tput

NAME

       tput - initialize a terminal or query terminfo database

SYNOPSIS

       tput [-Ttype] capname [parms ... ]
       tput [-Ttype] init
       tput [-Ttype] reset
       tput [-Ttype] longname
       tput -S  <<

DESCRIPTION

       The  tput  utility  uses the terminfo database to make the
       values of terminal-dependent capabilities and  information
       available to the shell (see sh(1)), to initialize or reset
       the terminal, or return the long  name  of  the  requested
       terminal  type.   tput  outputs  a string if the attribute
       (capability name) is of type string, or an integer if  the
       attribute is of type integer.  If the attribute is of type
       boolean, tput simply sets the exit code (0 for TRUE if the
       terminal  has the capability, 1 for FALSE if it does not),
       and produces no output.  Before using a value returned  on
       standard  output,  the user should test the exit code [$?,
       see sh(1)] to be sure it is 0.  (See the  EXIT  CODES  and
       DIAGNOSTICS  sections.)   For a complete list of capabili-
       ties and  the  capname  associated  with  each,  see  ter-
       minfo(5).

       -Ttype indicates  the  type  of  terminal.   Normally this
              option is unnecessary, because the default is taken
              from the environment variable TERM.  If -T is spec-
              ified, then the shell variables LINES  and  COLUMNS
              will  be  ignored,and the operating system will not
              be queried for the axtual screen size.

       capname
              indicates the attribute from the terminfo database.

       parms  If the attribute is a string that takes parameters,
              the arguments parms will be instantiated  into  the
              string.   An all numeric argument will be passed to
              the attribute as a number.

       -S     allows more than one capability per  invocation  of
              tput.  The capabilities must be passed to tput from
              the standard input instead of from the command line
              (see  example).   Only  one  capname is allowed per
              line.  The -S option changes the meaning of  the  0
              and  1  boolean and string exit codes (see the EXIT
              CODES section).

       init   If the terminfo database is present  and  an  entry
              for the user's terminal exists (see -Ttype, above),
              the following will occur: (1) if present, the  ter-
              minal's initialization strings will be output (is1,
              is2, is3, if, iprog), (2) any  delays  (e.g.,  new-
              line) specified in the entry will be set in the tty
              driver, (3) tabs expansion will be turned on or off
              according  to  the  specification in the entry, and
              (4) if tabs are not expanded, standard tabs will be
              set (every 8 spaces).  If an entry does not contain
              the information needed for any of  the  four  above
              activities, that activity will silently be skipped.

       reset  Instead of putting out initialization strings,  the
              terminal's  reset strings will be output if present
              (rs1, rs2, rs3, rf).  If the reset strings are  not
              present,  but  initialization strings are, the ini-
              tialization strings  will  be  output.   Otherwise,
              reset acts identically to init.

       longname
              If  the  terminfo  database is present and an entry
              for the user's terminal exists (see -Ttype  above),
              then the long name of the terminal will be put out.
              The long name is the last name in the first line of
              the terminal's description in the terminfo database
              [see term(5)].

EXAMPLES

       tput init
            Initialize the terminal according to the type of ter-
            minal  in the environmental variable TERM.  This com-
            mand should be included in everyone's .profile  after
            the environmental variable TERM has been exported, as
            illustrated on the profile(4) manual page.

       tput -T5620 reset
            Reset an AT&T 5620 terminal, overriding the  type  of
            terminal in the environmental variable TERM.

       tput cup 0 0
            Send the sequence to move the cursor to row 0, column
            0 (the upper left corner of the screen, usually known
            as the "home" cursor position).

       tput clear
            Echo the clear-screen sequence for the current termi-
            nal.

       tput cols
            Print the number of columns for the current terminal.

       tput -T450 cols
            Print the number of columns for the 450 terminal.

       bold=`tput smso` offbold=`tput rmso`
            Set the shell variables bold, to begin stand-out mode
            sequence, and offbold, to end standout mode sequence,
            for  the current terminal.  This might be followed by
            a prompt: echo  "${bold}Please  type  in  your  name:
            ${offbold}\c"

       tput hc
            Set  exit code to indicate if the current terminal is
            a hardcopy terminal.

       tput cup 23 4
            Send the sequence to move the cursor to row 23,  col-
            umn 4.

       tput longname
            Print  the  long  name from the terminfo database for
            the type of terminal specified in  the  environmental
            variable TERM.

       tput -S <<!
       > clear
       > cup 10 10
       > bold
       > !

            This  example shows tput processing several capabili-
            ties in one  invocation.   This  example  clears  the
            screen, moves the cursor to position 10, 10 and turns
            on bold (extra bright) mode.  The list is  terminated
            by an exclamation mark (!) on a line by itself.

FILES

       @TERMINFO@
              compiled terminal description database

       /usr/include/curses.h
              curses(3X) header file

       /usr/include/term.h
              terminfo header file

       /usr/lib/tabset/*
              tab settings for some terminals, in a format appro-
              priate  to  be  output  to  the  terminal   (escape
              sequences  that  set  margins  and  tabs); for more
              information, see the "Tabs and Initialization" sec-
              tion of terminfo(4)

SEE ALSO

       clear(1),  stty(1),  tabs(5).   profile(5), terminfo(4) in
       the System Administrator's Reference Manual.   Chapter  10
       of the Programmer's Guide.

EXIT CODES

       If  capname  is  of  type boolean, a value of 0 is set for
       TRUE and 1 for FALSE unless the -S option is used.
       If capname is of type string, a value of 0 is set  if  the
       capname  is  defined  for this terminal type (the value of
       capname is returned on standard output); a value of  1  is
       set  if  capname  is not defined for this terminal type (a
       null value is returned on standard output).

       If capname is of type boolean or string and the -S  option
       is  used,  a  value  of 0 is returned to indicate that all
       lines were successful.  No indication of which line failed
       can be given so exit code 1 will never appear.  Exit codes
       2, 3, and 4 retain their usual interpretation.

       If capname is of type integer, a value of 0 is always set,
       whether  or not capname is defined for this terminal type.
       To determine if capname is defined for this terminal type,
       the  user must test the value of standard output.  A value
       of -1 means that capname is not defined for this  terminal
       type.

       Any  other  exit code indicates an error; see the DIAGNOS-
       TICS section.

DIAGNOSTICS

       tput prints the following error messages and sets the cor-
       responding exit codes.

       exit code   error message
       0           (capname is a numeric variable that is not specified in the
                   terminfo(5) database for this terminal type, e.g.
                   tput -T450 lines and tput -T2621 xmc)
       1           no error message is printed, see the EXIT CODES section.
       2           usage error
       3           unknown terminal type or no terminfo database
       4           unknown terminfo capability capname

PORTABILITY

       The  longname  and -S options, and the parameter-substitu-
       tion features used in the cup example, are  not  supported
       in BSD curses or in AT&T/USL curses before SVr4.