---
name: "cdk_cdk"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libcdk-dev"
version: "4.9.9-4"
release: "Debian 3.1 (Sarge)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cdk_cdk"
---

# cdk\_cdk(3)

Curses Development Kit

## NAME

   Cdk - *Curses Development Kit*

## SYNOPSIS

**cc** \[ *flag* ... \] *file* ... **-lcdk** \[ *library* ... \]

\#include \<cdk.h\>

Cdk provides functions to use a large number of pre-defined curses widgets. To use the Cdk widgets the header file ***cdk.h*** must be  included in the source.

The widgets available from Cdk are listed below.

```
Widget_Type                 Manual_Page_Name
Alphalist                   cdk_alphalist (3)
Calendar                    cdk_calendar (3)
Dialog                      cdk_dialog (3)
Entry Field                 cdk_entry (3)
File Viewer                 cdk_viewer (3)
Graph                       cdk_graph (3)
Histogram                   cdk_histogram (3)
Item List                   cdk_itemlist (3)
Label                       cdk_label (3)
Marquee                     cdk_marquee (3)
Matrix                      cdk_matrix (3)
Multiple Line Entry Field   cdk_mentry (3)
Numeric Scale               cdk_scale (3)
Numeric Slider              cdk_slider (3)
Pulldown Menu               cdk_menu (3)
Radio List                  cdk_radio (3)
Scrolling List              cdk_scroll (3)
Scrolling Selection List    cdk_selection (3)
Scrolling Window            cdk_swindow (3)
Numeric Slider              cdk_slider (3)
Template                    cdk_template (3)
The rest of the manual pages are
Manual_Page_Name            Description
cdk_binding (3)             Outlines how to create user
                            definable key bindings.
cdk_display (3)             Shows how to add special display
                            attributes, colors, and justification
                            into a widget.
cdk_draw (3)                Outlines the basic drawing
                            capabilities of Cdk.
cdk_screen (3)              Demonstrates the use of screens
                            within Cdk.
cdk_misc (3)                Outlines miscellaneous functions
                            provided with the Cdk library.
cdk_process (3)             Demonstrates the use of the pre
                            and post process function class.
```

## DESCRIPTION

Cdk is a library of functions which allow a programmer to quickly create a  full screen interactive program with ease. The Cdk widgets support the  following features:\

- • Ncurses library.

  Instead of using the standard curses library, Cdk can take advantage of the colors that Ncurses provides. To learn how to take advantage of Cdk's color capabilities, read the ***cdk\_display*** manual page.

- • Key Bindings.

  Individual keys can be overridden with a call-back. The call-back is set up using the ***bindCDKObject*** function. To learn more about this read the ***cdk\_binding*** manual page.

- • Pre and Post Processing.

  Certain widgets allow the user to trap a character before and after the  character has been applied to the widget. This allows programmers to 'filter' character input. To learn more about this read the ***cdk\_process*** manual page.

- • Self Test Widgets.

  With the use of the inject function class and the activate function,  programmers can have the widgets test themselves. This allows the programmer to perform automated tests on a final program.

- • Special Display Formats

  There are special character format commands that can be inserted into any  string in Cdk and the contents will get mapped to a ***chtype*** (see the curses manual page) with character attributes. This allows the programmer to  insert format types on each character if they wish.

- • The Ability To Build Predefined Screens

  Widgets can be associated to any given screen. If there is more than one  screen defined, then Cdk has the ability to "flip" from one screen to another with ease. See the ***cdk\_screen*** manual page for more details.

## STANDARD WIDGET BEHAVIOR

All of the widgets have a member of the structure called ***exitType***. This member states how the widget exited. There are three values in which to check for, they are as follows:

```
Value            Meaning
vNORMAL          This means the widget exited normally. This
                 value is set when the widget is given the
                 characters TAB or RETURN.
vEARLY_EXIT      This means the widget exited early. This value
                 is set when characters are injected into the
                 widget via the injectCDKXXX function and the
                 character injected does not exit the widget.
                 (ie: TAB or RETURN)
vESCAPE_HIT      This value states the user hit ESCAPE to
                 leave the widget.
vNEVER_ACTIVATED This is the initial state of the value. This
                 means that the widget has not been activated.
```

## SEE ALSO

[**cdk**(3)](/cdk/3.md), [**cdk\_binding**(3)](/cdk_binding/3.md), [**cdk\_display**(3)](/cdk_display/3.md), [**cdk\_screen**(3)](/cdk_screen/3.md)

## NOTES

The header file ***\<cdk.h\>*** automatically includes the header files ***\<curses.h\>***, ***\<stdlib.h\>***, ***\<string.h\>***, ***\<ctype.h\>***, ***\<unistd.h\>***, ***\<dirent.h\>***, ***\<time.h\>***, ***\<errno.h\>***, ***\<pwd.h\>***, ***\<grp.h\>***, ***\<sys/stat.h\>***, and ***\<sys/types.h\>***. The ***\<curses.h\>*** header file includes ***\<stdio.h\>*** and ***\<unctrl.h\>***.

If you have ***Ncurses*** installed on your machine add -DNCURSES to the  compile line to include the Ncurses header files instead.