ncurses Programming Examples A collection of 100 C programs written while working through Dan Gookin's Guide to Ncurses Programming . Each file is a self-contained example demonstrating a specific ncurses feature, organized by chapter.
Requires GCC and the wide-character ncurses library (libncursesw-dev).
# Install on Debian/Ubuntu# Build all 100 programs into bin/# Remove binariesOn Windows, compile via WSL (Ubuntu 24.04 tested).
End-to-end tests drive the real compiled programs inside a headless tmux
pane, send actual keystrokes, and assert on the rendered screen. They need
tmux and python3 (standard library only) in addition to the build
toolchain.
# Linux / WSL# On Windows, run them under WSLSee tests/README.md for how the harness works and how to add
cases.
Run any example from the bin/ directory in a terminal that supports ncurses (any standard Linux terminal or WSL terminal):
Chapter 00 — Introduction File Description 00-01_box.c Draws a border around stdscr using box(). The first ncurses program.
Chapter 01 — Hello, ncurses File Description 01-01_goodbye.c Prints "Goodbye, cruel world!" — the minimal ncurses program skeleton: initscr, addstr, getch, endwin.
Chapter 02 — Input and Output File Description 02-02_add1.c Prints characters one at a time with 100 ms delays using addch and napms. 02-03_add2.c Concatenates two strings and displays the result with addstr. 02-04-add3.c Same as above but uses move() to reposition the cursor before printing. 02-05_yoda.c Formatted output with printw — displays Yoda's age. 02-06_typewriter.c Reads keypresses in a loop with getch; exits on ~. Demonstrates raw character input. 02-07_yourname.c Collects first and last name with getnstr, enforcing buffer limits. 02-08_sushi.c Calculates a sushi order total using scanw for integer input.
Chapter 03 — Colors and Attributes File Description 03-01_twinkle.c Cycles text through A_BOLD, A_BLINK, and A_NORMAL attributes. 03-02_annoy.c Displays words with alternating A_BOLD and A_UNDERLINE. 03-03_colortest.c Checks terminal color support with has_colors() before calling start_color(). 03-04_yellowred.c Defines one color pair (COLOR_YELLOW on COLOR_RED) and applies it. 03-05_colorful.c Multiple color pairs: black-on-red and bold yellow-on-black. 03-06_pink.c Creates a custom "pink" color with init_color(COLOR_RED, 1000, 750, 750). 03-07_bgcolor1.c Sets the screen background color with bkgd(). 03-08_bgcolor2.c Applies several background color changes in sequence. 03-09_notice.c Demonstrates beep() for an audible alert and flash() for a visual flash.
Chapter 04 — Characters and Attributes File Description 04-01_charattrib.c Displays every text attribute: STANDOUT, UNDERLINE, REVERSE, BLINK, DIM, BOLD, ALTCHARSET, INVIS, PROTECT, and the extended set. 04-02_changechar.c Uses addch with attributes and move() to place styled individual characters. 04-03_attrtest.c Extended version of 04-01 — comprehensive attribute showcase. 04-04_pi.c Renders the π symbol using the ACS alternative character set (ACS_PI). 04-05_acslist.c Iterates through ACS codes 0–127, printing each symbol. 04-06_acsstring.c Renders an entire string in the ACS character set using A_ALTCHARSET. 04-07_aBox.c Draws a box manually with ACS line-drawing characters (ULCORNER, HLINE, VLINE, etc.). 04-08_chtypestring.c Builds a chtype array where each cell carries its own attribute, then displays it. 04-09_addchstr.c Adds an entire pre-attributed chtype string at once with addchstr(). 04-10_boxarray.c Draws an ASCII-art box from a character array. 04-11_unicode.c Displays the Unicode coffee-cup character ☕ (U+2615) via cchar_t and wadd_wch. Requires -lncursesw. 04-12_ustring.c Prints the Russian word "привет" (hello) as a wide-character string with addwstr.
Chapter 05 — Screen and Cursor Positioning File Description 05-01_screensize.c Reads terminal dimensions with getmaxy() / getmaxx() and prints them. 05-02_stdscrsize.c Equivalent using the LINES and COLS macros. 05-03_corners.c Places * in all four corners with 500 ms pauses using mvaddch. 05-03_ncurses.c Variant of 05-02 — prints window dimensions. 05-04_ctitle.c center() helper that calculates horizontal indent to center a string on screen.05-05_whereami.c Tracks and displays the cursor's current row/col with getcury() / getcurx().
Chapter 06 — Text Manipulation File Description 06-01_text1.c Fills the screen with alternating lines of text. 06-02_text2.c Inserts a blank line above existing text with insertln(). 06-03_text3.c Inserts two blank lines and then writes into them. 06-04_text4.c Inserts text at a specific position within existing content. 06-05_marquee1.c Typewriter effect: builds a string right-to-left using insch(). 06-06_marquee2.c Extends the marquee with an alphabet header row. 06-07_text5.c Uses insstr() to insert a whole string at the cursor position. 06-08_text6.c Deletes an entire line with deleteln(). 06-09_text7.c Deletes individual characters with delch(). 06-10_cat.c Word replacement: removes one word character-by-character then inserts another with delch/insch. 06-11_insdel.c Insert/delete multiple rows at once with insdelln().
Chapter 07 — Screen Clearing Chapter 08 — Keyboard Input File Description 08-01_yourname.c Name input with a confirmation loop — re-prompts until the user answers y. 08-02_keywait1.c Uses nodelay() for non-blocking input; increments a counter while waiting. 08-03_keywait2.c Counts in a tight loop until the spacebar is pressed (non-blocking mode). 08-04_secretkey.c Reads two keypresses and checks they match; the second is read with noecho(). 08-05_kbhit.c Implements a kbhit() function (DOS-style) using nodelay and ungetch. 08-06_arrowkeys.c Enables keypad(stdscr, TRUE) to receive KEY_UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT. 08-07_greetings.c Gets first and last name with getnstr. 08-08_urpwd.c Username/password form: password field uses noecho() to hide input. 08-09_flush.c Demonstrates flushinp() — discards pending input accumulated during a delay.
File Description 09-01_anotherwin.c Creates a second full-screen window with newwin(0, 0, 0, 0). 09-02_switch.c Two windows with different background colors (blue stdscr, red overlay). 09-03_switchback.c Uses touchwin() to force a full redraw when switching focus between windows. 09-04_touch.c Small centered window; touchwin() marks it dirty to trigger a refresh. 09-05_halfpint.c Creates a half-size window positioned at the screen center. 09-06_quad.c Divides the screen into four quadrant windows, each with a distinct color. 09-07_twowin.c Two full-height side-by-side windows; demonstrates delwin() to release one. 09-08_border.c Draws a border on stdscr with border() using default line-drawing chars. 09-09_aborder.c Custom border using comma characters for all eight border positions. 09-10_box.c Draws the standard box border with box(stdscr, 0, 0). 09-11_quadborders.c Four quadrant windows, each with its own box() border.
File Description 10-01_sub1.c Creates a subwindow inside a bordered stdscr with subwin(). 10-02_sub2.c Centered subwindow inside a main window. 10-03_sub3.c Uses derwin() (derived window) where coordinates are relative to the parent. 10-04_subsub.c Nested derived windows three levels deep: grandpa → father → son. 10-05_delsub.c Creates and then removes a subwindow with delwin().
Chapter 11 — Window Copying File Description 11-01_overwrite1.c Copies content from a red window onto a blue one with overwrite(). 11-02_overwrite2.c Same as above, but calls touchwin() so the destination redraws correctly. 11-03_overlay.c overlay() — copies only non-blank characters, leaving the background visible.11-04_copywin.c Copies a rectangular region transparently with copywin(..., TRUE). 11-05_copywin2.c Same rectangle copy non-transparently with copywin(..., FALSE). 11-06_dup.c dupwin() — creates an independent copy of a window.11-07_movewin.c Moves a window to a new screen position with mvwin().
File Description 13-01_newpad1.c Creates a pad (virtual window larger than the screen) with newpad(). 13-02_newpad2.c Fills a pad with data and displays a viewport into it with prefresh(). 13-03_sonofapad.c Creates a sub-pad inside a pad with subpad().
File Description 14-01_mousetest.c Checks mouse support via NCURSES_MOUSE_VERSION and mousemask(). 14-02_mspy.c Reports real-time mouse coordinates (row, col) as the cursor moves. 14-03_clickput.c Places a * wherever the user clicks using BUTTON1_CLICKED. 14-04_blick.c Detects and labels button states: PRESSED, RELEASED, CLICKED, DOUBLE_CLICKED for buttons 1–3.
Chapter 15 — Miscellaneous File Description 15-01_curset.c Cycles the cursor through invisible, normal, and very visible with curs_set(0/1/2). 15-02_steps.c Draws diagonal and horizontal lines using hline() and vline(). 15-03_plus.c Draws a centered crosshair using hline/vline with ACS line characters. 15-04_dumpwin.c Saves the current screen to a file with scr_dump("dump.win"). 15-05_undump.c Restores a previously saved screen from file with scr_restore("dump.win").
ncurses API Quick Reference Function Purpose initscr() / endwin()Initialize and tear down ncurses addch() / addstr() / printw()Output a character, string, or formatted text mvaddch() / mvaddstr()Move cursor then output getch() / getnstr() / scanw()Read a key, bounded string, or formatted input attron() / attroff() / attrset()Enable/disable/replace text attributes start_color() / init_pair() / COLOR_PAIR()Set up and apply color pairs init_color()Define a custom color (requires terminal support) bkgd()Set window background character and attributes newwin() / delwin()Create and destroy a window subwin() / derwin()Create a subwindow (absolute or parent-relative coords) refresh() / wrefresh() / touchwin()Push virtual screen to terminal move() / wmove()Position the cursor clear() / clrtoeol() / clrtobot()Erase screen regions insertln() / deleteln() / insch() / delch()Insert/delete lines and characters scrollok() / scroll() / scrl() / setscrreg()Control scrolling newpad() / prefresh() / subpad()Pads — virtual windows larger than the screen mousemask() / getmouse()Enable and read mouse events keypad() / nodelay() / noecho()Input mode flags beep() / flash()Audible and visual alerts curs_set()Control cursor visibility hline() / vline()Draw horizontal/vertical lines scr_dump() / scr_restore()Save and restore screen state box() / border()Draw a border around a window overwrite() / overlay() / copywin() / dupwin()Copy window content napms()Sleep for N milliseconds