-- $Id: README,v 1.21 2003/02/08 19:36:39 tom Exp $-------------------------------------------------------------------------------		README file for the ncurses packageSee 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 howto use ncurses and the panel, menu, and form libraries. Browse the file doc/html/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.dis the current version number (see the dist.mk file in this directory forthat).  There should be a number of subdirectories, including `c++', `form',`man', `menu', `misc', `ncurses', `panel', `progs', `test', 'tack' and `Ada95'. (The 'tack' program may be distributed separately).A full build/install of this package typically installs several libraries, ahandful of utilities, and a database hierarchy.  Here is an inventory of thepieces: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)If you configure using the --enable-widec option, a "w" is appended to thelibrary names (e.g., libncursesw.a), and the resulting libraries supportwide-characters, e.g., via a UTF-8 locale.  The corresponding header filesare compatible with the non-wide-character configuration; wide-characterfeatures are provided by ifdef's in the header files.  The wide-characterlibrary interfaces are not binary-compatible with the non-wide-characterversion.The ncurses libraries implement the curses API.  The panel, menu and formslibraries implement clones of the SVr4 panel, menu and forms APIs.  The sourcecode for these lives in the `ncurses', `panel', `menu', and `form' directoriesrespectively.In the `c++' directory, you'll find code that defines an interface to thecurses, 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 'makeinstall.libs' rule as libncurses++.In the `Ada95' directory, you'll find code and documentation for anAda95 binding of the curses API, to be used with the GNAT compiler.This binding is built by a normal top-level `make' if configure detectsan usable version of GNAT (3.10 or above). It is not installed automatically.See the Ada95 directory for more build and installation instructions andfor documentation of the binding.To do its job, the ncurses code needs your terminal type to be set in theenvironment 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 adatabase of terminal descriptions in which to look up your terminal type'scapabilities.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 offast-loading binary description blocks under /usr/lib/terminfo.  These binaryblocks are compiled from an improved editable text representation called`terminfo' format (documented in man/terminfo.5).  The ncurses library can useeither /etc/termcap or the compiled binary terminfo blocks, but prefers thesecond form.In the `misc' directory, there is a text file terminfo.src, in editableterminfo format, which can be used to generate the terminfo binaries (that'swhat make install.data does).  If the package was built with the--enable-termcap option enabled, and the ncurses library cannot find a terminfodescription for your terminal, it will fall back to the termcap file suppliedwith your system (which the ncurses package installation leaves strictlyalone).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 utilityThe first two (tic and infocmp) are used for manipulating terminfodescriptions; the next two (clear and tput) are for use in shell scripts.  Thelast (tset) is provided for 4.4BSD compatibility.  The source code for all ofthese lives in the `progs' directory.Detailed documentation for all libraries and utilities can be found in the`man' and `doc' directories.  An HTML introduction to ncurses, panels, andmenus programming lives in the `doc/html' directory.  Manpages in HTML formatare under `doc/html/man'.The `test' directory contains programs that can be used to verify ordemonstrate the functions of the ncurses libraries.  See test/README fordescriptions of these programs.  Notably, the `ncurses' utility is designed tohelp you systematically exercise the library functions.AUTHORS:Pavel Curtis: 	wrote the original ncursesZeyd M. Ben-Halim:	port of original to Linux and many enhancements.Thomas Dickey (maintainer for 1.9.9g through 4.1, resuming with FSF's 5.0):	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 doc directory includes some guidelines	on how to report bugs in ways that will get them fixed most quickly.