Question 1

How to add a progress bar to an Elixir CLI tool?

Accepted Answer

Use ProgressBar.render/2 or /3 with the current and total values, and call it repeatedly for updates. For example, ProgressBar.render(50, 100) shows a 50% bar. Customize with options like width or suffix for bytes.

Question 2

ProgressBar vs simple_bar for Elixir?

Accepted Answer

ProgressBar offers more features like spinners, indeterminate bars, and ANSI color customization, while simple_bar is likely simpler. However, ProgressBar is not actively maintained, so for new projects, consider forking or using alternatives with ongoing support.

Question 3

How to customize spinner frames in ProgressBar?

Accepted Answer

Specify the frames option as a list of strings or use predefined atoms like :braille. For instance, ProgressBar.render_spinner([frames: ["O", "o"]], fn -> end) creates a custom spinner. Details are in the 'Predefined spinners' section.

Question 4

ProgressBar not showing in Docker or CI environments?

Accepted Answer

This library relies on terminal interactivity and ANSI escape codes. Ensure STDOUT is a TTY; in non-interactive environments like Docker logs, it may fail. The automatic width detection might also default to 80 columns if unsupported.

Question 5

How to handle download progress with ProgressBar?

Accepted Answer

Use the suffix: :bytes option to display byte counts with automatic unit conversion. For example, ProgressBar.render(bytes_received, total_bytes, suffix: :bytes) shows MB or KB, as demonstrated in the 'suffix: :bytes' section.

Question 6

Can ProgressBar be used for high-frequency updates?

Accepted Answer

While you can set low intervals (e.g., 10ms), frequent redraws with ANSI styling might cause performance overhead or flicker. It's best suited for moderate update rates, such as progress on batch processing or downloads.

progress_bar

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