tic(1M)

NAME
tic - terminfo compiler

SYNOPSIS
tic [-v[n]] [-c] file

DESCRIPTION
The command tic translates a terminfo file from source format into compiled format. The results are normally placed in the directory @TERMINFO@ (but your system administrator may have compiled in a different location, and the environment variable TERMINFO overrides the default). The compiled format is necessary for use with the library routines in ncurses(3X).

-c  specifies to only check file for errors, including syntax problems and bad use links. If you specify -C (-I) with this option, the code will print warnings about entries which, after use resolution, are more than 1023 (4096) bytes long. Due to a fixed buffer length in older termcap libraries (and a documented limit in terminfo), these entries may cause core dumps.

-vn specifies that (verbose) output be written to standard error trace information showing tic's progress. The optional integer n is a number from 1 to 10, inclusive, indicating the desired level of detail of information. If n is omitted, the default level is 1. If n is specified and greater than 1, the level of detail is increased.

-I  Force source translation to terminfo format.

-C  Force source translation to termcap format. Note: this differs from the -C option of infocmp(1m) in that it does not merely translate capability names, but also translates terminfo strings to termcap format. Capabilities that are not translatable are left in the entry under their terminfo names but commented out with two preceding dots.

-p  Ignore pad prefixes when comparing strings.

-N  Disable smart defaults. Normally, when translating from termcap to terminfo, the compiler makes a number of assumptions about the defaults of string capabilities reset1_string, carriage_return, cursor_left, cursor_down, scroll_forward, tab, newline, key_backspace, key_left, and key_down, then attempts to use obsolete termcap capabilities to deduce correct values. It also normally suppresses output of obsolete termcap capabilities such as bs. This option forces a more literal translation that also preserves the obsolete capabilities.

file
    contains one or more terminfo terminal descriptions in source format [see terminfo(5)]. Each description in the file describes the capabilities of a particular terminal.

The debug flag levels are as follows:

1   Names of files created and linked

2   Information related to the ``use'' facility

3   Statistics from the hashing algorithm

5   String-table memory allocations

7   Entries into the string-table

8   List of tokens encountered by scanner

9   All values computed in construction of the hash table

If n is not given, it is taken to be one.

All but one of the capabilities recognized by tic are documented in terminfo(5). The exception is the use capability. When a use=entry-name field is discovered in a terminal entry currently being compiled, tic reads in the binary from @TERMINFO@ to complete the entry. (Entries created from file will be used first. If the environment variable TERMINFO is set, that directory is searched instead of @TERMINFO@.) tic duplicates the capabilities in entry-name for the current entry, with the exception of those capabilities that explicitly are defined in the current entry. When an entry, e.g., entry_name_1, contains a use=entry_name_2 field, any canceled capabilities in entry_name_2 must also appear in entry_name_1 before use= for these capabilities to be canceled in entry_name_1. If the environment variable TERMINFO is set, the compiled results are placed there instead of @TERMINFO@. Total compiled entries cannot exceed 4096 bytes. The name field cannot exceed 128 bytes. Terminal names exceeding 14 characters will be truncated to 14 characters and a warning message will be printed.

EXTENSIONS
Unlike the stock SVr4 tic command, this implementation can actually compile termcap sources. In fact, entries in terminfo and termcap syntax can be mixed in a single source file. See terminfo(5) for the list of termcap names taken to be equivalent to terminfo names. The SVr4 manual page are not clear on the resolution rules for use capabilities. This implementation of tic will find use targets anywhere in the source file, or anywhere in the system's file tree of compiled entries, or anywhere in the file tree routed at TERMINFO (if TERMINFO is defined). The -I, -C, and -p options are not supported under SVr4.

FILES

@TERMINFO@/?/*
    Compiled terminal description database.

SEE ALSO
curses(3X), terminfo(5).