NAME

       define_key - define a curses function key code

SYNOPSIS

       #include <curses.h>

       int define_key(const char * definition, int key-code);

DESCRIPTION

       The define_key ncurses extension permits a curses application to bind a string definition to the function
       key   key-code   returned   by  wgetch(3NCURSES)  (wide-character  API  users:  wget_wch(3NCURSES))  when
       keypad(3NCURSES) is enabled in a window and a function key is pressed.  ncurses interprets such a binding
       as it does those in the terminfo database entry for the terminal type.

       A definition of NULL removes any existing binding from  key-code.   Similarly,  a  non-positive  key-code
       removes an existing binding for definition, if any.

RETURN VALUE

       define_key returns ERR if

       •   definition is NULL and key-code is nonpositive, or

       •   insufficient memory is available to bind definition to key-code.

       Otherwise, define_key returns OK.

EXTENSIONS

       define_key is an ncurses extension.

PORTABILITY

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

       NetBSD curses since 2.0 (2004) supports define_key.

AUTHORS

       Thomas Dickey

SEE ALSO

       ncurses(3NCURSES), keybound(3NCURSES), keyok(3NCURSES), key_defined(3NCURSES), terminfo(5)

ncurses 6.5                                        2024-12-28                               define_key(3NCURSES)