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The termcap database is an obsolete facility for describing the capabilities of character-cell terminals and printers. It is retained only for compatibility with old programs; new programs should use the terminfo(5) database and associated libraries.

/etc/termcap is an ASCII file (the database master) that lists the capabilities of many different types of terminals. Programs can read termcap to find the particular escape codes needed to control the visual attributes of the terminal actually in use. (Other aspects of the terminal are handled by stty(1).) The termcap database is indexed on the TERM environment variable.

Termcap entries must be defined on a single logical line, with '\' used to suppress the newline. Fields are separated by ':'. The first field of each entry starts at the left-hand margin, and contains a list of names for the terminal, separated by '|'.

The first subfield may (in BSD termcap entries from versions 4.3 and earlier) contain a short name consisting of two characters. This short name may consist of capital or small letters. In 4.4BSD, termcap entries this field is omitted.

The second subfield (first, in the newer 4.4BSD format) contains the name used by the environment variable TERM. It should be spelled in lowercase letters. Selectable hardware capabilities should be marked by appending a hyphen and a suffix to this name. See below for an example. Usual suffixes are w (more than 80 characters wide), am (automatic margins), nam (no automatic margins), and rv (reverse video display). The third subfield contains a long and descriptive name for this termcap entry.

Subsequent fields contain the terminal capabilities; any continued capability lines must be indented one tab from the left margin.

Although there is no defined order, it is suggested to write first boolean, then numeric, and then string capabilities, each sorted alphabetically without looking at lower or upper spelling. Capabilities of similar functions can be written in one line.

Example for:

Head line: vt|vt101|DEC VT 101 terminal in 80 character mode:\
Head line: Vt|vt101-w|DEC VT 101 terminal in (wide) 132 character mode:\
Boolean: :bs:\
Numeric: :co#80:\
String: :sr=\E[H:\

Boolean capabilities

		5i	Printer will not echo on screen
		am	Automatic margins which means automatic line wrap
		bs	Control-H (8 dec.) performs a backspace
		bw	Backspace on left margin wraps to previous line and right margin
		da	Display retained above screen
		db	Display retained below screen
		eo	A space erases all characters at cursor position
		es	Escape sequences and special characters work in status line
		gn	Generic device
		hc	This is a hardcopy terminal
		HC	The cursor is hard to see when not on bottom line
		hs	Has a status line
		hz	Hazeltine bug, the terminal can not print tilde characters
		in	Terminal inserts null bytes, not spaces, to fill whitespace
		km	Terminal has a meta key
		mi	Cursor movement works in insert mode
		ms	Cursor movement works in standout/underline mode
		NP	No pad character
		NR	ti does not reverse te
		nx	No padding, must use XON/XOFF
		os	Terminal can overstrike
		ul	Terminal underlines although it can not overstrike
		xb	Beehive glitch, f1 sends ESCAPE, f2 sends ^C
		xn	Newline/wraparound glitch
		xo	Terminal uses xon/xoff protocol
		xs	Text typed over standout text will be displayed in standout
		xt	Teleray glitch, destructive tabs and odd standout mode

Numeric capabilities

		co	Number of columns
		dB	Delay in milliseconds for backspace on hardcopy terminals
		dC	Delay in milliseconds for carriage return on hardcopy terminals
		dF	Delay in milliseconds for form feed on hardcopy terminals
		dN	Delay in milliseconds for new line on hardcopy terminals
		dT	Delay in milliseconds for tabulator stop on hardcopy terminals
		dV	Delay in milliseconds for vertical tabulator stop on
			hardcopy terminals
		it	Difference between tab positions
		lh	Height of soft labels
		lm	Lines of memory
		lw	Width of soft labels
		li	Number of lines
		Nl	Number of soft labels
		pb	Lowest baud rate which needs padding
		sg	Standout glitch
		ug	Underline glitch
		vt	virtual terminal number
		ws	Width of status line if different from screen width

String capabilities

		!1	shifted save key
		!2	shifted suspend key
		!3	shifted undo key
		#1	shifted help key
		#2	shifted home key
		#3	shifted input key
		#4	shifted cursor left key
		%0	redo key
		%1	help key
		%2	mark key
		%3	message key
		%4	move key
		%5	next-object key
		%6	open key
		%7	options key
		%8	previous-object key
		%9	print key
		%a	shifted message key
		%b	shifted move key
		%c	shifted next key
		%d	shifted options key
		%e	shifted previous key
		%f	shifted print key
		%g	shifted redo key
		%h	shifted replace key
		%i	shifted cursor right key
		%j	shifted resume key
		&0	shifted cancel key
		&1	reference key
		&2	refresh key
		&3	replace key
		&4	restart key
		&5	resume key
		&6	save key
		&7	suspend key
		&8	undo key
		&9	shifted begin key
		*0	shifted find key
		*1	shifted command key
		*2	shifted copy key
		*3	shifted create key
		*4	shifted delete character
		*5	shifted delete line
		*6	select key
		*7	shifted end key
		*8	shifted clear line key
		*9	shifted exit key
		@0	find key
		@1	begin key
		@2	cancel key
		@3	close key
		@4	command key
		@5	copy key
		@6	create key
		@7	end key
		@8	enter/send key
		@9	exit key
		al	Insert one line
		AL	Insert %1 lines
		ac	Pairs of block graphic characters to map alternate character set
		ae	End alternative character set
		as	Start alternative character set for block graphic characters
		bc	Backspace, if not ^H
		bl	Audio bell
		bt	Move to previous tab stop
		cb	Clear from beginning of line to cursor
		cc	Dummy command character
		cd	Clear to end of screen
		ce	Clear to end of line
		ch	Move cursor horizontally only to column %1
		cl	Clear screen and cursor home
		cm	Cursor move to row %1 and column %2 (on screen)
		CM	Move cursor to row %1 and column %2 (in memory)
		cr	Carriage return
		cs	Scroll region from line %1 to %2
		ct	Clear tabs
		cv	Move cursor vertically only to line %1
		dc	Delete one character
		DC	Delete %1 characters
		dl	Delete one line
		DL	Delete %1 lines
		dm	Begin delete mode
		do	Cursor down one line
		DO	Cursor down #1 lines
		ds	Disable status line
		eA	Enable alternate character set
		ec	Erase %1 characters starting at cursor
		ed	End delete mode
		ei	End insert mode
		ff	Formfeed character on hardcopy terminals
		fs	Return character to its position before going to status line
		F1	The string sent by function key f11
		F2	The string sent by function key f12
		F3	The string sent by function key f13
		...	...
		F9	The string sent by function key f19
		FA	The string sent by function key f20
		FB	The string sent by function key f21
		...	...
		FZ	The string sent by function key f45
		Fa	The string sent by function key f46
		Fb	The string sent by function key f47
		...	...
		Fr	The string sent by function key f63
		hd	Move cursor a half line down
		ho	Cursor home
		hu	Move cursor a half line up
		i1	Initialization string 1 at login
		i3	Initialization string 3 at login
		is	Initialization string 2 at login
		ic	Insert one character
		IC	Insert %1 characters
		if	Initialization file
		im	Begin insert mode
		ip	Insert pad time and needed special characters after insert
		iP	Initialization program
		K1	upper left key on keypad
		K2	center key on keypad
		K3	upper right key on keypad
		K4	bottom left key on keypad
		K5	bottom right key on keypad
		k0	Function key 0
		k1	Function key 1
		k2	Function key 2
		k3	Function key 3
		k4	Function key 4
		k5	Function key 5
		k6	Function key 6
		k7	Function key 7
		k8	Function key 8
		k9	Function key 9
		k;	Function key 10
		ka	Clear all tabs key
		kA	Insert line key
		kb	Backspace key
		kB	Back tab stop
		kC	Clear screen key
		kd	Cursor down key
		kD	Key for delete character under cursor
		ke	turn keypad off
		kE	Key for clear to end of line
		kF	Key for scrolling forward/down
		kh	Cursor home key
		kH	Cursor hown down key
		kI	Insert character/Insert mode key
		kl	Cursor left key
		kL	Key for delete line
		kM	Key for exit insert mode
		kN	Key for next page
		kP	Key for previous page
		kr	Cursor right key
		kR	Key for scrolling backward/up
		ks	Turn keypad on
		kS	Clear to end of screen key
		kt	Clear this tab key
		kT	Set tab here key
		ku	Cursor up key
		l0	Label of zeroth function key, if not f0
		l1	Label of first function key, if not f1
		l2	Label of first function key, if not f2
		...	...
		la	Label of tenth function key, if not f10
		le	Cursor left one character
		ll	Move cursor to lower left corner
		LE	Cursor left %1 characters
		LF	Turn soft labels off
		LO	Turn soft labels on
		mb	Start blinking
		MC	Clear soft margins
		md	Start bold mode
		me	End all mode like so, us, mb, md, and mr
		mh	Start half bright mode
		mk	Dark mode (Characters invisible)
		ML	Set left soft margin
		mm	Put terminal in meta mode
		mo	Put terminal out of meta mode
		mp	Turn on protected attribute
		mr	Start reverse mode
		MR	Set right soft margin
		nd	Cursor right one character
		nw	Carriage return command
		pc	Padding character
		pf	Turn printer off
		pk	Program key %1 to send string %2 as if typed by user
		pl	Program key %1 to execute string %2 in local mode
		pn	Program soft label %1 to show string %2
		po	Turn the printer on
		pO	Turn the printer on for %1 (<256) bytes
		ps	Print screen contents on printer
		px	Program key %1 to send string %2 to computer
		r1	Reset string 1 to set terminal to sane modes
		r2	Reset string 2 to set terminal to sane modes
		r3	Reset string 3 to set terminal to sane modes
		RA	disable automatic margins
		rc	Restore saved cursor position
		rf	Reset string filename
		RF	Request for input from terminal
		RI	Cursor right %1 characters
		rp	Repeat character %1 for %2 times
		rP	Padding after character sent in replace mode
		rs	Reset string
		RX	Turn off XON/XOFF flow control
		sa	Set %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9 attributes
		SA	enable automatic margins
		sc	Save cursor position
		se	End standout mode
		sf	Normal scroll one line
		SF	Normal scroll %1 lines
		so	Start standout mode
		sr	Reverse scroll
		SR	scroll back %1 lines
		st	Set tabulator stop in all rows at current column
		SX	Turn on XON/XOFF flow control
		ta	move to next hardware tab
		tc	Read in terminal description from another entry
		te	End program that uses cursor motion
		ti	Begin program that uses cursor motion
		ts	Move cursor to column %1 of status line
		uc	Underline character under cursor and move cursor right
		ue	End underlining
		up	Cursor up one line
		UP	Cursor up %1 lines
		us	Start underlining
		vb	Visible bell
		ve	Normal cursor visible
		vi	Cursor invisible
		vs	Standout cursor
		wi	Set window from line %1 to %2 and column %3 to %4
		XF	XOFF character if not ^S

There are several ways of defining the control codes for string capabilities:

Every normal character represents itself, except '^', '\', and '%'.

A ^x means Control-x. Control-A equals 1 decimal.

\x means a special code. x can be one of the following characters:

E Escape (27)
n Linefeed (10)
r Carriage return (13)
t Tabulation (9)
b Backspace (8)
f Form feed (12)
0 Null character. A \xxx specifies the octal character xxx.

	i		Increments parameters by one.
	r		Single parameter capability
	+		Add value of next character to this parameter and do binary output
	2		Do ASCII output of this parameter with a field with of 2
	d		Do ASCII output of this parameter with a field with of 3
	%		Print a '%'

If you use binary output, then you should avoid the null character ('\0') because it terminates the string. You should reset tabulator expansion if a tabulator can be the binary output of a parameter.
Warning:

The above metacharacters for parameters may be wrong: they document Minix termcap which may not be compatible with Linux termcap.

The block graphic characters can be specified by three string capabilities:

	as		start the alternative charset
	ae		end the alternative charset
	ac		pairs of characters. The first character is the name of the block graphic symbol and the second characters is its definition.

The following names are available:

+ right arrow (>)

		,	left arrow (<)
		.	down arrow (v)
		0	full square (#)
		I	lantern (#)
		-	upper arrow (^)
		’	rhombus (+)
		a	chess board (:)
		f	degree (’)
		g	plus-minus (#)
		h	square (#)
		j	right bottom corner (+)
		k	right upper corner (+)
		l	left upper corner (+)
		m	left bottom corner (+)
		n	cross (+)
		o	upper horizontal line (-)
		q	middle horizontal line (-)
		s	bottom horizontal line (_)
		t	left tee (+)
		u	right tee (+)
		v	bottom tee (+)
		w	normal tee (+)
		x	vertical line (\|)
		~	paragraph (???)

The values in parentheses are suggested defaults which are used by the curses library, if the capabilities are missing.

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