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# Readline
Stability: 2 - Unstable
To use this module, do `require('readline')`. Readline allows reading of a
stream (such as `process.stdin`) on a line-by-line basis.
Note that once you've invoked this module, your node program will not
terminate until you've closed the interface. Here's how to allow your
program to gracefully exit:
var readline = require('readline');
var rl = readline.createInterface({
input: process.stdin,
output: process.stdout
});
rl.question("What do you think of node.js? ", function(answer) {
// TODO: Log the answer in a database
console.log("Thank you for your valuable feedback:", answer);
rl.close();
});
## readline.createInterface(options)
Creates a readline `Interface` instance. Accepts an "options" Object that takes
the following values:
- `input` - the readable stream to listen to (Required).
- `output` - the writable stream to write readline data to (Required).
- `completer` - an optional function that is used for Tab autocompletion. See
below for an example of using this.
- `terminal` - pass `true` if the `input` and `output` streams should be
treated like a TTY, and have ANSI/VT100 escape codes written to it.
Defaults to checking `isTTY` on the `output` stream upon instantiation.
The `completer` function is given a the current line entered by the user, and
is supposed to return an Array with 2 entries:
1. An Array with matching entries for the completion.
2. The substring that was used for the matching.
Which ends up looking something like:
`[[substr1, substr2, ...], originalsubstring]`.
Example:
function completer(line) {
var completions = '.help .error .exit .quit .q'.split(' ')
var hits = completions.filter(function(c) { return c.indexOf(line) == 0 })
// show all completions if none found
return [hits.length ? hits : completions, line]
}
Also `completer` can be run in async mode if it accepts two arguments:
function completer(linePartial, callback) {
callback(null, [['123'], linePartial]);
}
`createInterface` is commonly used with `process.stdin` and
`process.stdout` in order to accept user input:
var readline = require('readline');
var rl = readline.createInterface({
input: process.stdin,
output: process.stdout
});
Once you have a readline instance, you most commonly listen for the
`"line"` event.
If `terminal` is `true` for this instance then the `output` stream will get
13 years ago
the best compatibility if it defines an `output.columns` property, and fires
a `"resize"` event on the `output` if/when the columns ever change
(`process.stdout` does this automatically when it is a TTY).
## Class: Interface
The class that represents a readline interface with an input and output
stream.
### rl.setPrompt(prompt, length)
Sets the prompt, for example when you run `node` on the command line, you see
`> `, which is node's prompt.
### rl.prompt([preserveCursor])
Readies readline for input from the user, putting the current `setPrompt`
options on a new line, giving the user a new spot to write. Set `preserveCursor`
to `true` to prevent the cursor placement being reset to `0`.
This will also resume the `input` stream used with `createInterface` if it has
been paused.
### rl.question(query, callback)
Prepends the prompt with `query` and invokes `callback` with the user's
response. Displays the query to the user, and then invokes `callback`
with the user's response after it has been typed.
This will also resume the `input` stream used with `createInterface` if
it has been paused.
Example usage:
interface.question('What is your favorite food?', function(answer) {
console.log('Oh, so your favorite food is ' + answer);
});
### rl.pause()
Pauses the readline `input` stream, allowing it to be resumed later if needed.
### rl.resume()
Resumes the readline `input` stream.
### rl.close()
Closes the `Interface` instance, relinquishing control on the `input` and
`output` streams. The "close" event will also be emitted.
### rl.write(data, [key])
Writes `data` to `output` stream. `key` is an object literal to represent a key
sequence; available if the terminal is a TTY.
This will also resume the `input` stream if it has been paused.
Example:
rl.write('Delete me!');
// Simulate ctrl+u to delete the line written previously
rl.write(null, {ctrl: true, name: 'u'});
## Events
### Event: 'line'
`function (line) {}`
Emitted whenever the `input` stream receives a `\n`, usually received when the
user hits enter, or return. This is a good hook to listen for user input.
Example of listening for `line`:
rl.on('line', function (cmd) {
console.log('You just typed: '+cmd);
});
### Event: 'pause'
`function () {}`
Emitted whenever the `input` stream is paused.
Also emitted whenever the `input` stream is not paused and receives the
`SIGCONT` event. (See events `SIGTSTP` and `SIGCONT`)
Example of listening for `pause`:
rl.on('pause', function() {
console.log('Readline paused.');
});
### Event: 'resume'
`function () {}`
Emitted whenever the `input` stream is resumed.
Example of listening for `resume`:
rl.on('resume', function() {
console.log('Readline resumed.');
});
### Event: 'close'
`function () {}`
Emitted when `close()` is called.
Also emitted when the `input` stream receives its "end" event. The `Interface`
instance should be considered "finished" once this is emitted. For example, when
the `input` stream receives `^D`, respectively known as `EOT`.
This event is also called if there is no `SIGINT` event listener present when
the `input` stream receives a `^C`, respectively known as `SIGINT`.
### Event: 'SIGINT'
`function () {}`
Emitted whenever the `input` stream receives a `^C`, respectively known as
`SIGINT`. If there is no `SIGINT` event listener present when the `input`
stream receives a `SIGINT`, `pause` will be triggered.
Example of listening for `SIGINT`:
rl.on('SIGINT', function() {
rl.question('Are you sure you want to exit?', function(answer) {
if (answer.match(/^y(es)?$/i)) rl.pause();
});
});
### Event: 'SIGTSTP'
`function () {}`
**This does not work on Windows.**
Emitted whenever the `input` stream receives a `^Z`, respectively known as
`SIGTSTP`. If there is no `SIGTSTP` event listener present when the `input`
stream receives a `SIGTSTP`, the program will be sent to the background.
When the program is resumed with `fg`, the `pause` and `SIGCONT` events will be
emitted. You can use either to resume the stream.
The `pause` and `SIGCONT` events will not be triggered if the stream was paused
before the program was sent to the background.
Example of listening for `SIGTSTP`:
rl.on('SIGTSTP', function() {
// This will override SIGTSTP and prevent the program from going to the
// background.
console.log('Caught SIGTSTP.');
});
### Event: 'SIGCONT'
`function () {}`
**This does not work on Windows.**
Emitted whenever the `input` stream is sent to the background with `^Z`,
respectively known as `SIGTSTP`, and then continued with `fg(1)`. This event
only emits if the stream was not paused before sending the program to the
background.
Example of listening for `SIGCONT`:
rl.on('SIGCONT', function() {
// `prompt` will automatically resume the stream
rl.prompt();
});
## Example: Tiny CLI
Here's an example of how to use all these together to craft a tiny command
line interface:
var readline = require('readline'),
rl = readline.createInterface(process.stdin, process.stdout);
rl.setPrompt('OHAI> ');
rl.prompt();
rl.on('line', function(line) {
switch(line.trim()) {
case 'hello':
console.log('world!');
break;
default:
console.log('Say what? I might have heard `' + line.trim() + '`');
break;
}
rl.prompt();
}).on('close', function() {
console.log('Have a great day!');
process.exit(0);
});