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The Termcap Library

3.16 Initialization

`ti'

String of commands to put the terminal into whatever special modes are needed or appropriate for programs that move the cursor nonsequentially around the screen. Programs that use termcap to do full-screen display should output this string when they start up.

`te'

String of commands to undo what is done by the `ti' string. Programs that output the `ti' string on entry should output this string when they exit.

`is'

String of commands to initialize the terminal for each login session.

`if'

String which is the name of a file containing the string of commands to initialize the terminal for each session of use. Normally `is' and `if' are not both used.

`i1'

`i3'

Two more strings of commands to initialize the terminal for each login session. The `i1' string (if defined) is output before `is' or `if', and the `i3' string (if defined) is output after.

The reason for having three separate initialization strings is to make it easier to define a group of related terminal types with slightly different initializations. Define two or three of the strings in the basic type; then the other types can override one or two of the strings.

`rs'

String of commands to reset the terminal from any strange mode it may be in. Normally this includes the `is' string (or other commands with the same effects) and more. What would go in the `rs' string but not in the `is' string are annoying or slow commands to bring the terminal back from strange modes that nobody would normally use.

`it'

Numeric value, the initial spacing between hardware tab stop columns when the terminal is powered up. Programs to initialize the terminal can use this to decide whether there is a need to set the tab stops. If the initial width is 8, well and good; if it is not 8, then the tab stops should be set; if they cannot be set, the kernel is told to convert tabs to spaces, and other programs will observe this and do likewise.

`ct'

String of commands to clear all tab stops.

`st'

String of commands to set tab stop at current cursor column on all lines.

`NF'

Flag whose presence means that the terminal does not support XON/XOFF flow control. Programs should not send XON (C-q) or XOFF (C-s) characters to the terminal.