form_fieldtype - define validation-field types
Contents
Description
new_fieldtype
The function new_fieldtype creates a new field type usable for data validation. Its parameters are
function pointers:
field_check
This function checks the validity of an entered data string whenever the user attempts to leave a
field. It has two arguments:
• The (FIELD *) argument is passed in so the validation predicate can see the field's buffer,
sizes and other attributes.
• The second argument is an argument-block structure, about which more below.
char_check
This function validates input characters as they are entered. The form library passes it the
character to be checked and a pointer to an argument-block structure.
free_fieldtype
The free_fieldtype function frees the space allocated for a given validation type by new_fieldtype.
set_fieldtype_arg
The function set_fieldtype_arg associates three storage-management functions with a field type:
make_arg
This function is automatically applied to the list of arguments you give set_field_type when
attaching validation to a field. It stores the arguments in an allocated argument-block object
which is used when validating input.
copy_arg
This function may be used by applications to copy argument-blocks.
free_arg
Frees an argument-block structure.
You must supply the make_arg function. The other two are optional: you may supply NULL for them. In
this case, the form library assumes that make_arg does not allocate memory but simply loads the argument
into a single scalar value.
set_fieldtype_choice
The form driver requests REQ_NEXT_CHOICE and REQ_PREV_CHOICE assume that the possible values of a field
form an ordered set, and provide the forms user with a way to move through the set.
The set_fieldtype_choice function allows forms programmers to define successor and predecessor functions
for the field type. These functions take the field pointer and an argument-block structure as arguments.
link_fieldtype
The function link_fieldtype creates a new field type from the two given types. They are connected by a
logical “or”.
Name
form_fieldtype - define validation-field types
Portability
These routines emulate the System V forms library. They were not supported on Version 7 or BSD versions.
Return Value
The pointer-valued routines return NULL on error. They set errno according to their success:
E_OK The routine succeeded.
E_BAD_ARGUMENT
Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument.
E_SYSTEM_ERROR
System error occurred, e.g., malloc failure.
The integer-valued routines return one of the following codes on error:
E_OK The routine succeeded.
E_BAD_ARGUMENT
Routine detected an incorrect or out-of-range argument.
E_CONNECTED
The field is already connected to a form.
E_CURRENT
The field is the current field.
E_SYSTEM_ERROR
System error occurred (see errno(3)).
See Also
ncurses(3NCURSES), form(3FORM), field_validation(3FORM) ncurses 6.5 2025-01-18 fieldtype(3FORM)
Synopsis
#include<form.h>FIELDTYPE*new_fieldtype(bool(*constfield_check)(FIELD*,constvoid*),bool(*constchar_check)(int,constvoid*));intfree_fieldtype(FIELDTYPE*fieldtype);intset_fieldtype_arg(FIELDTYPE*fieldtype,void*(*constmake_arg)(va_list*),void*(*constcopy_arg)(constvoid*),void(*constfree_arg)(void*));intset_fieldtype_choice(FIELDTYPE*fieldtype,bool(*constnext_choice)(FIELD*,constvoid*),bool(*constprev_choice)(FIELD*,constvoid*));FIELDTYPE*link_fieldtype(FIELDTYPE*type1,FIELDTYPE*type2);
