curs_extend(3X)                  Library calls                 curs_extend(3X)

NAME

     curses_version, use_extended_names - miscellaneous ncurses extensions

SYNOPSIS

     #include <curses.h>

     const char * curses_version(void);
     int use_extended_names(bool bf);

DESCRIPTION

     These ncurses extensions to the curses library do not fit easily into
     other functional categories.

curses_version

     curses_version returns a pointer to a string containing the library's
     name and version number, including its patch level, for example "ncurses
     6.5.20240720".

use_extended_names

     use_extended_names configures whether the library recognizes user-defined
     or nonstandard terminfo capability names that may be compiled into
     terminal type descriptions via the curs_terminfo(3X) or curs_termcap(3X)
     interfaces.  Normally these names are available for use, since the
     essential decision is made through use of tic(1)'s -x option to include
     such extensions in terminal type descriptions.  use_extended_names(FALSE)
     prevents ncurses from recognizing these capabilities to ensure
     compatibility with other implementations of curses.

RETURN VALUE

     curses_version returns a constant string.

     use_extended_names returns the previous state of extended capability name
     recognition, allowing you to save this property and restore it.

NOTES

     The pointer returned by curses_version corresponds to statically
     allocated memory; do not attempt to free(3) it.

EXTENSIONS

     These functions are ncurses extensions, and are not found in SVr4 curses,
     4.4BSD curses, or any other previous curses implementation.

PORTABILITY

     Applications employing ncurses extensions should condition their use on
     the visibility of the NCURSES_VERSION preprocessor macro.

     NetBSD 9 added a curses_version function that intentionally returns a
     string devoid of version information.

AUTHORS

     Thomas Dickey

SEE ALSO

     ncurses offers several other extensions to the X/Open Curses API.

     curs_getch(3X), curs_inopts(3X), curs_mouse(3X), curs_print(3X),
     curs_util(3X), default_colors(3X), define_key(3X), keybound(3X),
     keyok(3X), new_pair(3X), resizeterm(3X), wresize(3X)

ncurses 6.6                       2025-11-11                   curs_extend(3X)