


      TERMCAP(5)                  (UNIX 5.0)                 TERMCAP(5)



      NAME
           termcap - terminal capability data base

      SYNTAX
           /etc/termcap

      DESCRIPTION
           Termcap is a data base describing terminals, used, e.g., by
           vi(1).  Terminals are described in termcap by giving a set
           of capabilities which they have, and by describing how
           operations are performed.  Padding requirements and
           initialization sequences are included in termcap.

           Entries in termcap consist of a number of `:' separated
           fields.  The first entry for each terminal gives the names
           which are known for the terminal, separated by `|'
           characters.  The first name is always 2 characters long and
           is used by older version 6 systems which store the terminal
           type in a 16 bit word in a systemwide data base.  The second
           name given is the most common abbreviation for the terminal,
           and the last name given should be a long name fully
           identifying the terminal.  The second name should contain no
           blanks; the last name may well contain blanks for
           readability.

      CAPABILITIES
           (P) indicates padding may be specified
           (P*) indicates that padding may be based on no. lines affected

           Name   Type  Pad?  Description
           ae     str   (P)   End alternate character set
           al     str   (P*)  Add new blank line
           am     bool        Terminal has automatic margins
           as     str   (P)   Start alternate character set
           bc     str         Backspace if not ^H
           bs     bool        Terminal can backspace with ^H
           bt     str   (P)   Back tab
           bw     bool        Backspace wraps from column 0 to last column
           CC     str         Command character in prototype if terminal settable
           cd     str   (P*)  Clear to end of display
           ce     str   (P)   Clear to end of line
           ch     str   (P)   Like cm but horizontal motion only, line stays same
           cl     str   (P*)  Clear screen
           cm     str   (P)   Cursor motion
           co     num         Number of columns in a line
           cr     str   (P*)  Carriage return, (default ^M)
           cs     str   (P)   Change scrolling region (vt100), like cm
           cv     str   (P)   Like ch but vertical only.
           da     bool        Display may be retained above
           dB     num         Number of millisec of bs delay needed
           db     bool        Display may be retained below
           dC     num         Number of millisec of cr delay needed



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           dc     str   (P*)  Delete character
           dF     num         Number of millisec of ff delay needed
           dl     str   (P*)  Delete line
           dm     str         Delete mode (enter)
           dN     num         Number of millisec of nl delay needed
           do     str         Down one line
           dT     num         Number of millisec of tab delay needed
           ed     str         End delete mode
           ei     str         End insert mode; give :ei=: if ic
           eo     str         Can erase overstrikes with a blank
           ff     str   (P*)  Hardcopy terminal page eject (default ^L)
           hc     bool        Hardcopy terminal
           hd     str         Half-line down (forward 1/2 linefeed)
           ho     str         Home cursor (if no cm)
           hu     str         Half-line up (reverse 1/2 linefeed)
           hz     str         Hazeltine; can't print ~'s
           ic     str   (P)   Insert character
           if     str         Name of file containing is
           im     bool        Insert mode (enter); give :im=: if ic
           in     bool        Insert mode distinguishes nulls on display
           ip     str   (P*)  Insert pad after character inserted
           is     str         Terminal initialization string
           k0-k9  str         Sent by other function keys 0-9
           kb     str         Sent by backspace key
           kd     str         Sent by terminal down arrow key
           ke     str         Out of keypad transmit mode
           kh     str         Sent by home key
           kl     str         Sent by terminal left arrow key
           kn     num         Number of other keys
           ko     str         Termcap entries for other non-function keys
           kr     str         Sent by terminal right arrow key
           ks     str         Put terminal in keypad transmit mode
           ku     str         Sent by terminal up arrow key
           l0-l9  str         Labels on other function keys
           li     num         Number of lines on screen or page
           ll     str         Last line, first column (if no cm)
           ma     str         Arrow key map, used by vi version 2 only
           mi     bool        Safe to move while in insert mode
           ml     str         Memory lock on above cursor.
           ms     bool        Safe to move while in standout and underline mode
           mu     str         Memory unlock (turn off memory lock).
           nc     bool        No correctly working carriage return (DM2500,H2000)
           nd     str         Non-destructive space (cursor right)
           nl     str   (P*)  Newline character (default \n)
           ns     bool        Terminal is a CRT but doesn't scroll.
           os     bool        Terminal overstrikes
           pc     str         Pad character (rather than null)
           pt     bool        Has hardware tabs (may need to be set with is)
           se     str         End stand out mode
           sf     str   (P)   Scroll forwards
           sg     num         Number of blank chars left by so or se
           so     str         Begin stand out mode



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      TERMCAP(5)                  (UNIX 5.0)                 TERMCAP(5)



           sr     str   (P)   Scroll reverse (backwards)
           ta     str   (P)   Tab (other than ^I or with padding)
           tc     str         Entry of similar terminal - must be last
           te     str         String to end programs that use cm
           ti     str         String to begin programs that use cm
           uc     str         Underscore one char and move past it
           ue     str         End underscore mode
           ug     num         Number of blank chars left by us or ue
           ul     bool        Terminal underlines but does not overstrike
           up     str         Upline (cursor up)
           us     str         Start underscore mode
           vb     str         Visible bell (may not move cursor)
           ve     str         Sequence to end open/visual mode
           vs     str         Sequence to start open/visual mode
           xb     bool        Beehive (f1=escape, f2=ctrl C)
           xn     bool        A newline is ignored after a wrap (Concept)
           xr     bool        Return acts like ce \r \n (Delta Data)
           xs     bool        Standout not erased by writing over it (HP 264?)
           xt     bool        Tabs are destructive, magic so char (Teleray 1061)

           A Sample Entry

           The following entry, which describes the Concept-100, is
           among the more complex entries in the termcap file as of
           this writing.  (This particular concept entry is outdated,
           and is used as an example only.)

           c1|c100|concept100:is=\EU\Ef\E7\E5\E8\El\ENH\EK\E\200\Eo&\200:\
             :al=3*\E^R:am:bs:cd=16*\E^C:ce=16\E^S:cl=2*^L:cm=\Ea%+ %+ :co#80:\
             :dc=16\E^A:dl=3*\E^B:ei=\E\200:eo:im=\E^P:in:ip=16*:li#24:mi:nd=\E=:\
             :se=\Ed\Ee:so=\ED\EE:ta=8\t:ul:up=\E;:vb=\Ek\EK:xn:

           Entries may continue onto multiple lines by giving a \ as
           the last character of a line, and that empty fields may be
           included for readability (here between the last field on a
           line and the first field on the next).  Capabilities in
           termcap are of three types:  Boolean capabilities which
           indicate that the terminal has some particular feature,
           numeric capabilities giving the size of the terminal or the
           size of particular delays, and string capabilities, which
           give a sequence which can be used to perform particular
           terminal operations.

           Types of Capabilities

           All capabilities have two letter codes.  For instance, the
           fact that the Concept has automatic margins (i.e. an
           automatic return and linefeed when the end of a line is
           reached) is indicated by the capability am.  Hence the
           description of the Concept includes am.  Numeric
           capabilities are followed by the character `#' and then the
           value.  Thus co which indicates the number of columns the



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           terminal has gives the value `80' for the Concept.

           Finally, string valued capabilities, such as ce (clear to
           end of line sequence) are given by the two character code,
           an `=', and then a string ending at the next following `:'.
           A delay in milliseconds may appear after the `=' in such a
           capability, and padding characters are supplied by the
           editor after the remainder of the string is sent to provide
           this delay.  The delay can be either a integer, e.g. `20',
           or an integer followed by an `*', i.e. `3*'.  A `*'
           indicates that the padding required is proportional to the
           number of lines affected by the operation, and the amount
           given is the per-affected-unit padding required.  When a `*'
           is specified, it is sometimes useful to give a delay of the
           form `3.5' specify a delay per unit to tenths of
           milliseconds.

           A number of escape sequences are provided in the string
           valued capabilities for easy encoding of characters there.
           A \E maps to an ESCAPE character, ^x maps to a control-x for
           any appropriate x, and the sequences \n \r \t \b \f give a
           newline, return, tab, backspace and formfeed.  Finally,
           characters may be given as three octal digits after a \, and
           the characters ^ and \ may be given as \^ and \\.  If it is
           necessary to place a : in a capability it must be escaped in
           octal as \072.  If it is necessary to place a null character
           in a string capability it must be encoded as \200.  The
           routines which deal with termcap use C strings, and strip
           the high bits of the output very late so that a \200 comes
           out as a \000 would.

           Preparing Descriptions

           We now outline how to prepare descriptions of terminals.
           The most effective way to prepare a terminal description is
           by imitating the description of a similar terminal in
           termcap and to build up a description gradually, using
           partial descriptions with ex to check that they are correct.
           Be aware that a very unusual terminal may expose
           deficiencies in the ability of the termcap file to describe
           it or bugs in ex. To easily test a new terminal description
           you can set the environment variable TERMCAP to a pathname
           of a file containing the description you are working on and
           the editor will look there rather than in /etc/termcap.
           TERMCAP can also be set to the termcap entry itself to avoid
           reading the file when starting up the editor.  (This only
           works on version 7 systems.)

           Basic capabilities

           The number of columns on each line for the terminal is given
           by the co numeric capability.  If the terminal is a CRT,



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           then the number of lines on the screen is given by the li
           capability.  If the terminal wraps around to the beginning
           of the next line when it reaches the right margin, then it
           should have the am capability.  If the terminal can clear
           its screen, then this is given by the cl string capability.
           If the terminal can backspace, then it should have the bs
           capability, unless a backspace is accomplished by a
           character other than ^H (ugh) in which case you should give
           this character as the bc string capability.  If it
           overstrikes (rather than clearing a position when a
           character is struck over) then it should have the os
           capability.

           A very important point here is that the local cursor motions
           encoded in termcap are undefined at the left and top edges
           of a CRT terminal.  The editor will never attempt to
           backspace around the left edge, nor will it attempt to go up
           locally off the top.  The editor assumes that feeding off
           the bottom of the screen will cause the screen to scroll up,
           and the am capability tells whether the cursor sticks at the
           right edge of the screen.  If the terminal has switch
           selectable automatic margins, the termcap file usually
           assumes that this is on, i.e. am.

           These capabilities suffice to describe hardcopy and glass-
           tty terminals.  Thus the model 33 teletype is described as

                t3|33|tty33:co#72:os

           while the Lear Siegler ADM-3 is described as

                cl|adm3|3|lsi adm3:am:bs:cl=^Z:li#24:co#80

           Cursor addressing

           Cursor addressing in the terminal is described by a cm
           string capability, with printf(3s) like escapes %x in it.
           These substitute to encodings of the current line or column
           position, while other characters are passed through
           unchanged.  If the cm string is thought of as being a
           function, then its arguments are the line and then the
           column to which motion is desired, and the % encodings have
           the following meanings:

                %d   as in printf, 0 origin
                %2   like %2d
                %3   like %3d
                %.   like %c
                %+x  adds x to value, then %.
                %>xy if value > x adds y, no output.
                %r   reverses order of line and column, no output
                %i   increments line/column (for 1 origin)



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                %%   gives a single %
                %n   exclusive or row and column with 0140 (DM2500)
                %B   BCD (16*(x/10)) + (x%10), no output.
                %D   Reverse coding (x-2*(x%16)), no output. (Delta Data).

           Consider the HP2645, which, to get to row 3 and column 12,
           needs to be sent \E&a12c03Y padded for 6 milliseconds.  Note
           that the order of the rows and columns is inverted here, and
           that the row and column are printed as two digits.  Thus its
           cm capability is cm=6\E&%r%2c%2Y.  The Microterm ACT-IV
           needs the current row and column sent preceded by a ^T, with
           the row and column simply encoded in binary, cm=^T%.%..
           Terminals which use %. need to be able to backspace the
           cursor (bs or bc), and to move the cursor up one line on the
           screen (up introduced below).  This is necessary because it
           is not always safe to transmit \t, \n ^D and \r, as the
           system may change or discard them.

           A final example is the LSI ADM-3a, which uses row and column
           offset by a blank character, thus cm=\E=%+ %+ .

           Cursor motions

           If the terminal can move the cursor one position to the
           right, leaving the character at the current position
           unchanged, then this sequence should be given as nd (non-
           destructive space).  If it can move the cursor up a line on
           the screen in the same column, this should be given as up.
           If the terminal has no cursor addressing capability, but can
           home the cursor (to very upper left corner of screen) then
           this can be given as ho; similarly a fast way of getting to
           the lower left hand corner can be given as ll; this may
           involve going up with up from the home position, but the
           editor will never do this itself (unless ll does) because it
           makes no assumption about the effect of moving up from the
           home position.

           Area clears

           If the terminal can clear from the current position to the
           end of the line, leaving the cursor where it is, this should
           be given as ce.  If the terminal can clear from the current
           position to the end of the display, then this should be
           given as cd.  The editor only uses cd from the first column
           of a line.

           Insert/delete line

           If the terminal can open a new blank line before the line
           where the cursor is, this should be given as al; this is
           done only from the first position of a line.  The cursor
           must then appear on the newly blank line.  If the terminal



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           can delete the line which the cursor is on, then this should
           be given as dl; this is done only from the first position on
           the line to be deleted.  If the terminal can scroll the
           screen backwards, then this can be given as sb, but just al
           suffices.  If the terminal can retain display memory above
           then the da capability should be given; if display memory
           can be retained below then db should be given.  These let
           the editor understand that deleting a line on the screen may
           bring non-blank lines up from below or that scrolling back
           with sb may bring down non-blank lines.

           Insert/delete character

           There are two basic kinds of intelligent terminals with
           respect to insert/delete character which can be described
           using termcap. The most common insert/delete character
           operations affect only the characters on the current line
           and shift characters off the end of the line rigidly.  Other
           terminals, such as the Concept 100 and the Perkin Elmer Owl,
           make a distinction between typed and untyped blanks on the
           screen, shifting upon an insert or delete only to an untyped
           blank on the screen which is either eliminated, or expanded
           to two untyped blanks.  You can find out which kind of
           terminal you have by clearing the screen and then typing
           text separated by cursor motions.  Type abc    def using
           local cursor motions (not spaces) between the abc and the
           def.  Then position the cursor before the abc and put the
           terminal in insert mode.  If typing characters causes the
           rest of the line to shift rigidly and characters to fall off
           the end, then your terminal does not distinguish between
           blanks and untyped positions.  If the abc shifts over to the
           def which then move together around the end of the current
           line and onto the next as you insert, you have the second
           type of terminal, and should give the capability in, which
           stands for insert null.  If your terminal does something
           different and unusual then you may have to modify the editor
           to get it to use the insert mode your terminal defines.  We
           have seen no terminals which have an insert mode not not
           falling into one of these two classes.

           The editor can handle both terminals which have an insert
           mode, and terminals which send a simple sequence to open a
           blank position on the current line.  Give as im the sequence
           to get into insert mode, or give it an empty value if your
           terminal uses a sequence to insert a blank position.  Give
           as ei the sequence to leave insert mode (give this, with an
           empty value also if you gave im so).  Now give as ic any
           sequence needed to be sent just before sending the character
           to be inserted.  Most terminals with a true insert mode will
           not give ic, terminals which send a sequence to open a
           screen position should give it here.  (Insert mode is
           preferable to the sequence to open a position on the screen



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           if your terminal has both.) If post insert padding is
           needed, give this as a number of milliseconds in ip (a
           string option).  Any other sequence which may need to be
           sent after an insert of a single character may also be given
           in ip.

           It is occasionally necessary to move around while in insert
           mode to delete characters on the same line (e.g. if there is
           a tab after the insertion position).  If your terminal
           allows motion while in insert mode you can give the
           capability mi to speed up inserting in this case.  Omitting
           mi will affect only speed.   Some terminals (notably
           Datamedia's) must not have mi because of the way their
           insert mode works.

           Finally, you can specify delete mode by giving dm and ed to
           enter and exit delete mode, and dc to delete a single
           character while in delete mode.

           Highlighting, underlining, and visible bells

           If your terminal has sequences to enter and exit standout
           mode these can be given as so and se respectively.  If there
           are several flavors of standout mode (such as inverse video,
           blinking, or underlining - half bright is not usually an
           acceptable standout mode unless the terminal is in inverse
           video mode constantly) the preferred mode is inverse video
           by itself.  If the code to change into or out of standout
           mode leaves one or even two blank spaces on the screen, as
           the TVI 912 and Teleray 1061 do, then ug should be given to
           tell how many spaces are left.

           Codes to begin underlining and end underlining can be given
           as us and ue respectively.  If the terminal has a code to
           underline the current character and move the cursor one
           space to the right, such as the Microterm Mime, this can be
           given as uc.  (If the underline code does not move the
           cursor to the right, give the code followed by a
           nondestructive space.)

           Many terminals, such as the HP 2621, automatically leave
           standout mode when they move to a new line or the cursor is
           addressed.  Programs using standout mode should exit
           standout mode before moving the cursor or sending a newline.

           If the terminal has a way of flashing the screen to indicate
           an error quietly (a bell replacement) then this can be given
           as vb; it must not move the cursor.  If the terminal should
           be placed in a different mode during open and visual modes
           of ex, this can be given as vs and ve, sent at the start and
           end of these modes respectively.  These can be used to
           change, e.g., from a underline to a block cursor and back.



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           If the terminal needs to be in a special mode when running a
           program that addresses the cursor, the codes to enter and
           exit this mode can be given as ti and te.  This arises, for
           example, from terminals like the Concept with more than one
           page of memory.  If the terminal has only memory relative
           cursor addressing and not screen relative cursor addressing,
           a one screen-sized window must be fixed into the terminal
           for cursor addressing to work properly.

           If your terminal correctly generates underlined characters
           (with no special codes needed) even though it does not
           overstrike, then you should give the capability ul.  If
           overstrikes are erasable with a blank, then this should be
           indicated by giving eo.

           Keypad

           If the terminal has a keypad that transmits codes when the
           keys are pressed, this information can be given. Note that
           it is not possible to handle terminals where the keypad only
           works in local (this applies, for example, to the unshifted
           HP 2621 keys).  If the keypad can be set to transmit or not
           transmit, give these codes as ks and ke.  Otherwise the
           keypad is assumed to always transmit.  The codes sent by the
           left arrow, right arrow, up arrow, down arrow, and home keys
           can be given as kl, kr, ku, kd, and kh respectively.  If
           there are function keys such as f0, f1, ..., f9, the codes
           they send can be given as k0, k1, ..., k9.  If these keys
           have labels other than the default f0 through f9, the labels
           can be given as l0, l1, ..., l9.  If there are other keys
           that transmit the same code as the terminal expects for the
           corresponding function, such as clear screen, the termcap 2
           letter codes can be given in the ko capability, for example,
           :ko=cl,ll,sf,sb:, which says that the terminal has clear,
           home down, scroll down, and scroll up keys that transmit the
           same thing as the cl, ll, sf, and sb entries.

           The ma entry is also used to indicate arrow keys on
           terminals which have single character arrow keys.  It is
           obsolete but still in use in version 2 of vi, which must be
           run on some minicomputers due to memory limitations.  This
           field is redundant with kl, kr, ku, kd, and kh.  It consists
           of groups of two characters.  In each group, the first
           character is what an arrow key sends, the second character
           is the corresponding vi command.  These commands are h for
           kl, j for kd, k for ku, l for kr, and H for kh.  For
           example, the mime would be :ma=^Kj^Zk^Xl: indicating arrow
           keys left (^H), down (^K), up (^Z), and right (^X).  (There
           is no home key on the mime.)

           Miscellaneous




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           If the terminal requires other than a null (zero) character
           as a pad, then this can be given as pc.

           If tabs on the terminal require padding, or if the terminal
           uses a character other than ^I to tab, then this can be
           given as ta.

           Hazeltine terminals, which don't allow `~' characters to be
           printed should indicate hz.  Datamedia terminals, which echo
           carriage-return linefeed for carriage return and then ignore
           a following linefeed should indicate nc.  Early Concept
           terminals, which ignore a linefeed immediately after an am
           wrap, should indicate xn.  If an erase-eol is required to
           get rid of standout (instead of merely writing on top of
           it), xs should be given.  Teleray terminals, where tabs turn
           all characters moved over to blanks, should indicate xt.
           Other specific terminal problems may be corrected by adding
           more capabilities of the form xx.

           Other capabilities include is, an initialization string for
           the terminal, and if, the name of a file containing long
           initialization strings.  These strings are expected to
           properly clear and then set the tabs on the terminal, if the
           terminal has settable tabs.  If both are given, is will be
           printed before if.  This is useful where if is
           /usr/lib/tabset/std but is clears the tabs first.

           Similar Terminals

           If there are two very similar terminals, one can be defined
           as being just like the other with certain exceptions.  The
           string capability tc can be given with the name of the
           similar terminal.  This capability must be last and the
           combined length of the two entries must not exceed 1024.
           Since termlib routines search the entry from left to right,
           and since the tc capability is replaced by the corresponding
           entry, the capabilities given at the left override the ones
           in the similar terminal.  A capability can be cancelled with
           xx@ where xx is the capability.  For example, the entry

                hn|2621nl:ks@:ke@:tc=2621:

           defines a 2621nl that does not have the ks or ke
           capabilities, and hence does not turn on the function key
           labels when in visual mode.  This is useful for different
           modes for a terminal, or for different user preferences.

      FILES
           /etc/termcap   file containing terminal descriptions

      SEE ALSO
           ex(1), termcap(3), vi(1)



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      AUTHOR
           University of California at Berkeley

      BUGS
           Ex allows only 256 characters for string capabilities, and
           the routines in termcap(3) do not check for overflow of this
           buffer.  The total length of a single entry (excluding only
           escaped newlines) may not exceed 1024.

           The ma, vs, and ve entries are specific to the vi program.

           Not all programs support all entries.  There are entries
           that are not supported by any program.










































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