Mouse movement example for NCURSES

ncurses_mouse_movement.c

// I had problems getting mouse movement events working in ncurses, but after
// some research, it seems as if this is how you can do it. The magic is in the
// printf("\033[?1003h\n") which was the missing piece in the puzzle for me
// (see console_codes(4) for more information). 1003 means here that all events
// (even position updates) will be reported.
//
// This seems to work in at least three X-based terminals that I've tested:
// xterm, urxvt and gnome-terminal. It doesn't work when testing in a "normal"
// terminal, with GPM enabled. Perhaps something for the next gist version? :)

#include <curses.h>
#include <stdio.h>
 
int main()
{
  initscr();
  cbreak();
  noecho();

  // Enables keypad mode. This makes (at least for me) mouse events getting
  // reported as KEY_MOUSE, instead as of random letters.
  keypad(stdscr, TRUE);

  // Don't mask any mouse events
  mousemask(ALL_MOUSE_EVENTS | REPORT_MOUSE_POSITION, NULL);

  printf("\033[?1003h\n"); // Makes the terminal report mouse movement events

  for (;;) { 
    int c = wgetch(stdscr);
 
    // Exit the program on new line fed
    if (c == '\n')
      break;
 
    char buffer[512];
    size_t max_size = sizeof(buffer);
    if (c == ERR) {
      snprintf(buffer, max_size, "Nothing happened.");
    }
    else if (c == KEY_MOUSE) {
      MEVENT event;
      if (getmouse(&event) == OK) {
        snprintf(buffer, max_size, "Mouse at row=%d, column=%d bstate=0x%08lx",
                 event.y, event.x, event.bstate);
      }
      else {
        snprintf(buffer, max_size, "Got bad mouse event.");
      }
    }
    else {
      snprintf(buffer, max_size, "Pressed key %d (%s)", c, keyname(c));      
    }
 
    move(0, 0);
    insertln();
    addstr(buffer);
    clrtoeol();
    move(0, 0);
  }
 
  printf("\033[?1003l\n"); // Disable mouse movement events, as l = low

  endwin();
 
  return 0;
}

Best concise example of curses mouse code I have seen! Thanks for posting!
Question for you.. where did you find out what strings to printf to the xterm to turn on and off mouse movement reporting?

Thanks, this solved my troubles with ncurses mouse movement events.
Another quick tip is to set mouseinterval(0); to get snappier button press/release events.

Good example!

thanks a lot

@GaryCot dunno where @sylt got the control sequence, but here https://www.xfree86.org/4.8.0/ctlseqs.html
the 1003 l and h are described, so that could be a place.

thank you for that usefull example

I had trouble and it turned out to be an existing nodelay and nocbreak breaking mouse reporting. Disabling both fixed my mouse reports.

mouse position worked with gnome and mate terminals, but not in KDE Konsole, is there anyway to bring it to work ?

not working in windows terminal or cmd

August 29th 2022, Works perfectly on Raspbian / Raspberry Pi OS Bullseye 64bit on a RPi 4
Linux RPi164 5.15.56-v8+ #1575 SMP PREEMPT Fri Jul 22 20:31:26 BST 2022 aarch64 GNU/Linux
via SSH from an Apple iMac Terminal application. Works beautifully and consistently.
Yes I want to know more about the secret activation sequence and where it is defined.
It is VERY close to standard ANSI Screen colour escape definitions... e.g.
printf(“\033[0;31m”); prints the colour red. \033[0m - default colour.

I've scoured the Internet for a working solution concerning mouse control with ncurses. This one works, none of the others do. It should not be this difficult to find working examples of ncurses. Thank you. 2023 & your solution still works.

Conforming that it works with qterminal too.