[PATCH 3/4] man/ncurses.3x: Revise introduction.

[G. Branden Robinson]

Recast from a 2020s perspective.  Assert that SVr4 curses development
stopped in the 1990s as well.  Does anyone have any evidence of its
significant evolution after 1999?

Tout the list of the library's features much earlier in the discussion,
to inform and motivate the programmer.

Say what the package optimizes _for_.

Cut down on the number of different locutions we have to refer to the
X/Open Curses standard.

Style:
* Consistently set "ncurses", "terminfo", "termcap" in italics.

Markup:
* Break input lines after commas and semicolons.
* Favor man(7) font style macros over *roff font selection escape
  sequences, except for man page cross references (because
  man/make_sed.sh recognizes only certain patterns when rewriting such
  cross references).
---
 man/ncurses.3x | 59 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------------
 1 file changed, 41 insertions(+), 18 deletions(-)

diff --git a/man/ncurses.3x b/man/ncurses.3x
index f5df301b4..df3e7941d 100644
--- a/man/ncurses.3x
+++ b/man/ncurses.3x
@@ -55,18 +55,47 @@ .SH SYNOPSIS
 \fB#include <curses.h>
 .fi
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-The \fI\%ncurses\fP library routines give the user a
-terminal-independent method of updating character screens with
-reasonable optimization.
-This implementation is \*(``new curses\*('' (\fI\%ncurses\fP) and
-is the approved replacement for
-4.4BSD classic curses, which has been discontinued.
-.PP
-The \fI\%ncurses\fP library emulates the curses library of
-System V Release 4 Unix (\*(``SVr4\*(''),
-and XPG4 (X/Open Portability Guide) curses (also known as XSI curses).
-XSI stands for X/Open System Interfaces Extension.
-The \fI\%ncurses\fP library is freely redistributable in source form.
+The \*(``new curses\*('' library offers the programmer a
+terminal-independent means of reading keyboard and mouse input and
+updating character-cell terminals with output optimized to minimize
+screen updates.
+.I \%ncurses
+replaces the
+.I curses
+libraries from
+System V Release 4 Unix (\*(``SVr4\*('')
+and
+4.4BSD Unix,
+the development of which ceased in the 1990s.
+.PP
+.I \%ncurses
+permits control of the terminal screen's contents;
+abstraction and subdivision thereof with
+.I windows
+and
+.I pads;
+the reading of terminal input;
+control of terminal input and output options;
+environment query routines;
+color manipulation;
+the definition and use of
+.I "soft label"
+keys;
+.I \%term\%info
+capabilities;
+a
+.I \%term\%cap
+compatibility interface;
+and access to low-level terminal-manipulation routines.
+.PP
+.I \%ncurses
+implements the standard interface described by
+X/Open Curses Issue\ 7.
+In many behavioral details not standardized by X/Open,
+.I \%ncurses
+emulates the
+.I curses
+library of SVr4 and provides numerous useful extensions.
 .PP
 \fI\%ncurses\fP man pages employ several sections to clarify matters of
 usage and interoperability with other \fIcurses\fP implementations.
@@ -105,12 +134,6 @@ .SH DESCRIPTION
 (in a file called \*(``trace\*('' in the current directory)
 that describe curses actions.
 See section \*(``ALTERNATE CONFIGURATIONS\*('' below.
-.PP
-The \fI\%ncurses\fP package supports: overall screen, window and pad
-manipulation; output to windows and pads; reading terminal input; control over
-terminal and \fBcurses\fP input and output options; environment query
-routines; color manipulation; use of soft label keys; terminfo capabilities;
-and access to low-level terminal-manipulation routines.
 .SS Initialization
 The library uses the locale which the calling program has initialized.
 That is normally done with \fBsetlocale\fP(3):
-- 
2.30.2

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