python · serhiy-storchaka · Jun 20, 2026
diff --git a/Doc/library/curses.rst b/Doc/library/curses.rst
@@ -85,6 +85,20 @@ The module :mod:`!curses` defines the following functions:
    .. versionadded:: 3.14
 
 
+.. function:: alloc_pair(fg, bg)
+
+   Allocate a color pair for foreground color *fg* and background color *bg*,
+   and return its number.  If a color pair for the same combination of colors
+   already exists, return its number.  Otherwise allocate a new color pair and
+   return its number.
+
+   This function is only available if Python was built against a wide-character
+   version of the underlying curses library with extended-color support (see
+   :func:`has_extended_color_support`).
+
+   .. versionadded:: next
+
+
 .. function:: baudrate()
 
    Return the output speed of the terminal in bits per second.  On software
@@ -215,6 +229,19 @@ The module :mod:`!curses` defines the following functions:
    .. versionadded:: next
 
 
+.. function:: find_pair(fg, bg)
+
+   Return the number of a color pair for foreground color *fg* and background
+   color *bg*, or ``-1`` if no color pair for this combination of colors has
+   been allocated.
+
+   This function is only available if Python was built against a wide-character
+   version of the underlying curses library with extended-color support (see
+   :func:`has_extended_color_support`).
+
+   .. versionadded:: next
+
+
 .. function:: flash()
 
    Flash the screen.  That is, change it to reverse-video and then change it back
@@ -228,6 +255,18 @@ The module :mod:`!curses` defines the following functions:
    by the user and has not yet been processed by the program.
 
 
+.. function:: free_pair(pair_number)
+
+   Free the color pair *pair_number*, which must have been allocated by
+   :func:`alloc_pair`.  The pair must not be in use.
+
+   This function is only available if Python was built against a wide-character
+   version of the underlying curses library with extended-color support (see
+   :func:`has_extended_color_support`).
+
+   .. versionadded:: next
+
+
 .. function:: getmouse()
 
    After :meth:`~window.getch` returns :const:`KEY_MOUSE` to signal a mouse event, this
@@ -519,6 +558,18 @@ The module :mod:`!curses` defines the following functions:
    presented to curses input functions one by one.
 
 
+.. function:: reset_color_pairs()
+
+   Discard all color-pair definitions, releasing the color pairs allocated by
+   :func:`init_pair` and :func:`alloc_pair`.
+
+   This function is only available if Python was built against a wide-character
+   version of the underlying curses library with extended-color support (see
+   :func:`has_extended_color_support`).
+
+   .. versionadded:: next
+
+
 .. function:: reset_prog_mode()
 
    Restore the  terminal  to "program" mode, as previously saved  by

@@ -92,6 +92,13 @@ curses
 * Add :func:`curses.nofilter`, which undoes the effect of :func:`curses.filter`.
   (Contributed by Serhiy Storchaka in :gh:`151744`.)
 
+* Add the :mod:`curses` functions :func:`curses.alloc_pair`,
+  :func:`curses.find_pair`, :func:`curses.free_pair` and
+  :func:`curses.reset_color_pairs` for dynamic color-pair management,
+  available when built against a wide-character ncurses with extended-color
+  support.
+  (Contributed by Serhiy Storchaka in :gh:`151774`.)
+
 gzip
 ----
 

diff --git a/Lib/test/test_curses.py b/Lib/test/test_curses.py
@@ -1071,6 +1071,54 @@ def test_init_pair(self):
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, curses.init_pair, 1, color, 0)
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, curses.init_pair, 1, 0, color)
 
+    @requires_curses_func('alloc_pair')
+    @requires_colors
+    def test_dynamic_color_pairs(self):
+        # alloc_pair()/find_pair()/free_pair() (extended-color extension).
+        fg = bg = curses.COLORS - 1
+        pair = curses.alloc_pair(fg, bg)
+        self.assertGreater(pair, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(curses.pair_content(pair), (fg, bg))
+        # The same combination of colors reuses the same pair.
+        self.assertEqual(curses.alloc_pair(fg, bg), pair)
+        self.assertEqual(curses.find_pair(fg, bg), pair)
+        # Once freed, the pair is no longer found.
+        self.assertIsNone(curses.free_pair(pair))
+        self.assertEqual(curses.find_pair(fg, bg), -1)
+
+        # Error paths.
+        for color in self.bad_colors2():
+            self.assertRaises(ValueError, curses.alloc_pair, color, 0)
+            self.assertRaises(ValueError, curses.alloc_pair, 0, color)
+            self.assertRaises(ValueError, curses.find_pair, color, 0)
+            self.assertRaises(ValueError, curses.find_pair, 0, color)
+        for pair in self.bad_pairs():
+            self.assertRaises(ValueError, curses.free_pair, pair)
+        # Color pair 0 is reserved and cannot be freed.
+        self.assertRaises(curses.error, curses.free_pair, 0)
+
+        # Invalid number or type of arguments.
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.alloc_pair)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.alloc_pair, 0)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.alloc_pair, 0, 0, 0)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.alloc_pair, 'red', 0)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.alloc_pair, 0, 'red')
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.alloc_pair, fg=0, bg=0)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.find_pair)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.find_pair, 0)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.find_pair, 0, 0, 0)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.find_pair, 'red', 0)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.find_pair, 0, 'red')
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.free_pair)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.free_pair, 1, 2)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.free_pair, 'red')
+
+    @requires_curses_func('reset_color_pairs')
+    @requires_colors
+    def test_reset_color_pairs(self):
+        self.assertIsNone(curses.reset_color_pairs())
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, curses.reset_color_pairs, 0)
+
     @requires_colors
     def test_color_attrs(self):
         for pair in 0, 1, 255:

diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-06-20-11-11-22.gh-issue-151774.O6nrvs.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-06-20-11-11-22.gh-issue-151774.O6nrvs.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Add the :mod:`curses` functions :func:`curses.alloc_pair`,
+:func:`curses.find_pair`, :func:`curses.free_pair` and
+:func:`curses.reset_color_pairs` for dynamic color-pair management.  They are
+only available when Python is built against a wide-character version of the
+underlying curses library with extended-color support.
diff --git a/Modules/_cursesmodule.c b/Modules/_cursesmodule.c
@@ -3825,6 +3825,100 @@ _curses_init_pair_impl(PyObject *module, int pair_number, int fg, int bg)
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
+#if _NCURSES_EXTENDED_COLOR_FUNCS
+/*[clinic input]
+_curses.alloc_pair
+
+    fg: color_allow_default
+        Foreground color number.
+    bg: color_allow_default
+        Background color number.
+    /
+
+Allocate a color pair for the given foreground and background colors.
+
+If a color pair for the same colors already exists, return its number.
+Otherwise allocate a new color pair and return its number.
+[clinic start generated code]*/
+
+static PyObject *
+_curses_alloc_pair_impl(PyObject *module, int fg, int bg)
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=6eb08cb643d4b5a2 input=b29bafd7b360fa35]*/
+{
+    PyCursesStatefulInitialised(module);
+    PyCursesStatefulInitialisedColor(module);
+
+    int pair = alloc_pair(fg, bg);
+    if (pair < 0) {
+        curses_set_error(module, "alloc_pair", NULL);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    return PyLong_FromLong(pair);
+}
+
+/*[clinic input]
+_curses.find_pair
+
+    fg: color_allow_default
+        Foreground color number.
+    bg: color_allow_default
+        Background color number.
+    /
+
+Return the number of a color pair for the given colors, or -1.
+
+Return -1 if no color pair for this combination of foreground and
+background colors has been allocated.
+[clinic start generated code]*/
+
+static PyObject *
+_curses_find_pair_impl(PyObject *module, int fg, int bg)
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=376026c2a3ac4a9b input=930feac14892c251]*/
+{
+    PyCursesStatefulInitialised(module);
+    PyCursesStatefulInitialisedColor(module);
+
+    return PyLong_FromLong(find_pair(fg, bg));
+}
+
+/*[clinic input]
+_curses.free_pair
+
+    pair: pair
+        The number of the color pair to free.
+    /
+
+Free a color pair allocated by alloc_pair().
+[clinic start generated code]*/
+
+static PyObject *
+_curses_free_pair_impl(PyObject *module, int pair)
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=61be0fb2e4bb4e4a input=d24df62feb4161c6]*/
+{
+    PyCursesStatefulInitialised(module);
+    PyCursesStatefulInitialisedColor(module);
+
+    return curses_check_err(module, free_pair(pair), "free_pair", NULL);
+}
+
+/*[clinic input]
+_curses.reset_color_pairs
+
+Discard all color-pair definitions.
+[clinic start generated code]*/
+
+static PyObject *
+_curses_reset_color_pairs_impl(PyObject *module)
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=117e68c6614e1d06 input=57c1cf7e5447e1ac]*/
+{
+    PyCursesStatefulInitialised(module);
+    PyCursesStatefulInitialisedColor(module);
+
+    reset_color_pairs();
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+#endif /* _NCURSES_EXTENDED_COLOR_FUNCS */
+
 /* Refresh the private copy of the screen encoding from a freshly created
    stdscr window object.  Returns 0 on success, -1 with an exception set. */
 static int
@@ -5328,6 +5422,7 @@ _curses_has_extended_color_support_impl(PyObject *module)
 /* List of functions defined in the module */
 
 static PyMethodDef cursesmodule_methods[] = {
+    _CURSES_ALLOC_PAIR_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_BAUDRATE_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_BEEP_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_CAN_CHANGE_COLOR_METHODDEF
@@ -5344,8 +5439,10 @@ static PyMethodDef cursesmodule_methods[] = {
     _CURSES_ERASECHAR_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_FILTER_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_NOFILTER_METHODDEF
+    _CURSES_FIND_PAIR_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_FLASH_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_FLUSHINP_METHODDEF
+    _CURSES_FREE_PAIR_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_GETMOUSE_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_UNGETMOUSE_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_GETSYX_METHODDEF
@@ -5382,6 +5479,7 @@ static PyMethodDef cursesmodule_methods[] = {
     _CURSES_PUTP_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_QIFLUSH_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_RAW_METHODDEF
+    _CURSES_RESET_COLOR_PAIRS_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_RESET_PROG_MODE_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_RESET_SHELL_MODE_METHODDEF
     _CURSES_RESETTY_METHODDEF