* Incurses is a programming library with an API that allows programmers to write text user interfaces in a terminal-independent manner; it's currently the most popular way to program a console in the Unix environment * The book serves as a tutorial that walks C language programmers from the very basics of ncurses to the more advanced functions, such as manipulating windows, reading the keyboard, color text, using the mouse, and other more advanced possibilities * The book is also a reference that contains more than 180 standard ncurses library functions and constants and explains how each of these options is optimally used * Various notes describe the function behavior, while sample code and programs round out the reference"