tic

Updated: October 28, 2024

Terminfo compiler (UNIX)

Syntax:

tic  [-1CGILNTUVacfgrstx]  [-e names]  [-o  dir]  [-R  subset]
     [-v[n]] [-w[n]] file

Runs on:

QNX Neutrino

Options:

-1
Format the translation output as one capability per line.
-a
Retain commented out capabilities.
-C
Translate entries to termcap source form.
-c
Perform only a syntax check of the input file. No output file is produced.
-enames
Translate/compile only entries named by the given comma-separated list.
-f
Format complex strings for readability.
-I
Translate entries to terminfo source form.
-L
Translate entries to full terminfo source form.
-N
Disable smart defaults for source translation.
-odir
Set the output directory for writing compiled entries.
-R
Restrict translation to given terminfo or termcap version.
-r
Force resolution of all use entries in source translation.
-s
Print summary statistics.
-T
Remove size restrictions on compiled description.
-v[n]
Set the verbosity level.
-w[n]
Set the format width for translation output.
file
The pathname of a file that contains one or more terminal descriptions in terminfo source format. Each description in the file describes a particular terminal. When a use=entry_name field is encountered within a terminal description, tic reads the previously compiled description from the /usr/share/terminfo directory to finish the entry. This allows terminal descriptions that are only slightly different from one previously defined to be expressed as an extension to that previous description. If the environment variable TERMINFO is set, the directory named is used instead of the /usr/share/terminfo directory.

Description:

The tic utility translates a terminfo file from the source format into the compiled format, ready to use by applications running on the terminal type named in the terminfo source file.

By default, the compiled terminfo capability files are stored in single-character directories, under the /usr/share/terminfo directory. For example, the VT100 terminfo file is stored in /usr/share/terminfo/v/vt100.

You can use the infocmp utility to convert a binary, compiled terminfo file back into a source format that you can modify, and then recompile it with tic.

Some error messages produced by tic indicate the line of the source file in error and the terminal name being processed at that point.

For more information, see Strang, John, Linda Mui, and Tim O'Reilly. 1988. termcap & terminfo. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly and Associates. ISBN 0937175226.

Environment variables:

TERMINFO
When defined, the compiled output from tic is placed under the directory named instead of in the /usr/share/terminfo directory.

Exit status:

0
The input file was compiled successfully.
>0
An error occurred.

Caveats:

The total size of a compiled terminfo description cannot exceed 4096 bytes. The name field cannot exceed 128 bytes.

Terminal names longer than 14 characters are truncated to 14 characters.