---
name: "curs_variables"
section: "3x"
platform: "macos"
package: "ncurses"
version: "79"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["linux", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/curs_variables/3x"
---

# curs\_variables(3x)

curses global variables

## NAME

**COLORS**, **COLOR\_PAIRS**, **COLS**, **ESCDELAY**, **LINES**, **TABSIZE**, **curscr**, **newscr**, **stdscr** - **curses** global variables

## SYNOPSIS

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

**int COLOR\_PAIRS;**\
 **int COLORS;**\
 **int COLS;**\
 **int ESCDELAY;**\
 **int LINES;**\
 **int TABSIZE;**\
 **WINDOW \* curscr;**\
 **WINDOW \* newscr;**\
 **WINDOW \* stdscr;**

## DESCRIPTION

This page summarizes variables provided by the **curses** library. A more complete description is given in the **curses**(3X) manual page.

Depending on the configuration, these may be actual variables, or macros (see **curs\_threads**(3X) and **curs\_opaque**(3X)) which provide read-only access to *curses*'s state. In either case, applications should treat them as read-only to avoid confusing the library.

### COLOR\_PAIRS

After initializing curses, this variable contains the number of color pairs which the terminal can support. Usually the number of color pairs will be the product **COLORS**\***COLORS**, however this is not always true:

- •

  a few terminals use HLS colors, which do not follow this rule

- •

  terminals supporting a large number of colors are limited by the number of color pairs that can be represented in a *signed short* value.

### COLORS

After initializing curses, this variable contains the number of colors which the terminal can support.

### COLS

After initializing curses, this variable contains the width of the screen, i.e., the number of columns.

### ESCDELAY

This variable holds the number of milliseconds to wait after reading an escape character, to distinguish between an individual escape character entered on the keyboard from escape sequences sent by cursor- and function-keys (see curses(3X).

### LINES

After initializing curses, this variable contains the height of the screen, i.e., the number of lines.

### TABSIZE

This variable holds the number of columns used by the *curses* library when converting a tab character to spaces as it adds the tab to a window (see curs\_addch(3X).

### The Current Screen

This implementation of curses uses a special window **curscr** to record its updates to the terminal screen.

### The New Screen

This implementation of curses uses a special window **newscr** to hold updates to the terminal screen before applying them to **curscr**.

### The Standard Screen

Upon initializing curses, a default window called **stdscr**, which is the size of the terminal screen, is created. Many curses functions use this window.

## NOTES

The curses library is initialized using either **initscr**(3X), or **newterm**(3X).

If **curses** is configured to use separate curses/terminfo libraries, most of these variables reside in the curses library.

## PORTABILITY

ESCDELAY and TABSIZE are extensions, not provided in most other implementations of curses.

## SEE ALSO

**curses**(3X), **curs\_opaque**(3X), **curs\_terminfo**(3X), **curs\_threads**(3X), **term\_variables**(3X), [**terminfo**(5)](/terminfo/5.md).