IO::Prompt - Interactively prompt for user input
This module is no longer being maintained.
Use the IO::Prompter module instead.
This document describes IO::Prompt version 0.997004
use IO::Prompt;
while( prompt "next: " ) {
print "You said '$_'\n";
}
By default, this module exports a single function prompt. It prompts the
user to enter some input, and returns an object that represents the user input.
You may specify various flags to the function to affect its behaviour; most
notably, it defaults to automatically chomp the input, unless the -line
flag is specified.
Two other functions are exported at request: hand_print, which simulates
hand-typing to the console; and get_input, which is the lower-level function
that actually prompts the user for a suitable input.
Note that this is an interim re-release. A full release with better
documentation will follow in the near future. Meanwhile, please consult
the examples directory from this module's CPAN distribution to better
understand how to make use of this module.
=head1 INTERFACE
Any argument not of the following forms is treated as part of the text of the
prompt itself.
Flag Long form Arg Effect
---- --------- --- ------
<str> Use <str> as prompt
<filehandle> Prompt to specified filehandle
<hashref> Flatten hash entries into argument list
(useful for aggregating the options below)
-p -prompt <str> Specify prompt explicitly
-s -speed <num> Simulated typing speed (seconds/char)
-e -echo <str> What to echo for each char typed
-nl -newline <str> When a newline is typed, echo <str> instead
-d -default <str> What to return if only <return> pressed
-r -require <hashref> Each value of each entry must 'smartmatch'
the input else corresponding key is printed
as error message:
- Subs must return true when passed input
- Regexes must pattern match input
- Strings must eq match input
- Arrays are flattened & recursively matched
- Hashes must return true for input as key
-u -until <str|rgx> Fail if input matches <str|regex>
-fail_if
-w -while <str|rgx> Fail unless input matches <str|regex>
-okay_if
-m -menu <list|hash> Show the data specified as a menu
and allow one to be selected. Enter
an <ESC> to back up one level.
-1 -one_char Return immediately after first char typed
-x -escape Pressing <ESC> returns "\e" immediately
-raw -raw_input Return only the string that was input
(turns off context-sensitive features)
-c -clear Clear screen before prompt
-f -clear_first Clear screen before first prompt only
-a -argv Load @ARGV from input if @ARGV empty
-l -line Don't autochomp
-t -tty Prompt to terminal no matter what
-y -yes Return true if [yY] entered, false otherwise
-yn -yes_no Return true if [yY], false if [nN]
-Y -Yes Return true if 'Y' entered, false otherwise
-YN -Yes_No Return true if 'Y', false if 'N'
-num -number Accept only valid numbers as input
-i -integer Accept only valid integers as input
Note that the underscores between words in flags like -one_char and
-yes_no are optional.
Flags can be ``cuddled''. For example:
prompt("next: ", -tyn1s=>0.2) # -tty, -yes, -no, -one_char, -speed=>0.2
The hand_print() subroutine takes a string and prints it out in the
stop-and-start manner of hand-typed text.
The get_input() subroutine is a low-level utility subroutine that
takes an input filehandle, an output filehandle, a reference to a hash
of options (as listed for prompt(), above) and a single prompt
string. It prints the prompt and retreives the input. You almost
certainly want to use prompt() instead.
- Can't write prompt to read-only $_
-
You specified a filehandle to which the prompt should be written, but
that filehandle was not writeable. Did you pass the wrong filehandle, or
open it in the wrong mode?
- Missing argument for %s option
-
The flag you specified takes an argument, but you didn't provide that
argument.
- Unknown flag ($s) in prompt
-
The flag you specified wasn't one of those that
prompt() understands. Did
you misspell it, perhaps?
- Argument to -require must be hash reference
-
The
-require option takes a single argument that is a hash. You tried to
pass it something else. Try a hash instead.
- Cannot write to terminal: %s
-
- Cannot read from terminal: %s
-
prompt() attempted to access the terminal but couldn't. This may mean your
environment has no /dev/tty available, in which case there isn't much you
can do with this module. Sorry.
- Can't open %s: %s
-
prompt() tried to read input via *ARGV from a file specified on the
command-line, but the file couldn't be opened for the reason shown. This is
usually either a permission problem, a non-existent file, or a mistyped
filepath.
=item C<< Argument to -menu must be hash or array reference >>
The -menu option requires an argument that is either an array:
prompt -menu=>['yes', 'no', 'maybe'];
or a hash:
prompt -menu=>{yes=>1, no=>0, maybe=>0.5};
or a hash of hashes (of hashes (of array))
- Too many -menu items
-
- Too few -menu items
-
A menu can't have fewer than 1 or more than 26 items.
IO::Prompt requires no configuration files or environment variables.
IO::Prompt requires the following modules:
-
version
-
IO::Handle
-
Term::ReadKey
The module requires a /dev/tty device be available. It is therefore
incompatible with any system that doesn't provide such a device.
No bugs have been reported.
Please report any bugs or feature requests to
bug-io-prompt@rt.cpan.org, or through the web interface at
http://rt.cpan.org.
This is a collection of things that might help. Please send your
questions that are not answered here to Damian Conway
<DCONWAY@cpan.org>
Up to now, the answer was 'No', but this has changed.
You still cannot use ActivePerl, but if you use the Cygwin environment
(http://sources.redhat.com), which brings its own perl, and have
the latest IO::Tty (v0.05 or later) installed, it should work (feedback
appreciated).
My deepest gratitude to Autrijus Tang and Brian Ingerson, who have taken
care of this module for the past twelve months, while I was off trekking
in the highlands of Perl 6. Now it's their turn for some mountain air,
I'll be looking after this module again.
Damian Conway <DCONWAY@cpan.org>
Copyright (c) 2005, Damian Conway <DCONWAY@cpan.org>. All rights reserved.
This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
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