DECSET 1049 — Alternate screen buffer

Byte forms

Every common string-literal form so you can paste-and-search either direction.

Description

DEC private mode 1049 is the canonical 'enter full-screen app' sequence. On enter (`h`), the terminal saves the cursor, switches to a fresh screen buffer (no scrollback), and clears it. On leave (`l`), the original buffer and cursor are restored — this is what lets you `q` out of `vim`/`less` and find your shell prompt exactly where you left it. Older modes 47 and 1047 do almost the same thing but without the cursor save/restore and clear behaviors.

Spec citation: xterm-ctlseqs (Private modes)

Examples

printf '\033[?1049h'; sleep 2; printf '\033[?1049l'

import sys, time\nsys.stdout.write('\x1b[?1049h'); sys.stdout.flush(); time.sleep(2); sys.stdout.write('\x1b[?1049l')

fmt.Print("\x1b[?1049h"); time.Sleep(2*time.Second); fmt.Print("\x1b[?1049l")

process.stdout.write('\x1b[?1049h'); setTimeout(() => process.stdout.write('\x1b[?1049l'), 2000)

printf("\x1b[?1049h"); sleep(2); printf("\x1b[?1049l");

Terminal support

xterm

yes

Linux console (fbcon)

yes

macOS Terminal.app

yes

iTerm2

yes

Windows Terminal

yes

cmd.exe / ConPTY

partial

kitty

yes

alacritty

yes

WezTerm

yes

Ghostty

yes

GNOME Terminal

yes

Konsole

yes

tmux

no

GNU screen

no

Related sequences

• DECTCEM ?25 — Show/hide cursor
• DECSC / DECRC — Save and restore cursor
• DECSET ?1047 — Alt screen without cursor save

In the family cookbook

↗DEC cookbook · 1. The `?` prefix — DECSET vs SM