prompt-sync

a synchronous prompt for node.js

Usage no npm install needed!

<script type="module">
  import promptSync from 'https://cdn.skypack.dev/prompt-sync';
</script>

README

SYNOPSIS

A sync prompt for node. very simple. no C++ bindings and no bash scripts.

Works on Linux, OS X and Windows.

BASIC MODE


var prompt = require('prompt-sync')();
//
// get input from the user.
//
var n = prompt('How many more times? ');

WITH HISTORY

History is an optional extra, to use simply install the history plugin.

npm install --save prompt-sync-history
var prompt = require('prompt-sync')({
  history: require('prompt-sync-history')() //open history file
});
//get some user input
var input = prompt()
prompt.history.save() //save history back to file

See the prompt-sync-history module for options, or fork it for customized behaviour.

API

require('prompt-sync')(config) => prompt

Returns an instance of the prompt function. Takes config option with the following possible properties

sigint: Default is false. A ^C may be pressed during the input process to abort the text entry. If sigint it false, prompt returns null. If sigint is true the ^C will be handled in the traditional way: as a SIGINT signal causing process to exit with code 130.

eot: Default is false. A ^D pressed as the first character of an input line causes prompt-sync to echo exit and exit the process with code 0.

autocomplete: A completer function that will be called when user enters TAB to allow for autocomplete. It takes a string as an argument an returns an array of strings that are possible matches for completion. An empty array is returned if there are no matches.

history: Takes an object that supplies a "history interface", see prompt-sync-history for an example.

prompt(ask, value, opts)

ask is the label of the prompt, value is the default value in absence of a response.

The opts argument can also be in the first or second parameter position.

Opts can have the following properties

echo: Default is '*'. If set the password will be masked with the specified character. For hidden input, set echo to '' (or use prompt.hide).

autocomplete: Overrides the instance autocomplete function to allow for custom autocompletion of a particular prompt.

value: Same as the value parameter, the default value for the prompt. If opts is in the third position, this property will not overwrite the value parameter.

ask: Sames as the value parameter. The prompt label. If opts is not in the first position, the ask parameter will not be overridden by this property.

prompt.hide(ask)

Convenience method for creating a standard hidden password prompt, this is the same as prompt(ask, {echo: ''})

LINE EDITING

Line editing is enabled in the non-hidden mode. (use up/down arrows for history and backspace and left/right arrows for editing)

History is not set when using hidden mode.

EXAMPLES

  //basic:
  console.log(require('prompt-sync')()('tell me something about yourself: '))

  var prompt = require('prompt-sync')({
    history: require('prompt-sync-history')(),
    autocomplete: complete(['hello1234', 'he', 'hello', 'hello12', 'hello123456']),
    sigint: false
  });

  var value = 'frank';
  var name = prompt('enter name: ', value);
  console.log('enter echo * password');
  var pw = prompt({echo: '*'});
  var pwb = prompt('enter hidden password (or don\'t): ', {echo: '', value: '*pwb default*'})
  var pwc = prompt.hide('enter another hidden password: ')
  var autocompleteTest = prompt('custom autocomplete: ', {
    autocomplete: complete(['bye1234', 'by', 'bye12', 'bye123456'])
  });

  prompt.history.save();

  console.log('\nName: %s\nPassword *: %s\nHidden password: %s\nAnother Hidden password: %s', name, pw, pwb, pwc);
  console.log('autocomplete2: ', autocompleteTest);

  function complete(commands) {
    return function (str) {
      var i;
      var ret = [];
      for (i=0; i< commands.length; i++) {
        if (commands[i].indexOf(str) == 0)
          ret.push(commands[i]);
      }
      return ret;
    };
  };