menu(3X) Library calls menu(3X) # [NAME](#NAME) **menu** - present menus in *curses* windows # [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS) ``` #include ``` # [DESCRIPTION](#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 interaction 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 functions. To use the **menu** library, link with the options **-lmenu -lcurses**. ## [Current Default Values for Item Attributes](#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 rendering of items already created. ## [Routine Name Index](#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)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_current.3X) free\_item [**mitem\_new**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_new.3X) free\_menu [**menu\_new**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_new.3X) item\_count [**menu\_items**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_items.3X) item\_description [**mitem\_name**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_name.3X) item\_index [**mitem\_current**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_current.3X) item\_init [**menu\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_hook.3X) item\_name [**mitem\_name**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_name.3X) item\_opts [**mitem\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_opts.3X) item\_opts\_off [**mitem\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_opts.3X) item\_opts\_on [**mitem\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_opts.3X) item\_term [**menu\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_hook.3X) item\_userptr [**mitem\_userptr**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_userptr.3X) item\_value [**mitem\_value**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_value.3X) item\_visible [**mitem\_visible**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_visible.3X) menu\_back [**menu\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_attributes.3X) menu\_driver [**menu\_driver**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_driver.3X) menu\_fore [**menu\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_attributes.3X) menu\_format [**menu\_format**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_format.3X) menu\_grey [**menu\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_attributes.3X) menu\_init [**menu\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_hook.3X) menu\_items [**menu\_items**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_items.3X) menu\_mark [**menu\_mark**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_mark.3X) menu\_opts [**menu\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_opts.3X) menu\_opts\_off [**menu\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_opts.3X) menu\_opts\_on [**menu\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_opts.3X) menu\_pad [**menu\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_attributes.3X) menu\_pattern [**menu\_pattern**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_pattern.3X) menu\_request\_by\_name [**menu\_requestname**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_requestname.3X) menu\_request\_name [**menu\_requestname**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_requestname.3X) menu\_spacing [**menu\_spacing**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_spacing.3X) menu\_sub [**menu\_win**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_win.3X) menu\_term [**menu\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_hook.3X) menu\_userptr [**menu\_userptr**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_userptr.3X) menu\_win [**menu\_win**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_win.3X) new\_item [**mitem\_new**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_new.3X) new\_menu [**menu\_new**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_new.3X) pos\_menu\_cursor [**menu\_cursor**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_cursor.3X) post\_menu [**menu\_post**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_post.3X) scale\_menu [**menu\_win**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_win.3X) set\_current\_item [**mitem\_current**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_current.3X) set\_item\_init [**menu\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_hook.3X) set\_item\_opts [**mitem\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_opts.3X) set\_item\_term [**menu\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_hook.3X) set\_item\_userptr [**mitem\_userptr**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_userptr.3X) set\_item\_value [**mitem\_value**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_value.3X) set\_menu\_back [**menu\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_attributes.3X) set\_menu\_fore [**menu\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_attributes.3X) set\_menu\_format [**menu\_format**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_format.3X) set\_menu\_grey [**menu\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_attributes.3X) set\_menu\_init [**menu\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_hook.3X) set\_menu\_items [**menu\_items**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_items.3X) set\_menu\_mark [**menu\_mark**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_mark.3X) set\_menu\_opts [**mitem\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_opts.3X) set\_menu\_pad [**menu\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_attributes.3X) set\_menu\_pattern [**menu\_pattern**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_pattern.3X) set\_menu\_spacing [**menu\_spacing**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_spacing.3X) set\_menu\_sub [**menu\_win**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_win.3X) set\_menu\_term [**menu\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_hook.3X) set\_menu\_userptr [**menu\_userptr**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_userptr.3X) set\_menu\_win [**menu\_win**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_win.3X) set\_top\_row [**mitem\_current**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_current.3X) top\_row [**mitem\_current**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/mitem_current.3X) unpost\_menu [**menu\_post**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/menu_post.3X) # [RETURN VALUE](#RETURN_VALUE) Routines that return pointers return *NULL* on error. Routines that return an integer return one of the following error codes: [**E\_OK**](#E_OK) The routine succeeded. [**E\_BAD\_ARGUMENT**](#E_BAD_ARGUMENT) Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument. [**E\_BAD\_STATE**](#E_BAD_STATE) Routine was called from an initialization or termination function. [**E\_NO\_MATCH**](#E_NO_MATCH) Character failed to match. [**E\_NO\_ROOM**](#E_NO_ROOM) Menu is too large for its window. [**E\_NOT\_CONNECTED**](#E_NOT_CONNECTED) No items are connected to the menu. [**E\_NOT\_POSTED**](#E_NOT_POSTED) The menu has not been posted. [**E\_NOT\_SELECTABLE**](#E_NOT_SELECTABLE) The designated item cannot be selected. [**E\_POSTED**](#E_POSTED) The menu is already posted. [**E\_REQUEST\_DENIED**](#E_REQUEST_DENIED) The menu driver could not process the request. [**E\_SYSTEM\_ERROR**](#E_SYSTEM_ERROR) System error occurred (see [**errno**(3)](/man/os/ncurses/errno.3)). [**E\_UNKNOWN\_COMMAND**](#E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND) The menu driver code saw an unknown request code. # [NOTES](#NOTES) The header file *menu.h* itself includes the header file *curses.h*. # [PORTABILITY](#PORTABILITY) These routines emulate the System V menu library. They were not supported on Version 7 or BSD versions. A menu facility was documented in SVr4.2's *Character User Interface Programming* document. It is not part of X/Open Curses. Aside from *ncurses*, there are few implementations: - systems based on SVr4 source code, e.g., Solaris. - NetBSD curses. # [AUTHORS](#AUTHORS) Juergen Pfeifer. Manual pages and adaptation for *ncurses* by Eric S. Raymond. # [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO) [**curses**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/curses.3X) and related pages whose names begin “menu\_” for detailed descriptions of the entry points. 2025-11-11 ncurses 6.6 --- Document: menu(3x) from ncurses 6.6.20261017-r0 (Chainguard OS) Source: https://github.com/ThomasDickey/ncurses-snapshots