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

# termattrs(3x)

get and set terminal attributes with curses

Part of [curs\_termattrs(3x)](/curs_termattrs/3x.md).

## NAME

**baudrate**, **erasechar**, **erasewchar**, **has\_ic**, **has\_il**, **killchar**, **killwchar**, **longname**, **term\_attrs**, **termattrs**, **termname** - get and set terminal attributes with *curses*

## SYNOPSIS

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

**int baudrate(void);** **char erasechar(void);** **int erasewchar(wchar\_t \*** *wc***);** **bool has\_ic(void);** **bool has\_il(void);** **char killchar(void);** **int killwchar(wchar\_t \*** *wc***);** **char \* longname(void);** **attr\_t term\_attrs(void);** **chtype termattrs(void);** **char \* termname(void);**

## DESCRIPTION

### baudrate

**baudrate** **returns the line speed of the terminal,** **an integer value measured in bits per second,** **for example** **9600**.

### erasechar, erasewchar

**erasechar** **returns the terminal's erase character.**

**erasewchar** **stores the erase character in the location referenced by** *wc*. **If no erase character has been defined,** **it fails and the location referenced by** *wc* **is not changed.**

### has\_ic, has\_il

**has\_ic** **returns** **TRUE** **if the terminal has insert- and delete-character capabilities.**

**has\_il** **returns** **TRUE** **if the terminal has insert- and delete-line capabilities,** **or can simulate them using scrolling regions.** **It might be used to determine whether it would be appropriate** **to use scrollok(3X) to turn on scrolling.**

### killchar, killwchar

**killchar** **returns the terminal's line kill character.**

**killwchar** **stores the line-kill character in the location referenced by** *wc*. **If no line-kill character has been defined,** **it fails and the location referenced by** *wc* **is not changed.**

### longname

**longname** **returns a pointer to static storage** **containing a verbose description of the terminal being managed by** *curses*. **The maximum length of a verbose description is 128 characters.** **The storage is populated only after initscr(3X) or** **newterm(3X) is called.** **This storage is overwritten by each call to** **newterm** **and not restored by set\_term(3X),** **so its contents should be saved between calls to** **initscr** **or** **newterm** **if** **longname** **is to be used with multiple terminals.**

### termattrs, term\_attrs

**If a given terminal does not support a video attribute that an** **application program is trying to use,** *curses* **may substitute a** **different video attribute for it.** **termattrs** **and** **term\_attrs** **return a logical “or” of all video attributes supported by the** **terminal using** **A\_** **and** **WA\_** **constants respectively.** **This information is useful when a** *curses* **program** **needs complete control over the appearance of the screen.**

### termname

**termname** **returns the terminal name used by setupterm(3X).**

## RETURN VALUE

**longname** **and** **termname** **return** *NULL* **on error.**

**Functions that return an integer return** **ERR** **upon failure and** **OK** **upon success.**

## NOTES

**erasewchar**, **killwchar**, **and** **term\_attrs** **are part of** *ncurses*'s **wide-character API,** **and are not available in its non-wide-character configuration.**

**termattrs** **may be implemented as a macro.**

## PORTABILITY

**X/Open Curses Issue 4 describes these functions.**

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

**Most versions of** *curses* **truncate the string returned by** *termname* **to 14 characters.**

## HISTORY

**4BSD (1980)** **introduced** *longname*.

**SVr2 (1984)** **added** *baudrate*, *erasechar*, *killchar*, *has\_ic*, **and** *has\_il*.

**SVr3 (1987)** **supplied** *termname*. **Later that year,** **SVr3.1 brought** *termattrs*.

**X/Open Curses Issue 4 (1995)** **specified** *erasewchar*, *killwchar*, **and** *term\_attrs*.

## SEE ALSO

**curses(3X),** **curs\_initscr(3X),** **curs\_outopts(3X)**