By default a Python curses overlay is transparent, where any non character space shows the window below. Even when adding a ' ' character, it still shows the character below.
Is there a way to have an overlay's space (' ') characters hide the window below? I will be removing the window at a later point and do not want to destory the data that is on the lower window (which works correctly when the space is a non empty character).
Turns out the behavior I was looking for is what panels are for.
Panels are windows with the added feature of depth, so they can be >stacked on top of each other, and only the visible portions of each window >will be displayed. Panels can be added, moved up or down in the stack, and >removed.