mitem\_new(3X) Library calls mitem\_new(3X)

# [NAME](#NAME)

**new\_item**, **free\_item** - create and destroy menu items

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

```
#include <menu.h>
```

```
ITEM *new_item(const char *name, const char *description);
int free_item(ITEM *item);
```

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

The function **new\_item** allocates a new item and initializes it from the **name** and **description** pointers. Please notice that the item stores only the pointers to the name and description. Those pointers must be valid during the lifetime of the item. So you should be very careful with names or descriptions allocated on the stack of some routines.  
The function **free\_item** de-allocates an item. Please notice that it is the responsibility of the application to release the memory for the name or the description of the item.

# [RETURN VALUE](#RETURN_VALUE)

The function **new\_item** returns *NULL* on error. It sets **errno** according to the function's failure:

[**E\_BAD\_ARGUMENT**](#E_BAD_ARGUMENT)

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

[**E\_SYSTEM\_ERROR**](#E_SYSTEM_ERROR)

System error occurred, e.g., malloc failure.

The function **free\_item** returns one of the following:

[**E\_OK**](#E_OK)

The routine succeeded.

[**E\_BAD\_ARGUMENT**](#E_BAD_ARGUMENT~2)

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

[**E\_CONNECTED**](#E_CONNECTED)

Item is connected to a menu.

[**E\_SYSTEM\_ERROR**](#E_SYSTEM_ERROR~2)

System error occurred (see [**errno**(3)](/man/os/ncurses/errno.3)).

# [PORTABILITY](#PORTABILITY)

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

# [AUTHORS](#AUTHORS)

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

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**curses**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/curses.3X), [**menu**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu.3X)

2024-12-28 ncurses 6.6

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Document: free_item(3x) from ncurses 6.6.20261010-r0 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/ThomasDickey/ncurses-snapshots