Console Helpers

Collection of utilities for writing console-based applications in .NET

Quick start

using static ConsoleHelpers.Helpers;

class FooBar
{
  public string foo { get; set; }
  public string bar { get; set; }
}

class Program
{
  static void Main(string[] args)
  {
    Header("This is a header");
    string input = PromptRead("This is a prompt");
    string input2 = PromptRead("You can also specify default values", "foobar");
    
    IList<string> choices = new List<string>
    {
      "foo",
      "bar",
      "baz"
    };
    
    string selected = PromptSelect("IEnumerables of strings are selectable by their index", choices);
    
    IList<FooBar> fooBarChoices = new List<FooBar>
    {
      new FooBar { foo = "foo"; bar = "bar" },
      new FooBar { foo = "bar"; bar = "foo" }
    };
    
    FooBar selectedFooBar = PromptSelect<FooBar>(
      "IEnumerables of objects are selectable too!",
      fooBarChoices,
      fooBar => $"foo = {foo}, bar = {bar}"
    );
  }
}

API

Classes

• SelectedIndex - represents either:
  • the index of a selected item within a list or
  • a cancelled selection

public class SelectedIndex
{
  public int Value { get; }
  public bool Cancelled { get; } = false;
}

• SelectedValue<T> - represents either:
  • the value of a selected item (T) within a list (IEnumberable<T>) or
  • a cancelled selection

public class SelectedValue<T> where T : class
{
  public T Value { get; } = default(T);
  public bool Cancelled { get; } = false;
}

Constants

• string EOL
  • Equivelent to Environment.NewLine (just simpler to type!)

Variables

• ConsoleColor HEADER_COLOR
  • The color of text written by the Header method
  • Default: ConsoleColor.White
• ConsoleColor HEADER_BG
  • The color of the background of text written by the Header method
  • Default: ConsoleColor.DarkBlue
• ConsoleColor PROMPT_COLOR
  • Defualt: ConsoleColor.Gray
• ConsoleColor PROMPT_BG
  • Default: ConsoleColor.Black

Methods

• void WriteWithColor(ConsoleColor textColor, ConsoleColor bgColor, string message, bool newLine)

  • Prints the provided message to the console using the provided colors
  • textColor - the color of the text to print
  • bgColor - the color of the background to print
  • message - the message to print
  • newLine - whether or not to print a newline after the message

• void Blue(string message [, bool newLine = true ])

  • Prints message with text color of blue
  • By default, prints a newline character after the message unless false is provided for the newLine argument

• void Red(string message [, bool newLine = true ])

  • Prints message in red
  • By default, prints a newline character after the message unless false is provided for the newLine argument

• void Yellow(string message [, bool newLine = true ])

  • Prints message in yellow
  • By default, prints a newline character after the message unless false is provided for the newLine argument

• void White(string message [, bool newLine = true ])

  • Prints message in white
  • By default, prints a newline character after the message unless false is provided for the newLine argument

• void Gray(string message [, bool newLine = true ])

  • Prints message in gray
  • By default, prints a newline character after the message unless false is provided for the newLine argument

• void Header(string message)

  • Prints a new line followed by "## {message} ##"
  • Text color / background color can be changed by setting HEADER_COLOR and HEADER_BG respectively

• void Prompt(string message)

  • Prints a tab followed by "{message}: "
  • Text color / background color can be changed by setting PROMPT_COLOR and PROMPT_BG respectively

• string PromptRead(string prompt)

  • Prompts the user to enter a value
  • Returns null if the user presses enter without typing anything
  • Returns the entered string if the user types something and presses enter

• string PromptRead(string prompt, object defaultValue)

  • Prompts the user to enter a value
  • Returns defaultValue if the user presses enter without typing anything
    • If defaultValue is null, this method will return null when nothing is entered.
    • For any non-null value of defaultValue, this method will return defaultValue.ToString() when nothing is entered
  • Returns the entered string if the user types something and presses enter

• SelectedIndex PromptSelect(string prompt, IEnumberable<string> choices [, bool allowCancel = true, bool allowNull = false])

  • Prompts the user to choose one of the provided choices
  • Each element of choices will be listed alongside its index within choices, and the user can enter the number corresponding to their choice
  • The return value SelectedIndex contains the users's selection
  • allowCancel - whether or not the user will be allowed to enter -1 to cancel this selection
    • if user enters -1, the SelectedIndex that is returned will have Cancelled = true
  • allowNull - whether or not to allow the user to simply press enter, choosing nothing
    • if user chooses nothing, null will be returned

• SelectedIndex PromptSelect(string prompt, IEnumberable<string> choices, object defaultValue [, bool allowCancel = true, bool allowNull = false])

  • Prompts the user to choose one of the provided choices
  • Each element of choices will be listed alongside its index within choices, and the user can enter the number corresponding to their choice
  • Returns the index of defaultValue within choices wrapped in a SelectedIndex if the user presses enter without typing anything
    • If defaultValue is null, this method will return null when nothing is entered.
    • For any non-null value of defaultValue, this method will return the index of defaultValue.ToString() wrapped in a SelectedIndex when nothing is entered
  • The return value SelectedIndex contains the users's selection
  • allowCancel - whether or not the user will be allowed to enter -1 to cancel this selection
    • if user enters -1, the SelectedIndex that is returned will have Cancelled = true
  • allowNull - whether or not to allow the user to simply press enter, choosing nothing
    • if user chooses nothing, null will be returned

• SelectedValue<T> PromptSelect<T>(string prompt, IEnumberable<T> choices, Func<T, string> mapping [, bool allowCancel = true, bool allowNull = false])

  • Prompts the user to choose one of the provided choices
  • Each element of choices will be mapped to a string using mapping and listed alongside its index within choices, and the user can enter the number corresponding to their choice
  • The return value SelectedValue<T> contains the users's selection
  • allowCancel - whether or not the user will be allowed to enter -1 to cancel this selection
    • if user enters -1, the SelectedValue<T> that is returned will have Cancelled = true
  • allowNull - whether or not to allow the user to simply press enter, choosing nothing
    • if user chooses nothing, null will be returned

• SelectedValue<T> PromptSelect<T>(string prompt, IEnumberable<T> choices, Func<T, string> mapping, T defaultValue [, bool allowCancel = true, bool allowNull = false])

  • Prompts the user to choose one of the provided choices
  • Each element of choices will be mapped to a string using mapping and listed alongside its index within choices, and the user can enter the number corresponding to their choice
  • Returns defaultValue wrapped in a SelectedValue<T> if the user presses enter without typing anything
    • If defaultValue is null, this method will return null when nothing is entered.
  • The return value SelectedValue<T> contains the users's selection
  • allowCancel - whether or not the user will be allowed to enter -1 to cancel this selection
    • if user enters -1, the SelectedValue<T> that is returned will have Cancelled = true
  • allowNull - whether or not to allow the user to simply press enter, choosing nothing
    • if user chooses nothing, null will be returned

• SelectedValue<T> PromptSelect<T>(string prompt, IEnumberable<T> choices, Func<T, string> mapping, int defaultIndex [, bool allowCancel = true, bool allowNull = false])

  • Prompts the user to choose one of the provided choices
  • Each element of choices will be mapped to a string using mapping and listed alongside its index within choices, and the user can enter the number corresponding to their choice
  • Returns choices[defaultIndex] wrapped in a SelectedValue<T> if the user presses enter without typing anything
    • If choices[defaultIndex] is null, this method will return null when nothing is entered.
  • The return value SelectedValue<T> contains the users's selection
  • allowCancel - whether or not the user will be allowed to enter -1 to cancel this selection
    • if user enters -1, the SelectedValue<T> that is returned will have Cancelled = true
  • allowNull - whether or not to allow the user to simply press enter, choosing nothing
    • if user chooses nothing, null will be returned