tput(C)

tput -- query the terminfo database

Syntax

tput [ -T type ] [ -S ] capname [ parms ... ]

tput [ -T type ] [ -S ] operand

Description

The tput command uses the terminfo(F) database to make the values of terminal-dependent capabilities and information available to the shell (see sh(C)), to initialize or reset the terminal, or return the long name of the requested terminal type. tput outputs a string if the capability name attribute (capname) 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(C)) to be sure it is 0. (See ``Exit values'' and ``Diagnostics''.) For a complete list of capabilities and the capname associated with each, see the terminfo(F) manual page.

-T type

Indicates the type of terminal. Normally, this option is unnecessary because the default is taken from the environment variable TERM. If -T is specified, then the shell variables LINES and COLUMNS and the layer size (see layers(C)) will not be referenced.

-S

Causes the capname to be read in from standard input instead of from the command line.

capname

Indicates the attribute from the terminfo database.

parms

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

operand

Takes one of the following values:

init

If the terminfo database is present and an entry for the user's terminal exists (see -T type, above), the following will occur:

if present, the terminal's initialization strings will be output (is1, is2, is3, if, iprog);
any delays (for example, new line) specified in the entry will be set in the tty driver;
tabs expansion will be turned on or off according to the specification in the entry;
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 be silently 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 initialization strings will be output. Otherwise, reset acts identically to init.

clear

Displays the clear-screen sequence.

longname

If the terminfo database is present and an entry for the user's terminal exists (see -T type above), then the long name of the terminal will be output. The long name is the last name in the first line of the terminal's description in the terminfo database (see term(M)).

Exit values

If capname is of type Boolean, a value of 0 is set for TRUE and 1 for FALSE.

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 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 ``Diagnostics''.

Diagnostics

tput prints the following error messages and sets the corresponding exit codes:

0: the requested string was written successfully
1: unspecified, see ``Exit values''
2: usage error
3: unknown terminal type or no terminfo database
4: invalid operand

Examples

tput init

Initialize the terminal according to the type of terminal in the environment variable TERM. This command can be included in a user's .profile after the environment variable TERM has been exported (see profile(M)).

tput -T5620 reset

Reset an AT&T 5620 terminal, overriding the type of terminal in the environment 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 terminal.

tput cols

Print the number of columns for the current terminal.

tput -Twy60 cols

Print the number of columns for a Wyse 60 terminal.

bold=`tput smso`

offbold=`tput rmso`

Set the shell variables bold to begin stand-out mode sequence, and offbold to end stand-out mode sequence, for the current terminal. This might be followed by a prompt:

   echo "${bold}Please type in your name: ${offbold}"

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, column 4.

tput longname

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

Files

/usr/lib/terminfo/?/: compiled terminal description database
/usr/include/curses.h: curses(S-osr5) header file
/usr/include/term.h: terminfo header file
/usr/lib/tabset/: tab settings for some terminals, in a format appropriate to be output to the terminal (escape sequences that set margins and tabs); for more information, see the ``Tabs and initialization'' section of the terminfo(F) manual page.

Standards conformance

tput is conformant with:

ISO/IEC DIS 99452:1992, Information technology Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX) Part 2: Shell and Utilities (IEEE Std 1003.21992);
AT&T SVID Issue 2;
X/Open CAE Specification, Commands and Utilities, Issue 4, 1992.