(python) How to create static text in curses

Question

I am creating a text adventure. How could I to add static text to this. What i mean is some text that always stays on the left side of the window. Even if all the other text is scrolling down. Also how could i make this text red.

Answer 1

Here is an example that shows some static text in red(that always stays on top):

import sys
import curses


curses.initscr()

if not curses.has_colors():
    curses.endwin()
    print "no colors"
    sys.exit()
else:
    curses.start_color()

curses.noecho()    # don't echo the keys on the screen
curses.cbreak()    # don't wait enter for input
curses.curs_set(0) # don't show cursor.

RED_TEXT = 1
curses.init_pair(RED_TEXT, curses.COLOR_RED, curses.COLOR_BLACK)

window = curses.newwin(20, 20, 0, 0)
window.box()
staticwin = curses.newwin(5, 10, 1, 1)
staticwin.box()

staticwin.addstr(1, 1, "test", curses.color_pair(RED_TEXT))

cur_x = 10
cur_y = 10
while True:
    window.addch(cur_y, cur_x, '@')
    window.refresh()
    staticwin.box()
    staticwin.refresh()
    inchar = window.getch()
    window.addch(cur_y, cur_x, ' ')
    # W,A,S,D used to move around the @
    if inchar == ord('w'):
        cur_y -= 1
    elif inchar == ord('a'):
        cur_x -= 1
    elif inchar == ord('d'):
        cur_x += 1
    elif inchar == ord('s'):
        cur_y += 1
    elif inchar == ord('q'):
        break
curses.endwin()

A screenshot of the result:

Remember that windows on top must be refresh()ed last otherwise the windows that should go below are drawn over them.

If you want to change the static text do:

staticwin.clear()   #clean the window
staticwin.addstr(1, 1, "insert-text-here", curses.color_pair(RED_TEXT))
staticwin.box()     #re-draw the box
staticwin.refresh()

Where the 1, 1 means to start writing from the second character of the second line(remember: coordinates start at 0). This is needed since the window's box is drawn on the first line and first column.

Answer 2

You create static text by putting it in a separate window. Create a window large enough for all the text, and then create a smaller window for the dynamic text. Text is colored by passing the various COLOR_* constants as the text attribute.