---
name: "curs_insstr"
section: "3x"
platform: "linux"
package: "ncurses"
version: "6.6-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/curs_insstr/3x"
---

# curs\_insstr(3x)

insert a string in a curses window

## NAME

**insstr**, **winsstr**, **mvinsstr**, **mvinsnstr**, **insnstr**, **winsnstr**, **mvwinsstr**, **mvwinsnstr** - insert a string in a *curses* window

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <curses.h>
```

**int insstr(const char \*** *str***);** **int winsstr(WINDOW \*** *win***, const char \*** *str***);** **int mvinsstr(int** *y***, int** *x***, const char \*** *str***);** **int mvwinsstr(WINDOW \*** *win***, int** *y***, int** *x***, const char \*** *str***);**

**int insnstr(const char \*** *str***, int** *n***);** **int winsnstr(WINDOW \*** *win***, const char \*** *str***, int** *n***);** **int mvinsnstr(int** *y***, int** *x***, const char \*** *str***, int** *n***);** **int mvwinsnstr(WINDOW \*** *win***, int** *y***, int** *x***, const char \*** *str***, int** *n***);**

## DESCRIPTION

**winsstr** **inserts a string** *str* **before the character at the cursor in window** *win* **as if by calling winsch(3X) for each** *char* **in** *str*. **No line wrapping is performed.** **Characters to the right of the cursor are shifted right;** **those at the right edge of the window may be lost.** **winsstr** **stops inserting if it would have to wrap to the next line to write the** **next** *char* **in** *str*. **The cursor position does not change** **(after moving to** (*y*, *x*), **if specified).** **insnstr** **does the same,** **but inserts at most** *n* **characters,** **or as many as possible** **(up to the end of the line)** **if** *n* **is negative.** **ncurses(3X) describes the variants of these functions.**

## RETURN VALUE

**These functions return** **OK** **on success and** **ERR** **on failure.**

**In** *ncurses*, **they return** **ERR** **if**

- •

  *win* **is** *NULL*,

- •

  *str* **is** *NULL*, **or**

- •

  **an internal winsch(3X) call returns** **ERR**.

**Functions prefixed with “mv” first perform cursor movement and** **fail if the position** (*y*, *x*) **is outside the window boundaries.**

## NOTES

**All of these functions except** **winsnstr** **may be implemented as macros.**

## EXTENSIONS

**insnstr**, **winsnstr**, **mvinsnstr**, **and** **mvwinsnstr**'s **acceptance of negative** *n* **values is an** *ncurses* **extension.**

## PORTABILITY

**Applications employing** *ncurses* **extensions should condition their use on the visibility of the** **NCURSES\_VERSION** **preprocessor macro.**

**X/Open Curses Issue 4 describes these functions.** **It specifies no error conditions for them.**

**SVr4 describes a successful return value only as** **“an integer value other than** *ERR*”.

**Issue 4 distinguished** *insnstr* **and** *winsnstr* **from the other functions documented above** **by stating they “do not perform wrapping”.** **This was probably an error,** **since it makes this group of functions inconsistent.** **No implementation of** *curses* **manifests this inconsistency,** **and Issue 7 removed the claim.**

**Issue 4 states that the entire string is inserted if** *n* **is less than 1.** **This is probably an error,** **because it is inconsistent with other functions** **such as** *waddstr*, **and differs from the SVr4** *curses* **and Solaris** *xcurses* **implementations.** **Nevertheless,** **Issue 7 retains the language.**

## HISTORY

**SVr3.1 (1987)** **introduced** *winsstr* **and** *winsnstr* **and their variants.**

## SEE ALSO

**curs\_ins\_wstr(3X) describes comparable functions of the** *ncurses* **library in its wide-character configuration** (*ncursesw*).

**curses(3X),** **curs\_inch(3X),** **curs\_ins\_wstr(3X),** **curs\_util(3X)**