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

# deleteln(3x)

delete or insert lines in a curses window

Part of [curs\_deleteln(3x)](/curs_deleteln/3x.md).

## NAME

**deleteln**, **wdeleteln**, **insertln**, **winsertln**, **insdelln**, **winsdelln** - delete or insert lines in a *curses* window

## SYNOPSIS

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

**int deleteln(void);** **int wdeleteln(WINDOW \*** *win***);**

**int insertln(void);** **int winsertln(WINDOW \*** *win***);**

**int insdelln(int** *n***);** **int winsdelln(WINDOW \*** *win***, int** *n***);**

## DESCRIPTION

**wdeleteln** **deletes the line at the cursor in** *win*; **all lines below it move up one line.** *curses* **then fills the bottom line of** *win* **with the background character** **configured by wbkgdset(3X)** **(wide-character API users: wbkgrndset(3X)).** **The cursor position does not change.**

**winsertln** **inserts a new, empty line of characters above the line at the cursor in** *win*, **shifting the existing lines down by one.** **The content of the window's bottom line is lost;** *curses* **fills the new line with the background character.** **The cursor position does not change.**

**winsdelln** **inserts or deletes** *n* lines **in** *win* **as** *n* **is positive or negative,** **respectively,** **as if by repeatedly calling** **winsertln** **or** **wdeleteln**. **winsdelln(**...**, 0)** **performs no operation.**

## RETURN VALUE

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

**In** *ncurses*, **they fail if** *win* **is** *NULL*.

## NOTES

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

**These functions do not require the terminal** **to possess hardware line deletion or insertion capabilities.** **Even if available,** **by default** *curses* **does not use them;** **see idlok(3X).**

## PORTABILITY

**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*”.

## HISTORY

**4BSD (1980)** **introduced** *deleteln*, *wdeleteln*, *insertln*, **and** *winsertln*.

**SVr3.1 (1987)** **added** *insdelln* **and** *winsdelln*.

## SEE ALSO

**curses(3X)**