181 lines
5.8 KiB
Markdown
181 lines
5.8 KiB
Markdown
# readlineSync
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Synchronous [Readline](http://nodejs.org/api/readline.html) for interactively running.
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The interface is used with `process.stdin` and `process.stdout` in order to accept user input.
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## Example
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```js
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var readlineSync = require('readline-sync');
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var answer = readlineSync.question('What is your favorite food? :');
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console.log('Oh, so your favorite food is ' + answer);
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```
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## Installation
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```
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npm install readline-sync
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```
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## Usage
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### setPrompt
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```js
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currentValue = readlineSync.setPrompt([prompt])
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```
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Sets the prompt, for example when you run `node` on the command line, you see `> `, which is node's prompt.
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`prompt` may be string, or may not be (e.g. number, Date, Object, etc.). This is converted to string (i.e. `toString` method is called) before it is displayed every time.
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For example: `[foo-directory]#` like a bash
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```js
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// Object that has toString method.
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readlineSync.setPrompt({toString: function() {
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return '[' + require('path').basename(process.cwd()) + ']# ';
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}})
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```
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### prompt
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```js
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line = readlineSync.prompt([options])
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```
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Readies readline for input from the user, putting the current `setPrompt` options on a new line, giving the user a new spot to write.
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If `{noEchoBack: true}` is specified to `options`, echo back is avoided. It is used to hide the secret text (e.g. password) which is typed by user on screen.
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### question
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```js
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line = readlineSync.question([query[, options]])
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```
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Displays the `query` to the user, and then returns the user's response after it has been typed.
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`query` may be string, or may not be (e.g. number, Date, Object, etc.). This is converted to string (i.e. `toString` method is called) before it is displayed.
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If `{noEchoBack: true}` is specified to `options`, echo back is avoided. It is used to hide the secret text (e.g. password) which is typed by user on screen.
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### setEncoding
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```js
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currentValue = readlineSync.setEncoding([encoding])
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```
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Set the encoding method of input (user's response) and output (`prompt` and `question`). Defaults to 'utf8'.
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### setPrint
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```js
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readlineSync.setPrint([funcPrint])
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```
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The specified Function is called when any output (`prompt` and `question`). Defaults to `undefined`.
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The Function is given two arguments the output text and `encoding`.
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For example, this is used to pass plain texts to Logger, when texts are colored.
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```js
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var readlineSync = require('readline-sync'),
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user, pw, cmd;
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require('colors');
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readlineSync.setPrint(function(display, encoding) {
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logger.log(display.stripColors); // remove control characters
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});
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console.log('Your account required.'.grey);
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user = readlineSync.question('USER NAME'.white.inverse + ': ');
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pw = readlineSync.question('PASSWORD'.white.inverse + ': ', {noEchoBack: true});
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// Authorization ...
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console.log(('Welcome, ' + user + '!').green.bold);
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readlineSync.setPrompt('> '.bold.red);
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cmd = readlineSync.prompt();
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```
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## With Task Runner
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If you want to control the flow of task runner (e.g. [Grunt](http://gruntjs.com/)), call readlineSync in a task callback that is called by task runner. Then the flow of tasks is paused and it is controlled by user.
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Example: by using [grunt-task-helper](https://www.npmjs.org/package/grunt-task-helper)
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```shell
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$ grunt
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Running "fileCopy" task
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Files already exist:
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file-a.png
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file-b.js
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Overwrite? (y/n) :y
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file-a.png copied.
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file-b.js copied.
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Done.
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```
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`Gruntfile.js`
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```js
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grunt.initConfig({
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taskHelper: {
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fileCopy: {
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options: {
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handlerByTask: function() {
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// Abort the task if user don't want.
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return readlineSync.question('Overwrite? (y/n) :')
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.toLowerCase() === 'y';
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// Or process.exit()
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},
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filesArray: []
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},
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...
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}
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},
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copy: {
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fileCopy: {
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files: '<%= taskHelper.fileCopy.options.filesArray %>'
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}
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}
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});
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```
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## Note
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### Platforms
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The your Node and OS may not support interactively reading from stdin. The stdin interfaces are different by platforms.
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If in those platforms, an error is thrown.
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```js
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try {
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answer = readlineSync.question('What is your favorite food? :');
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} catch (e) {
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console.error(e);
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process.exit(1);
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}
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```
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### Reading by shell
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readlineSync tries reading from stdin by shell if it is needed. And, it use "piping via files" for synchronous running.
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As everyone knows, "piping via files" is no good. It blocks event loop and a process. It may make your script be slow.
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Why did I choose it? :
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+ The best solution is [child_process.execSync](https://github.com/joyent/node/blob/master/doc/api/child_process.markdown#child_processexecsynccommand-options) in core modules of Node. But it is not supported by current version.
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+ The good modules (native addon) for synchronous execution exist. But node-gyp can't compile those in some platforms or Node versions.
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+ I think that the security is important more than the speed. Some modules have problem about security. (Those don't protect data.) I think that the speed is not needed usually, because readlineSync is used while user types keys.
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Someday, I may rewrite readlineSync to use child_process.execSync, or safety module.
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## Release History
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* 2014-09-12 v0.4.8 fixed #9: Error of `stty` in read.sh.
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* 2014-07-13 v0.4.3 fixed #6: Crypto input data.
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* 2014-07-12 v0.4.2 `setPrompt()` and `setEncoding()` return current value.
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* 2014-07-12 v0.4.1 `setPrompt()` and `question()` accept the value which is not string too (e.g. number, Date, Object, etc.).
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* 2014-07-12 v0.4.0 Add `options.noEchoBack`.
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* 2014-07-12 v0.3.0 Add `setPrint()`.
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* 2014-06-27 v0.2.3 Add alternative reading via shell on the environment which don't support interactively reading.
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* 2013-12-18 v0.2.2 Error handle for the environment which don't support interactively reading from stdin.
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* 2013-08-30 v0.2.0 Rewrite exporting methods.
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* 2013-08-29 v0.1.0 Initial release.
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