form(3X) Library calls form(3X) # [NAME](#NAME) **form** - present user-fillable forms in *curses* windows # [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS) ``` #include ``` # [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION) The **form** library provides terminal-independent facilities for composing form screens on character-cell terminals. The library includes: field routines, which create and modify form fields; and form routines, which group fields into forms, display forms on the screen, and handle interaction with the user. The **form** library uses the **curses** libraries. To use the **form** library, link with the options **-lform -lcurses**. Your program should set up the locale, e.g., **setlocale(LC\_ALL, "");** so that input/output processing will work. A curses initialization routine such as **initscr** must be called before using any of these functions. ## [Current Default Values for Field Attributes](#Current_Default_Values_for_Field_Attributes) The **form** library maintains a default value for field attributes. You can get or set this default by calling the appropriate **set\_** or retrieval routine with a *NULL* field pointer. Changing this default with a **set\_** function affects future field creations, but does not change the rendering of fields already created. ## [Routine Name Index](#Routine_Name_Index) The following table lists each **form** routine and the name of the manual page on which it is described. Routines flagged with “\*” are *ncurses*-specific, not present in SVr4. **curses** Routine Name Manual Page Name current\_field [**form\_page**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_page.3X) data\_ahead [**form\_data**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_data.3X) data\_behind [**form\_data**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_data.3X) dup\_field [**form\_field\_new**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_new.3X) dynamic\_field\_info [**form\_field\_info**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_info.3X) field\_arg [**form\_field\_validation**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_validation.3X) field\_back [**form\_field\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_attributes.3X) field\_buffer [**form\_field\_buffer**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_buffer.3X) field\_count [**form\_field**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field.3X) field\_fore [**form\_field\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_attributes.3X) field\_index [**form\_page**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_page.3X) field\_info [**form\_field\_info**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_info.3X) field\_init [**form\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_hook.3X) field\_just [**form\_field\_just**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_just.3X) field\_opts [**form\_field\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_opts.3X) field\_opts\_off [**form\_field\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_opts.3X) field\_opts\_on [**form\_field\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_opts.3X) field\_pad [**form\_field\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_attributes.3X) field\_status [**form\_field\_buffer**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_buffer.3X) field\_term [**form\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_hook.3X) field\_type [**form\_field\_validation**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_validation.3X) field\_userptr [**form\_field\_userptr**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_userptr.3X) form\_driver [**form\_driver**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_driver.3X) form\_driver\_w [**form\_driver**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_driver.3X)* form\_fields [**form\_field**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field.3X) form\_init [**form\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_hook.3X) form\_opts [**form\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_opts.3X) form\_opts\_off [**form\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_opts.3X) form\_opts\_on [**form\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_opts.3X) form\_page [**form\_page**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_page.3X) form\_request\_by\_name [**form\_requestname**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_requestname.3X)* form\_request\_name [**form\_requestname**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_requestname.3X)* form\_sub [**form\_win**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_win.3X) form\_term [**form\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_hook.3X) form\_userptr [**form\_userptr**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_userptr.3X) form\_win [**form\_win**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_win.3X) free\_field [**form\_field\_new**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_new.3X) free\_fieldtype [**form\_fieldtype**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_fieldtype.3X) free\_form [**form\_new**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_new.3X) link\_field [**form\_field\_new**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_new.3X) link\_fieldtype [**form\_fieldtype**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_fieldtype.3X) move\_field [**form\_field**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field.3X) new\_field [**form\_field\_new**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_new.3X) new\_fieldtype [**form\_fieldtype**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_fieldtype.3X) new\_form [**form\_new**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_new.3X) new\_page [**form\_new\_page**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_new_page.3X) pos\_form\_cursor [**form\_cursor**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_cursor.3X) post\_form [**form\_post**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_post.3X) scale\_form [**form\_win**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_win.3X) set\_current\_field [**form\_page**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_page.3X) set\_field\_back [**form\_field\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_attributes.3X) set\_field\_buffer [**form\_field\_buffer**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_buffer.3X) set\_field\_fore [**form\_field\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_attributes.3X) set\_field\_init [**form\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_hook.3X) set\_field\_just [**form\_field\_just**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_just.3X) set\_field\_opts [**form\_field\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_opts.3X) set\_field\_pad [**form\_field\_attributes**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_attributes.3X) set\_field\_status [**form\_field\_buffer**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_buffer.3X) set\_field\_term [**form\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_hook.3X) set\_field\_type [**form\_field\_validation**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_validation.3X) set\_field\_userptr [**form\_field\_userptr**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_userptr.3X) set\_fieldtype\_arg [**form\_fieldtype**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_fieldtype.3X) set\_fieldtype\_choice [**form\_fieldtype**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_fieldtype.3X) set\_form\_fields [**form\_field**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field.3X) set\_form\_init [**form\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_hook.3X) set\_form\_opts [**form\_field\_opts**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_opts.3X) set\_form\_page [**form\_page**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_page.3X) set\_form\_sub [**form\_win**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_win.3X) set\_form\_term [**form\_hook**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_hook.3X) set\_form\_userptr [**form\_userptr**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_userptr.3X) set\_form\_win [**form\_win**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_win.3X) set\_max\_field [**form\_field\_buffer**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_field_buffer.3X) set\_new\_page [**form\_new\_page**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_new_page.3X) unfocus\_current\_field [**form\_page**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_page.3X)* unpost\_form [**form\_post**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/form_post.3X) # [RETURN VALUE](#RETURN_VALUE) Routines that return pointers return *NULL* on error, and set **errno** to the corresponding error-code returned by functions returning an integer. 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\_CONNECTED**](#E_CONNECTED) The field is already connected to a form. [**E\_INVALID\_FIELD**](#E_INVALID_FIELD) Contents of a field are not valid. [**E\_NOT\_CONNECTED**](#E_NOT_CONNECTED) No fields are connected to the form. [**E\_NOT\_POSTED**](#E_NOT_POSTED) The form has not been posted. [**E\_NO\_ROOM**](#E_NO_ROOM) Form is too large for its window. [**E\_POSTED**](#E_POSTED) The form is already posted. [**E\_REQUEST\_DENIED**](#E_REQUEST_DENIED) The form 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 form driver code saw an unknown request code. # [NOTES](#NOTES) The header file *form.h* itself includes *curses.h*. # [PORTABILITY](#PORTABILITY) These routines emulate the System V forms library. They were not supported on Version 7 or BSD versions. A form 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. A few functions in this implementation are extensions added for *ncurses*, but not provided by other implementations, e.g., **form\_driver\_w**, **unfocus\_current\_field**. # [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 “form\_” for detailed descriptions of the entry points. 2025-11-11 ncurses 6.6 --- Document: form(3x) from ncurses 6.6.20261031-r0 (Chainguard OS) Source: https://github.com/ThomasDickey/ncurses-snapshots