title: Is it possible to get the default background color using curses in python?
body: <p>Using curses in python you can easily use the default color scheme for the terminal using:</p>
  
  
  
  <pre class="lang-python prettyprint-override"><code>curses.use_default_colors()
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>However once you try to recolor any character, using a color pair you have to declare a background color:</p>
  
  <pre class="lang-python prettyprint-override"><code>curses.init_pair(1, curses.COLOR_RED, curses.COLOR_BLACK)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I really don't want to change the background from the default but I would like to change the foreground.</p>
  
  <p>Is there any way to either get the default background color? or to change just the foreground color?</p>
  
  <p>I am aware that I could use ANSI escape codes to adjust just the foreground color, however ANSI codes are not compatible with curses and I would rather work with curses than rewrite everything in ANSI codes.</p>