Curses is broken. Don't believe it? Try this...

[Augustine Cano]

Ah! the curses of curses...  I've been trying to exorcise character
attributes, but my Cabalistic code is not powerful enough.  It is
possible to display at least BOLD characters with a plain C program,
as shown below.

The following attributes are defined in /usr/include/curses.h:

/* Various video attributes */
#define A_STANDOUT	0000200
#define	_STANDOUT	A_STANDOUT    /* for compatibility with old curses */
#define A_UNDERLINE	0000400
#define A_REVERSE	0001000
#define A_BLINK		0002000
#define A_DIM		0004000
#define A_BOLD		0010000
#define A_ALTCHARSET	0100000

The following program attempts to display something in all of these
attributes, with varying results:

/************************************************************************/

#include <curses.h>

main()

{

initscr();

attrset (A_NORMAL);
mvprintw (8,5, "NORMAL");
attrset (A_STANDOUT);		/* Doesn't work: displayed in REVERSE	*/
mvprintw (10,60, "STANDOUT");
attrset (A_UNDERLINE);		/* OK					*/
mvprintw (12,20, "UNDERLINE");
attrset (A_REVERSE);		/* OK					*/
mvprintw (14,30, "REVERSE");
attrset (A_BLINK);		/* Doesn't work: displayed in REVERSE	*/
mvprintw (16,40, "BLINK");
attrset (A_DIM);		/* OK					*/
mvprintw (18,10, "DIM");
attrset (A_BOLD);		/* Doesn't work: displayed in REVERSE	*/
mvprintw (20,5, "BOLD");

attrset (A_NORMAL);

refresh();
endwin();
exit(0);
}

/************************************************************************/

I don't know how STANDOUT should appear, but BOLD is significant because
it works correctly in the non-curses program below:

/************************************************************************/

#include <stdio.h>

main()

{

/*
 *  These escape sequences are documented in the Communications Management
 *  manual, page A10.
 */

printf("NORMAL\n");
printf("\n%c[%dm%s%c[0m\n",27,1,"BOLD IS OK",27);
printf("\n%c[%dm%s%c[0m\n",27,2,"DIM IS OK",27);
printf("\n%c[%dm%s%c[0m\n",27,4,"UNDERLINE IS OK",27);
printf("\n%c[%dm%s%c[0m\n",27,7,"REVERSE IS OK",27);
printf("\n%c[%dm%s%c[0m\n",27,8,"CONCEALED DOESN'T WORK",27);

/*
 *  These are not documented in the Communications Management manual.
 *  Only the last one works.
 */

printf("\n%c[%dm%s%c[0m\n",27,3,"NOTHING HAPPENS",27);
printf("\n%c[%dm%s%c[0m\n",27,5,"NOTHING HAPPENS",27);
printf("\n%c[%dm%s%c[0m\n",27,6,"NOTHING HAPPENS",27);
printf("\n%c[%dm%s%c[0m\n",27,9,"CROSSED OUT",27);

exit(0);
}

/************************************************************************/

I could believe that it is impossible to do blinking in the unix pc, but
is there a way to display text in STANDOUT and BOLD attributes using
curses?

BTW, this is 3.51m with 3.51 Foundation set and 3.51 Develpment set.

-- 
Augustine Cano		INTERNET: afc at shibaya.lonestar.org
			UUCP:     ...!{ernest,egsner}!shibaya!afc