mark          menu_mark(3x)
           set_menu_opts          mitem_opts(3x)
           set_menu_pad           menu_attributes(3x)
           set_menu_pattern       menu_pattern(3x)
           set_menu_spacing       menu_spacing(3x)
           set_menu_sub           menu_win(3x)
           set_menu_term          menu_hook(3x)
           set_menu_userptr       menu_userptr(3x)
           set_menu_win           menu_win(3x)
           set_top_row            mitem_current(3x)
           top_row                mitem_current(3x)
           unpost_menu            menu_post(3x)

## RETURN VALUE

           Routines that return pointers return  NULL  on  error.   Routines  that
           return an integer return one of the following error codes:

           E_OK The routine succeeded.

           E_BAD_ARGUMENT
                Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument.

           E_BAD_STATE
                Routine was called from an initialization or termination function.

           E_NO_MATCH
                Character failed to match.

           E_NO_ROOM
                Menu is too large for its window.

           E_NOT_CONNECTED
                No items are connected to the menu.

           E_NOT_POSTED
                The menu has not been posted.

           E_NOT_SELECTABLE
                The designated item cannot be selected.

           E_POSTED
                The menu is already posted.

           E_REQUEST_DENIED
                The menu driver could not process the request.

           E_SYSTEM_ERROR
                System error occurred (see errno(3)).

           E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND
                The menu driver code saw an unknown request code.

## NOTES

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

           In your library list, libmenu.a should be before libncurses.a; that is,
           you  should  say  "-lmenu  -lncurses",  not the other way around (which
           would give a link-error when using static libraries).

## PORTABILITY

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

           The  menu facility was documented in SVr4.2 in Character User Interface
           Programming (UNIX SVR4.2).

           It is not part of X/Open Curses.

           Aside from ncurses, there are few implementations:

           o   systems based on SVr4 source code, e.g., Solaris.

           o   NetBSD curses.

## AUTHORS

           Juergen Pfeifer.  Manual pages and adaptation for ncurses  by  Eric  S.
           Raymond.

## SEE ALSO

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

           This describes ncurses version 6.2 (patch 20201205).

                                                                          menu(3x)