# menu 3x 2025-11-11 ncurses 6.6 Library calls

    menu(3x)                         Library calls                        menu(3x)

## NAME

           menu - present menus in curses windows

## SYNOPSIS

           #include <menu.h>

## DESCRIPTION

           The menu library provides terminal-independent facilities for composing
           menu  systems  on character-cell terminals.  The library includes: item
           routines, which create and modify menu items; and menu routines,  which
           group  items  into  menus,  display  menus  on  the  screen, and handle
           interaction with the user.

           The menu library uses the curses libraries, and a curses initialization
           routine such as initscr must  be  called  before  using  any  of  these
           functions.   To  use  the  menu  library,  link with the options -lmenu
           -lcurses.

### Current Default Values for Item Attributes

           The menu library maintains a default value for  item  attributes.   You
           can  get  or  set  this default by calling the appropriate get_ or set_
           routine with a NULL item pointer.  Changing this default  with  a  set_
           function  affects  future  item  creations,  but  does  not  change the
           rendering of items already created.

### Routine Name Index

           The following table lists each menu routine and the name of the  manual
           page on which it is described.

           curses Routine Name    Manual Page Name
           --------------------------------------------
           current_item           mitem_current(3x)
           free_item              mitem_new(3x)
           free_menu              menu_new(3x)
           item_count             menu_items(3x)
           item_description       mitem_name(3x)
           item_index             mitem_current(3x)
           item_init              menu_hook(3x)
           item_name              mitem_name(3x)
           item_opts              mitem_opts(3x)
           item_opts_off          mitem_opts(3x)
           item_opts_on           mitem_opts(3x)
           item_term              menu_hook(3x)
           item_userptr           mitem_userptr(3x)
           item_value             mitem_value(3x)
           item_visible           mitem_visible(3x)
           menu_back              menu_attributes(3x)
           menu_driver            menu_driver(3x)
           menu_fore              menu_attributes(3x)
           menu_format            menu_format(3x)
           menu_grey              menu_attributes(3x)
           menu_init              menu_hook(3x)
           menu_items             menu_items(3x)
           menu_mark              menu_mark(3x)
           menu_opts              menu_opts(3x)
           menu_opts_off          menu_opts(3x)
           menu_opts_on           menu_opts(3x)
           menu_pad               menu_attributes(3x)
           menu_pattern           menu_pattern(3x)
           menu_request_by_name   menu_requestname(3x)
           menu_request_name      menu_requestname(3x)
           menu_spacing           menu_spacing(3x)
           menu_sub               menu_win(3x)
           menu_term              menu_hook(3x)
           menu_userptr           menu_userptr(3x)
           menu_win               menu_win(3x)
           new_item               mitem_new(3x)
           new_menu               menu_new(3x)
           pos_menu_cursor        menu_cursor(3x)
           post_menu              menu_post(3x)
           scale_menu             menu_win(3x)
           set_current_item       mitem_current(3x)
           set_item_init          menu_hook(3x)
           set_item_opts          mitem_opts(3x)
           set_item_term          menu_hook(3x)
           set_item_userptr       mitem_userptr(3x)
           set_item_value         mitem_value(3x)
           set_menu_back          menu_attributes(3x)
           set_menu_fore          menu_attributes(3x)
           set_menu_format        menu_format(3x)
           set_menu_grey          menu_attributes(3x)
           set_menu_init          menu_hook(3x)
           set_menu_items         menu_items(3x)
           set_menu_mark          menu_mark(3x)
           set_menu_opts          mitem_opts(3x)
           set_menu_pad           menu_attributes(3x)
           set_menu_pattern       menu_pattern(3x)
           set_menu_spacing       menu_spacing(3x)
           set_menu_sub           menu_win(3x)
           set_menu_term          menu_hook(3x)
           set_menu_userptr       menu_userptr(3x)
           set_menu_win           menu_win(3x)
           set_top_row            mitem_current(3x)
           top_row                mitem_current(3x)
           unpost_menu            menu_post(3x)

## RETURN VALUE

           Routines  that  return  pointers  return  NULL on error.  Routines that
           return an integer return one of the following error codes:

           E_OK The routine succeeded.

           E_BAD_ARGUMENT
                Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument.

           E_BAD_STATE
                Routine was called from an initialization or termination function.

           E_NO_MATCH
                Character failed to match.

           E_NO_ROOM
                Menu is too large for its window.

           E_NOT_CONNECTED
                No items are connected to the menu.

           E_NOT_POSTED
                The menu has not been posted.

           E_NOT_SELECTABLE
                The designated item cannot be selected.

           E_POSTED
                The menu is already posted.

           E_REQUEST_DENIED
                The menu driver could not process the request.

           E_SYSTEM_ERROR
                System error occurred (see errno(3)).

           E_UNKNOWN_COMMAND
                The menu driver code saw an unknown request code.

## NOTES

           The header file menu.h itself includes the header file curses.h.

## PORTABILITY

           These routines emulate the  System  V  menu  library.   They  were  not
           supported on Version 7 or BSD versions.

           A  menu  facility  was  documented in SVr4.2's Character User Interface
           Programming document.

           It is not part of X/Open Curses.

           Aside from ncurses, there are few implementations:

           o   systems based on SVr4 source code, e.g., Solaris.

           o   NetBSD curses.

## AUTHORS

           Juergen Pfeifer.  Manual pages and adaptation for ncurses  by  Eric  S.
           Raymond.

## SEE ALSO

           curses(3x)  and  related  pages  whose names begin "menu_" for detailed
           descriptions of the entry points.

    ncurses 6.6                       2025-11-11                          menu(3x)