---
name: "wresize"
section: "3ncurses"
platform: "linux"
package: "ncurses-doc"
version: "6.5+20250216-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/wresize/3ncurses"
---

# wresize(3ncurses)

resize a curses window

## NAME

**wresize** - resize a *curses* window

## SYNOPSIS

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

**int wresize(WINDOW \*** *win***, int** *lines***, int** *columns***);**

## DESCRIPTION

**wresize**, **an** *ncurses* **extension to the** *curses* **library,** **reallocates storage for** *win*, **adjusting its dimensions to** *lines* **and** *columns*. **If either dimension is larger than its current value,** *ncurses* **fills the expanded part of the window** **with the window's background character as configured by** **wbkgdset(3NCURSES)** **(wide-character API: wbkgrndset(3NCURSES)).**

## RETURN VALUE

**wresize** **returns** **OK** **on success and** **ERR** **on failure.** **It fails if either** *lines* **or** *columns* **is less than or equal to zero,** **or if an error occurs while (re)allocating memory for** *win*.

## NOTES

**The only restriction placed on the values of** *lines* **and** *columns* **is that they be greater than zero.** **They are** *not* **compared to the dimensions of the** *curses* **screen;** **this keeps the logic of resizeterm(3NCURSES) simple.** **The caller must ensure that** *win*'s **dimensions fit within those of the screen.**

## EXTENSIONS

**wresize** **is an ncurses(3NCURSES) extension,** **and is not found in SVr4** *curses*, **4.4BSD** *curses*, **or any other previous** *curses* **implementation.**

## PORTABILITY

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

**NetBSD** *curses* **adopted** *wresize* **in 2001 (release 1.5.3),** **and** *PDCurses* **in 2004 (version 2.7).**

**It is not possible to resize windows with SVr4** *curses*.

## HISTORY

**Thomas Dickey developed** *wresize* **as an extension to BSD** *curses* **in 1988,** **and brought it to** *ncurses* **in mid-1995.**

## AUTHORS

**Thomas Dickey**

## SEE ALSO

**resizeterm(3NCURSES)**