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<H1 class="no-header">curs_window 3x 2025-08-23 ncurses 6.6 Library calls</H1>
<PRE>
<STRONG><A HREF="curs_window.3x.html">curs_window(3x)</A></STRONG> Library calls <STRONG><A HREF="curs_window.3x.html">curs_window(3x)</A></STRONG>
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-NAME">NAME</a></H2><PRE>
<STRONG>newwin</STRONG>, <STRONG>delwin</STRONG>, <STRONG>mvwin</STRONG>, <STRONG>subwin</STRONG>, <STRONG>derwin</STRONG>, <STRONG>mvderwin</STRONG>, <STRONG>dupwin</STRONG>, <STRONG>wsyncup</STRONG>,
<STRONG>syncok</STRONG>, <STRONG>wcursyncup</STRONG>, <STRONG>wsyncdown</STRONG> - create and manipulate <EM>curses</EM> windows
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-SYNOPSIS">SYNOPSIS</a></H2><PRE>
<STRONG>#include</STRONG> <STRONG><curses.h></STRONG>
<STRONG>WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <STRONG>newwin(</STRONG>
<STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>nlines</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>ncols</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG>
<STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>begin</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>y</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>begin</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>x</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
<STRONG>int</STRONG> <STRONG>delwin(WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <EM>win</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
<STRONG>int</STRONG> <STRONG>mvwin(WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <EM>win</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>y</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>x</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
<STRONG>WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <STRONG>subwin(WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <EM>orig</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG>
<STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>nlines</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>ncols</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG>
<STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>begin</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>y</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>begin</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>x</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
<STRONG>WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <STRONG>derwin(WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <EM>orig</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG>
<STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>nlines</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>ncols</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG>
<STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>begin</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>y</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>begin</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>x</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
<STRONG>int</STRONG> <STRONG>mvderwin(WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <EM>win</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>par</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>y</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>int</STRONG> <EM>par</EM><STRONG>_</STRONG><EM>x</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
<STRONG>WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <STRONG>dupwin(WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <EM>win</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
<STRONG>void</STRONG> <STRONG>wsyncup(WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <EM>win</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
<STRONG>int</STRONG> <STRONG>syncok(WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <EM>win</EM><STRONG>,</STRONG> <STRONG>bool</STRONG> <EM>bf</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
<STRONG>void</STRONG> <STRONG>wcursyncup(WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <EM>win</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
<STRONG>void</STRONG> <STRONG>wsyncdown(WINDOW</STRONG> <STRONG>*</STRONG> <EM>win</EM><STRONG>);</STRONG>
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-DESCRIPTION">DESCRIPTION</a></H2><PRE>
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-newwin">newwin</a></H3><PRE>
Calling <STRONG>newwin</STRONG> creates and returns a pointer to a new window with the
given number of lines and columns. The upper left-hand corner of the
window is at
line <EM>begin</EM>_<EM>y</EM>,
column <EM>begin</EM>_<EM>x</EM>
If either <EM>nlines</EM> or <EM>ncols</EM> is zero, they default to
<STRONG>LINES</STRONG> <STRONG>-</STRONG> <EM>begin</EM>_<EM>y</EM> and
<STRONG>COLS</STRONG> <STRONG>-</STRONG> <EM>begin</EM>_<EM>x</EM>.
A new full-screen window is created by calling <STRONG>newwin(0,0,0,0)</STRONG>.
Regardless of the function used for creating a new window (e.g.,
<STRONG>newwin</STRONG>, <STRONG>subwin</STRONG>, <STRONG>derwin</STRONG>, <STRONG>newpad</STRONG>), rather than a duplicate (with <STRONG>dupwin</STRONG>),
all of the window modes are initialized to the default values. The
following functions set a window's modes after it is created:
<STRONG>idcok</STRONG>, <STRONG>idlok</STRONG>, <STRONG>immedok</STRONG>, <STRONG>keypad</STRONG>, <STRONG>leaveok</STRONG>, <STRONG>nodelay</STRONG>, <STRONG>notimeout</STRONG>,
<STRONG>scrollok</STRONG>, <STRONG>setscrreg</STRONG>, <STRONG>syncok</STRONG>, <STRONG>wbkgdset</STRONG>, <STRONG>wbkgrndset</STRONG>, and <STRONG>wtimeout</STRONG>.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-delwin">delwin</a></H3><PRE>
Calling <STRONG>delwin</STRONG> deletes the named window, freeing all memory associated
with it (it does not actually erase the window's screen image).
Subwindows must be deleted before the main window can be deleted.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-mvwin">mvwin</a></H3><PRE>
Calling <STRONG>mvwin</STRONG> moves the window so that the upper left-hand corner is at
position (<EM>x</EM>, <EM>y</EM>). If the move would cause the window to be off the
screen, it is an error and the window is not moved. Moving subwindows
is allowed, but should be avoided.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-subwin">subwin</a></H3><PRE>
Calling <STRONG>subwin</STRONG> creates and returns a pointer to a new window with the
given number of lines, <EM>nlines</EM>, and columns, <EM>ncols</EM>. The window is at
position (<EM>begin</EM>_<EM>y</EM>, <EM>begin</EM>_<EM>x</EM>) on the screen. The subwindow shares memory
with the window <EM>orig</EM>, its <EM>ancestor</EM>, so that changes made to one window
will affect both windows. When using this routine, it is necessary to
call <STRONG>touchwin</STRONG> or <STRONG>touchline</STRONG> on <EM>orig</EM> before calling <STRONG>wrefresh</STRONG> on the
subwindow.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-derwin">derwin</a></H3><PRE>
Calling <STRONG>derwin</STRONG> is the same as calling <STRONG>subwin,</STRONG> except that <EM>begin</EM>_<EM>y</EM> and
<EM>begin</EM>_<EM>x</EM> are relative to the origin of the window <EM>orig</EM> rather than the
screen. There is no difference between the subwindows and the derived
windows.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-mvderwin">mvderwin</a></H3><PRE>
Calling <STRONG>mvderwin</STRONG> moves a derived window (or subwindow) inside its
parent window. The screen-relative parameters of the window are not
changed. This routine is used to display different parts of the parent
window at the same physical position on the screen.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-dupwin">dupwin</a></H3><PRE>
Calling <STRONG>dupwin</STRONG> creates an exact duplicate of the window <EM>win</EM>.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-wsyncup">wsyncup</a></H3><PRE>
Calling <STRONG>wsyncup</STRONG> touches all locations in ancestors of <EM>win</EM> that are
changed in <EM>win</EM>. If <STRONG>syncok</STRONG> is called with second argument <STRONG>TRUE</STRONG> then
<STRONG>wsyncup</STRONG> is called automatically whenever there is a change in the
window.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-wsyncdown">wsyncdown</a></H3><PRE>
The <STRONG>wsyncdown</STRONG> routine touches each location in <EM>win</EM> that has been
touched in any of its ancestor windows. This routine is called by
<STRONG>wrefresh</STRONG>, so it should almost never be necessary to call it manually.
</PRE><H3><a name="h3-wcursyncup">wcursyncup</a></H3><PRE>
The routine <STRONG>wcursyncup</STRONG> updates the current cursor position of all the
ancestors of the window to reflect the current cursor position of the
window.
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-RETURN-VALUE">RETURN VALUE</a></H2><PRE>
Functions that return integers return <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> upon failure and <STRONG>OK</STRONG> upon
success.
Functions that return pointers return a null pointer on failure.
<EM>ncurses</EM> defines several error conditions.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG>delwin</STRONG> returns <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> if <EM>win</EM> is a null pointer, or if it is the parent
of another window.
<EM>ncurses</EM> maintains a list of windows, and checks that the pointer
passed to <STRONG>delwin</STRONG> is one that it created, returning <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> if it was
not.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG>derwin</STRONG> returns <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> if <EM>orig</EM> is a null pointer, or if any of the
ordinate or dimension arguments is negative, or if the resulting
window does not fit inside the parent window.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG>dupwin</STRONG> returns <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> if <EM>win</EM> is a null pointer.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG>mvderwin</STRONG> returns <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> if <EM>win</EM> is a null pointer, or if any part of
the window would be placed off-screen.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG>mvwin</STRONG> returns <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> if <EM>win</EM> is a null pointer, if <EM>win</EM> is a pad, or if
any part of the window would be placed off-screen.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG>newwin</STRONG> returns <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> if any of its arguments is negative.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG>subwin</STRONG> returns <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> if <EM>orig</EM> is a null pointer, or if any of the
ordinate or dimension arguments is negative, or if the resulting
window does not fit inside the parent window.
<STRONG>o</STRONG> <STRONG>syncok</STRONG> returns <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> if <EM>win</EM> is a null pointer.
Functions that return a window pointer fail if memory allocation for
their data structures fails.
All of these functions fail if the screen has not been initialized; see
<STRONG><A HREF="curs_initscr.3x.html">initscr(3x)</A></STRONG> or <STRONG><A HREF="curs_initscr.3x.html">newterm(3x)</A></STRONG>.
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-NOTES">NOTES</a></H2><PRE>
<STRONG>syncok</STRONG> may be implemented as a macro.
Calling <STRONG>syncup</STRONG> on a window and making many small changes to it could
degrade performance.
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-PORTABILITY">PORTABILITY</a></H2><PRE>
X/Open Curses Issue 4 describes these functions. It specifies no error
conditions for <EM>delwin</EM>, <EM>derwin</EM>, <EM>dupwin</EM>, <EM>newwin</EM>, <EM>mvderwin</EM>, or <EM>syncok</EM>.
For functions returning integers (except <EM>delwin</EM>), SVr4 describes a
successful return value only as "an integer value other than <EM>ERR</EM>".
Regarding <EM>delwin</EM>, X/Open Curses states that
[t]he application must delete subwindows before deleting the
main window.
If <EM>delwin</EM> is asked to delete a parent window, it can succeed only if
the <EM>curses</EM> library keeps a list of its subwindows. SVr4 <EM>curses</EM> kept a
count of the number of subwindows rather than a list. It simply
returned <STRONG>ERR</STRONG> when asked to delete a subwindow. Solaris X/Open <EM>curses</EM>
(<EM>xcurses</EM>) does not make even that check, and will delete a parent
window that still has subwindows. <EM>PDCurses</EM> also behaves this way.
<EM>ncurses</EM> 4.0 (1996) and later maintains a list of windows for each
screen to ensure that a window has no subwindows before allowing its
deletion. NetBSD <EM>curses</EM> has followed suit since 2003.
SVr4 <EM>curses</EM> documentation is unclear about what <EM>wsyncup</EM> and <EM>wsyncdown</EM>
actually do. It seems to imply that they are supposed to touch only
those lines that are affected by changes to a window's ancestors. The
description and behavior of these functions in <EM>ncurses</EM> is patterned on
the X/Open Curses standard; this approach may result in slower updates.
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-SEE-ALSO">SEE ALSO</a></H2><PRE>
<STRONG><A HREF="ncurses.3x.html">curses(3x)</A></STRONG>, <STRONG><A HREF="curs_initscr.3x.html">curs_initscr(3x)</A></STRONG>, <STRONG><A HREF="curs_refresh.3x.html">curs_refresh(3x)</A></STRONG>, <STRONG><A HREF="curs_touch.3x.html">curs_touch(3x)</A></STRONG>,
<STRONG><A HREF="curs_variables.3x.html">curs_variables(3x)</A></STRONG>
ncurses 6.6 2025-08-23 <STRONG><A HREF="curs_window.3x.html">curs_window(3x)</A></STRONG>
</PRE>
<div class="nav">
<ul>
<li><a href="#h2-NAME">NAME</a></li>
<li><a href="#h2-SYNOPSIS">SYNOPSIS</a></li>
<li><a href="#h2-DESCRIPTION">DESCRIPTION</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#h3-newwin">newwin</a></li>
<li><a href="#h3-delwin">delwin</a></li>
<li><a href="#h3-mvwin">mvwin</a></li>
<li><a href="#h3-subwin">subwin</a></li>
<li><a href="#h3-derwin">derwin</a></li>
<li><a href="#h3-mvderwin">mvderwin</a></li>
<li><a href="#h3-dupwin">dupwin</a></li>
<li><a href="#h3-wsyncup">wsyncup</a></li>
<li><a href="#h3-wsyncdown">wsyncdown</a></li>
<li><a href="#h3-wcursyncup">wcursyncup</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="#h2-RETURN-VALUE">RETURN VALUE</a></li>
<li><a href="#h2-NOTES">NOTES</a></li>
<li><a href="#h2-PORTABILITY">PORTABILITY</a></li>
<li><a href="#h2-SEE-ALSO">SEE ALSO</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
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