curs_addstr(3X) Library calls curs_addstr(3X)
NAME
addstr, waddstr, mvaddstr, mvwaddstr, addnstr, waddnstr, mvaddnstr,
mvwaddnstr - add a string to a curses window and advance the cursor
SYNOPSIS
#include <curses.h>
int addstr(const char * str);
int waddstr(WINDOW * win, const char * str);
int mvaddstr(int y, int x, const char * str);
int mvwaddstr(WINDOW * win, int y, int x, const char * str);
int addnstr(const char * str, int n);
int waddnstr(WINDOW * win, const char * str, int n);
int mvaddnstr(int y, int x, const char * str, int n);
int mvwaddnstr(WINDOW * win, int y, int x, const char * str, int n);
DESCRIPTION
waddstr writes the characters of the (null-terminated) string str to the
window win, as if by calling waddch(3X) for each char in str. waddnstr
is similar, but writes at most n characters. If n is -1, waddnstr writes
the entire string. ncurses(3X) describes the variants of these
functions.
RETURN VALUE
These functions return OK on success and ERR on failure.
In ncurses, these functions fail if
o the curses screen has not been initialized,
o str is a null pointer,
o (for functions taking a WINDOW pointer argument) win is a null
pointer, or
o an internal waddch(3X) call returns ERR.
Functions prefixed with "mv" first perform cursor movement and fail if
the position (y, x) is outside the window boundaries.
NOTES
All of these functions except waddnstr may be implemented as macros.
PORTABILITY
X/Open Curses Issue 4 describes these functions. It specifies no error
conditions for them.
SVr4 describes a successful return value only as "an integer value other
than ERR".
HISTORY
4BSD (1980) introduced waddstr along with its variants, the latter
defined as macros.
SVr3.1 (1987) added waddnstr (and its variants) redefining waddstr as a
macro wrapping it.
SEE ALSO
curs_addwstr(3X) describes comparable functions of the ncurses library in
its wide-character configuration (ncursesw).
curses(3X), curs_addch(3X), curs_addchstr(3X)
ncurses 6.6 2025-10-20 curs_addstr(3X)