Readline Node.js v0.12.7 Manual & Documentation

# 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 (Optional).

- `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 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 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)#

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.

If `output` is set to `null` or `undefined` when calling `createInterface`, the prompt is not written.

### 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.

If `output` is set to `null` or `undefined` when calling `createInterface`, nothing is displayed.

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.

Note that this doesn't immediately pause the stream of events. Several events may be emitted after calling `pause`, including `line`.

### 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, unless `output` is set to `null` or `undefined` when calling `createInterface`. `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);
    });

## readline.cursorTo(stream, x, y)#

Move cursor to the specified position in a given TTY stream.

## readline.moveCursor(stream, dx, dy)#

Move cursor relative to it's current position in a given TTY stream.

## readline.clearLine(stream, dir)#

Clears current line of given TTY stream in a specified direction. `dir` should have one of following values:

- `-1` - to the left from cursor
- `1` - to the right from cursor
- `0` - the entire line

## readline.clearScreenDown(stream)#

Clears the screen from the current position of the cursor down.