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A Python module for collection of common interactive command line user interfaces, based on Inquirer.js

Project description

PythonInquirer
==============

A collection of common interactive command line user interfaces. It is
originally called `whaaaaaat <https://github.com/finklabs/whaaaaat>`__
created by **finklabs**, but due to bad naming and in need of fixes, I
decided to rename and apply some necessary fixes on it. The reason is
because I needed it for a tool that can be install through PyPI. I need
to rewrite it for my own need. But don't worry any new fix on the main
Repo, will be added to it if needed. Lastly, I am currently working on
the author's TODO.

PyInquirer 1.0.3 Bugfix Update
-----------------

`PyInquirer 1.0.3 <https://github.com/CITGuru/PyInquirer/releases/tag/1.0.3>`


Table of Contents
-----------------

1. `Documentation <#documentation>`__

1. `Installation <#installation>`__
2. `Examples <#examples>`__
3. `Quickstart <#quickstart>`__
4. `Question Types <#types>`__
5. `Question Properties <#properties>`__
6. `User Interfaces and Styles <#styles>`__

2. `Windows Platform <#windows>`__
3. `Support <#support>`__
4. `Contribution <#contribution>`__
5. `Acknowledgments <#acknowledgements>`__
6. `License <#license>`__

Goal and Philosophy
-------------------

**PyInquirer** strives to be an easily embeddable and beautiful
command line interface for `Python <https://python.org/>`__.
**PyInquirer** wants to make it easy for existing Inquirer.js users
to write immersive command line applications in Python. We are convinced
that its feature-set is the most complete for building immersive CLI
applications. We also hope that **PyInquirer** proves itself useful
to Python users.

**PyInquirer** should ease the process of - providing *error
feedback* - *asking questions* - *parsing* input - *validating* answers
- managing *hierarchical prompts*

**Note:** **PyInquirer** provides the user interface and the inquiry
session flow. >

Documentation
-------------

Installation
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like most Python packages PyInquirer is available on `PyPi <TODO>`__.
Simply use pip to install the PyInquirer package

.. code:: shell

pip install PyInquirer

In case you encounter any prompt\_toolkit error, that means you've the
wrong prompt\_toolkit version.

You can correct that by doing

.. code:: shell

pip install prompt_toolkit==1.0.14

or download the wheel file from here:

.. code:: shell

https://pypi.org/project/prompt_toolkit/1.0.14/#files

Quickstart
~~~~~~~~~~

Like Inquirer.js, using inquirer is structured into two simple steps:

- you define a **list of questions** and hand them to **prompt**
- promt returns a **list of answers**

.. code:: python

from __future__ import print_function, unicode_literals
from PyInquirer import prompt, print_json

questions = [
{
'type': 'input',
'name': 'first_name',
'message': 'What\'s your first name',
}
]

answers = prompt(questions)
print_json(answers) # use the answers as input for your app

A good starting point from here is probably the examples section.

Examples
~~~~~~~~

Most of the examples intend to demonstrate a single question type or
feature:

- `editor.py <./examples/editor.py>`_
- `expand.py <./examples/expand.py>`_
- `list.py <./examples/list.py>`_
- `password.py <./examples/password.py>`_
- `when.py <./examples/when.py>`_
- `checkbox.py <./examples/checkbox.py>`_
- `confirm.py <./examples/confirm.py>`_
- `hierarchical.py <./examples/hierarchical.py>`_
- `pizza.py <./examples/pizza.py>`_ - demonstrate using different question types
- `editor.py <./examples/editor.py>`_
- `input.py <./examples/input.py>`_
- `rawlist.py <./examples/rawlist.py>`_

If you want to launch examples with the code from repository instead of
installing a package you need to execute ``pip install -e .`` within project
directory.

Question Types
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

``questions`` is a list of questions. Each question has a type.

List - ``{type: 'list'}``
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Take ``type``, ``name``, ``message``, ``choices``\ [, ``default``,
``filter``] properties. (Note that default must be the choice ``index``
in the array or a choice ``value``)

|List prompt| s ---

Raw List - ``{type: 'rawlist'}``
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Take ``type``, ``name``, ``message``, ``choices``\ [, ``default``,
``filter``] properties. (Note that default must the choice ``index`` in
the array)

.. figure:: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/citguru/PyInquirer/master/docs/images/raw-list.png
:alt: Raw list prompt

Raw list prompt

--------------

Expand - ``{type: 'expand'}``
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Take ``type``, ``name``, ``message``, ``choices``\ [, ``default``]
properties. (Note that default must be the choice ``index`` in the
array. If ``default`` key not provided, then ``help`` will be used as
default choice)

Note that the ``choices`` object will take an extra parameter called
``key`` for the ``expand`` prompt. This parameter must be a single
(lowercased) character. The ``h`` option is added by the prompt and
shouldn't be defined by the user.

See ``examples/expand.py`` for a running example.

|Expand prompt closed| |Expand prompt expanded|

--------------

Checkbox - ``{type: 'checkbox'}``
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Take ``type``, ``name``, ``message``, ``choices``\ [, ``filter``,
``validate``, ``default``] properties. ``default`` is expected to be an
Array of the checked choices value.

Choices marked as ``{checked: true}`` will be checked by default.

Choices whose property ``disabled`` is truthy will be unselectable. If
``disabled`` is a string, then the string will be outputted next to the
disabled choice, otherwise it'll default to ``"Disabled"``. The
``disabled`` property can also be a synchronous function receiving the
current answers as argument and returning a boolean or a string.

.. figure:: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/citguru/PyInquirer/master/docs/images/checkbox-prompt.png
:alt: Checkbox prompt

Checkbox prompt

--------------

Confirm - ``{type: 'confirm'}``
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Take ``type``, ``name``, ``message``\ [, ``default``] properties.
``default`` is expected to be a boolean if used.

.. figure:: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/citguru/PyInquirer/master/docs/images/confirm-prompt.png
:alt: Confirm prompt

Confirm prompt

--------------

Input - ``{type: 'input'}``
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Take ``type``, ``name``, ``message``\ [, ``default``, ``filter``,
``validate``] properties.

.. figure:: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/citguru/PyInquirer/master/docs/images/input-prompt.png
:alt: Input prompt

Input prompt

--------------

Password - ``{type: 'password'}``
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Take ``type``, ``name``, ``message``\ [, ``default``, ``filter``,
``validate``] properties.

.. figure:: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/citguru/PyInquirer/master/docs/images/password-prompt.png
:alt: Password prompt

Password prompt

--------------

Editor - ``{type: 'editor'}``
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Take ``type``, ``name``, ``message``\ [, ``default``, ``filter``,
``validate``, ``eargs``] properties

### Editor Arguments - ``eargs``

Opens an empty or edits the default text in the defined editor. If an editor is given
(should be the full path to the executable but the regular operating
system search path is used for finding the executable) it overrides
the detected editor. Optionally, some environment variables can be
used. If the editor is closed without changes, ``None`` is returned. In
case a file is edited directly the return value is always ``None`` and
``save`` and ``ext`` are ignored.

Takes:

- editor: accepts ``default`` to get the default platform editor. But
you can also provide the path to an editor e.g ``vi``.
- ext: the extension to tell the editor about. This defaults to `.txt`
but changing this might change syntax highlighting e.g ".py"
- save: accepts ``True`` or ``False`` to determine to save a file.
- filename: accepts the path of a file you'd like to edit.
- env: accepts any given environment variables to pass to the editor

Launches an instance of the users preferred editor on a temporary file.
Once the user exits their editor, the contents of the temporary file are
read in as the result. The editor to use is determined by reading the
:math:``VISUAL or ``\ EDITOR environment variables. If neither of those
are present, notepad (on Windows) or vim (Linux or Mac) is used.

Question Properties
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A question is a dictionary containing question related values:

- ``type``: (String) Type of the prompt. Defaults: input - Possible values:
input, confirm, list, rawlist, expand, checkbox, password, editor
- ``name``: (String) The name to use when storing the answer in the answers
hash. If the name contains periods, it will define a path in the
answers hash.
- ``message``: (String\|Function) The question to print. If defined as a
function, the first parameter will be the current inquirer session
answers.
- ``default``: (String\|Number\|Array\|Function) Default value(s) to use if
nothing is entered, or a function that returns the default value(s).
If defined as a function, the first parameter will be the current
inquirer session answers.
- ``choices``: (Array\|Function) Choices array or a function returning a
choices array. If defined as a function, the first parameter will be
the current inquirer session answers. Array values can be simple
strings, or objects containing a name (to display in list), a value
(to save in the answers hash) and a short (to display after
selection) properties. The choices array can also contain a
Separator.
- ``validate``: (Function) Receive the user input and should return true if
the value is valid, and an error message (String) otherwise. If false
is returned, a default error message is provided.
- ``filter``: (Function) Receive the user input and return the filtered
value to be used inside the program. The value returned will be added
to the Answers hash.
- ``when``: (Function, Boolean) Receive the current user answers hash and
should return true or false depending on whether or not this question
should be asked. The value can also be a simple boolean.
- ``pageSize``: (Number) Change the number of lines that will be rendered
when using list, rawList, expand or checkbox.

User Interfaces and Styles
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TODO

Windows Platform
----------------

**``PyInquirer``** is build on prompt\_toolkit which is cross platform,
and everything that you build on top should run fine on both Unix and
Windows systems. On Windows, it uses a different event loop
(WaitForMultipleObjects instead of select), and another input and output
system. (Win32 APIs instead of pseudo-terminals and VT100.)

It's worth noting that the implementation is a "best effort of what is
possible". Both Unix and Windows terminals have their limitations. But
in general, the Unix experience will still be a little better.

For Windows, it's recommended to use either cmder or conemu.

Support
-------

Most of the questions are probably related to using a question type or
feature. Please lookup and study the appropriate examples.

Issue on Github TODO link

For many issues like for example common Python programming issues
stackoverflow might be a good place to search for an answer. TODO link

Contribution
------------

.. code:: shell

$ git clone git@github.com:CITGuru/PyInquirer.git
$ cd PyInquirer
$ python -m venv venv
$ source venv/bin/activate
$ pip install --upgrade pip
$ pip install -r requirements.txt
$ pip install -r requirements_dev.txt

With an environment ready you can add new feature and check everything works
just fine

.. code:: shell

$ pytest -sv tests/

That's it, now you can fork a project and submit PR with your change!

License
-------

Since I am not the owner, it all goes to Finklab

Copyright (c) 2016-2017 Mark Fink (twitter: @markfink)

Copyright (c) 2018 Oyetoke Toby (twitter: @oyetokeT)

Licensed under the MIT license.

.. |List prompt| image:: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/citguru/PyInquirer/master/docs/images/input-prompt.png
.. |Expand prompt closed| image:: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/citguru/PyInquirer/master/docs/images/expand-prompt-1.png
.. |Expand prompt expanded| image:: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/citguru/PyInquirer/master/docs/images/expand-prompt-2.png

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