How to add colors to uilive output in Go?

uilive doesn't support colors natively. You can use ANSI escape codes directly in your strings or integrate with libraries like fatih/color to format text before writing to the uilive writer.

uilive vs tcell for terminal UI in Go?

uilive is best for simple, real-time output updates like progress bars, while tcell is a full-featured TUI library for complex interfaces with widgets and input handling. Choose uilive for lightweight updates, tcell for rich terminal applications.

How to handle multiple progress bars with uilive?

uilive is low-level; for multiple bars, consider using uiprogress which is built on uilive, or manage multiple uilive writers manually, ensuring proper synchronization to avoid output conflicts.

Can uilive update specific lines in the terminal?

Yes, uilive can update output dynamically, but it doesn't provide built-in cursor control. You need to manage line positions manually using escape codes or by clearing and rewriting output.

Is uilive thread-safe for concurrent writes from goroutines?

The library doesn't explicitly guarantee thread safety. For concurrent access, you should use synchronization mechanisms like mutexes to prevent race conditions when writing from multiple goroutines.

How to customize the flush interval in uilive?

The flush interval is configurable via the writer's settings, though the README example uses defaults. Check the godoc for details on setting intervals to balance smoothness and performance.

uilive — Real-Time Terminal Output Library

What is uilive?

uilive is a Go library that provides a buffered io.Writer for updating terminal output in real-time. It flushes output at timed intervals, enabling smooth, dynamic updates to the terminal without manual screen management. It solves the problem of creating live-updating CLI interfaces, such as progress bars or status monitors, with minimal code.

Target Audience

Go developers building command-line tools or terminal applications that require real-time output updates, like progress trackers, live logs, or interactive dashboards.

Value Proposition

Developers choose uilive for its simplicity, performance, and seamless integration with Go's I/O system, offering a lightweight alternative to more complex terminal UI libraries while enabling smooth, real-time updates.

uilive is a go library for updating terminal output in realtime

Use Cases

Best For

Creating animated progress bars in CLI tools
Building real-time status dashboards for terminal applications
Implementing live-updating logs or monitoring displays
Developing interactive command-line interfaces with dynamic output
Adding smooth progress indicators to Go-based CLI utilities
Enhancing terminal apps with real-time feedback without flickering

Not Ideal For

Developers building complex, multi-pane terminal user interfaces (TUIs) with advanced layouts
Projects requiring rich, pre-built UI components like tables, forms, or charts without additional coding
Applications that need fine-grained control over terminal escape codes or platform-specific optimizations

Pros & Cons

Pros

Buffered Output for Smooth Updates

Uses a buffered io.Writer that flushes at timed intervals, ensuring smooth real-time display without flickering, as demonstrated in the example GIF in the README.

Simple Integration with Go I/O

Easy to use with standard Go patterns; just create a writer with uilive.New() and call Start()/Stop(), requiring minimal setup as shown in the usage example.

Lightweight and Performant

Focuses on simplicity and performance without complex dependencies, making it a fast and efficient choice for terminal updates, per the project philosophy.

Foundation for Progress Libraries

Powers uiprogress for animated progress bars, showing its reliability and effectiveness as a core engine for dynamic UI elements, as noted in the description.

Cons

Limited Built-in Features

Lacks advanced terminal capabilities like color support, cursor control, or input handling, which may require integrating additional libraries or manual implementation.

Basic Error Handling

Provides minimal error handling; developers must manage potential issues such as writer failures or concurrent access on their own, with no guidance in the README.

No Support for Complex Layouts

Designed for single-line or simple multi-line updates, not for managing multiple dynamic regions or panes, limiting its use for sophisticated terminal interfaces.

What is uilive?

Target Audience

Go developers building command-line tools or terminal applications that require real-time output updates, like progress trackers, live logs, or interactive dashboards.

Value Proposition

Use Cases

Best For

Creating animated progress bars in CLI tools
Building real-time status dashboards for terminal applications
Implementing live-updating logs or monitoring displays
Developing interactive command-line interfaces with dynamic output
Adding smooth progress indicators to Go-based CLI utilities
Enhancing terminal apps with real-time feedback without flickering

Not Ideal For

Developers building complex, multi-pane terminal user interfaces (TUIs) with advanced layouts
Projects requiring rich, pre-built UI components like tables, forms, or charts without additional coding
Applications that need fine-grained control over terminal escape codes or platform-specific optimizations

Pros & Cons

Pros

Buffered Output for Smooth Updates

Uses a buffered io.Writer that flushes at timed intervals, ensuring smooth real-time display without flickering, as demonstrated in the example GIF in the README.

Simple Integration with Go I/O

Easy to use with standard Go patterns; just create a writer with uilive.New() and call Start()/Stop(), requiring minimal setup as shown in the usage example.

Lightweight and Performant

Focuses on simplicity and performance without complex dependencies, making it a fast and efficient choice for terminal updates, per the project philosophy.

Foundation for Progress Libraries

Powers uiprogress for animated progress bars, showing its reliability and effectiveness as a core engine for dynamic UI elements, as noted in the description.

Cons

Limited Built-in Features

Lacks advanced terminal capabilities like color support, cursor control, or input handling, which may require integrating additional libraries or manual implementation.

Basic Error Handling

Provides minimal error handling; developers must manage potential issues such as writer failures or concurrent access on their own, with no guidance in the README.

No Support for Complex Layouts

Designed for single-line or simple multi-line updates, not for managing multiple dynamic regions or panes, limiting its use for sophisticated terminal interfaces.

uilive

What is uilive?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?

uilive

What is uilive?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?