assume_default_colors
default_colors(3X) default_colors(3X)
NAME
use_default_colors, assume_default_colors - use terminal's default col-
ors
SYNOPSIS
#include <curses.h>
int use_default_colors(void);
int assume_default_colors(int fg, int bg);
DESCRIPTION
The use_default_colors() and assume_default_colors() functions are
extensions to the curses library. They are used with terminals that
support ISO 6429 color, or equivalent. These terminals allow the
application to reset color to an unspecified default value (e.g., with
SGR 39 or SGR 49).
Applications that paint a colored background over the whole screen do
not take advantage of SGR 39 and SGR 49. Some applications are
designed to work with the default background, using colors only for
text. For example, there are several implementations of the ls program
which use colors to denote different file types or permissions. These
"color ls" programs do not necessarily modify the background color,
typically using only the setaf terminfo capability to set the fore-
ground color. Full-screen applications that use default colors can
achieve similar visual effects.
The first function, use_default_colors() tells the curses library to
assign terminal default foreground/background colors to color number
-1. So init_pair(x,COLOR_RED,-1) will initialize pair x as red on
default background and init_pair(x,-1,COLOR_BLUE) will initialize pair
x as default foreground on blue.
The other, assume_default_colors() is a refinement which tells which
colors to paint for color pair 0. This function recognizes a special
color number -1, which denotes the default terminal color.
The following are equivalent:
use_default_colors();
assume_default_colors(-1,-1);
These are ncurses extensions. For other curses implementations, color
number -1 does not mean anything, just as for ncurses before a success-
ful call of use_default_colors() or assume_default_colors().
Other curses implementations do not allow an application to modify
color pair 0. They assume that the background is COLOR_BLACK, but do
not ensure that the color pair 0 is painted to match the assumption.
If your application does not use either use_default_colors() or
assume_default_colors() ncurses will paint a white foreground (text)
with black background for color pair 0.
RETURN VALUE
These functions return the integer ERR upon failure and OK on success.
They will fail if either the terminal does not support the orig_pair or
orig_colors capability. If the initialize_pair capability is found,
this causes an error as well.
NOTES
Associated with this extension, the init_pair(3X) function accepts neg-
ative arguments to specify default foreground or background colors.
PORTABILITY
These routines are specific to ncurses. They were not supported on
Version 7, BSD or System V implementations. It is recommended that any
code depending on them be conditioned using NCURSES_VERSION.
SEE ALSO
curs_color(3X), ded(1).
AUTHOR
Thomas Dickey (from an analysis of the requirements for color xterm for
XFree86 3.1.2C, February 1996).
default_colors(3X)
