form_field_userptr(3X)

📦
version 6.6_p20260516 · 6 versions
, in alpine 3.24, arch rolling, fedora 44

💖 form_field_userptr — bestie, it's your field's lil pocket for secrets 💖

okay so this is one of those ncurses form library pages (that's the 3X part, it's a library call, not a command you type into a shell) and honestly? it's giving "tiny but mighty". 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

set_field_userptr, field_userptr — the way you attach your own lil application data to a form field 🎀

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <form.h>

int set_field_userptr(FIELD *field, void *userptr);
void *field_userptr(const FIELD *field);

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so every single form field has a spot in it that's literally just for you. it's a lil field that holds application-specific data, and the key detail here — the one you gotta internalize — is that the form-driver code leaves it alone. it does not touch it. it does not look at it. it does not have opinions about it. it's yours, bestie. 💅

these two functions are the getter and the setter for that spot. that's it. that's the whole job. and honestly? iconic for it. 👑

💜 RETURN VALUE 💜

  • field_userptr — hands you back a pointer, which may be NULL (so like, don't be shocked if it's empty, that's allowed). and important: it does not set errno. nope. not its thing.
  • set_field_userptr — returns E_OK, which means success. every time. no drama, no errors, just vibes. ✨

🌈 PORTABILITY 🌈

these routines are out here emulating the System V forms library. periodt.

they were not supported on Version 7 or BSD versions — so if you're poking around ancient BSD territory, don't come looking for these. 🙈

and okay, one design tea moment: the user pointer is a void pointer. the authors chose not to leave it as a char pointer, specifically for SVr4 compatibility. so like, it's void * on purpose. iykyk. 🧚

👑 AUTHORS 👑

Juergen Pfeifer. 💖

Manual pages and adaptation for new curses by Eric S. Raymond. 💖

⭐ SEE ALSO ⭐

  • curses(3X)
  • form(3X)
okay real talk: this page is from ncurses 6.6, dated 2024-12-28, and that's the whole thing bestie — go forth and store your pointers, the form driver will never snitch on you 🫶💖✨
📦 where this page comes from