OutputHandler

A wrapper class for ruby, that allows output to be paused. Output can be send to console, to a logfile or both.

An OutputHandler instance provides #print and #puts, behaving like commonly used IO::print and IO::puts, except that these do not accept *args but only one chunk to be output. And it behaves this way as long as #pause is not triggered. With output being paused, chunks sent to the instance will wait until either #unpause or #flush are triggered.

At any time, using #print! or #puts! will output directly.

When using #pause(limit), the output is paused for limit seconds (e.g. when printing a help message in a fluent stream).

#print(!) and #puts(!) allow a second argument of type Boolean, that adds a carriage return to the beginning of the chunk (e.g. for displaying a progressbar). Please note, that alike IO::print, you probably want to add whitespace to overwrite the entire previous output.

OutputHandler.new is the same as OutputHandler.new(console: true, logfile: nil).

To discard currently queued output, use #flush(true).

gem install outputhandler

user:~/$ irb
"Loading irbrc"
2.5.1 :001 > require 'outputhandler'
2.5.1 :002 > o = OutputHandler.new
2.5.1 :003 > o.print "01: Lore ipsum dolor sit amet"
01: Lore ipsum dolor sit amet2.5.1 :004 > o.pause
2.5.1 :005 > o.puts  "02: consectetuer adipiscing elit"
2.5.1 :006 > o.puts! "03: Aliquam hendrerit mi posuere lectus"
03: Aliquam hendrerit mi posuere lectus
2.5.1 :007 > o.flush
02: consectetuer adipiscing elit
2.5.1 :008 > o.puts  "04: Vestibulum enim wisi"
2.5.1 :009 > o.puts! "05: viverra nec, fringilla in"
05: viverra nec, fringilla in
2.5.1 :010 > o.unpause
04: Vestibulum enim wisi
2.5.1 :011 > o.puts  "06: laoreet vitae, risus."
06: laoreet vitae, risus.