Readline Functions

readline — Reads a line
readline_add_history — Adds a line to the history
readline_callback_handler_install — Initializes the readline callback interface and terminal, prints the prompt and returns immediately
readline_callback_handler_remove — Removes a previously installed callback handler and restores terminal settings
readline_callback_read_char — Reads a character and informs the readline callback interface when a line is received
readline_clear_history — Clears the history
readline_completion_function — Registers a completion function
readline_info — Gets/sets various internal readline variables
readline_list_history — Lists the history
readline_on_new_line — Inform readline that the cursor has moved to a new line
readline_read_history — Reads the history
readline_redisplay — Redraws the display
readline_write_history — Writes the history

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User Contributed Notes

18 years ago

Readline only reads the window size on startup or on SIGWINCH.  This means if the window is resized when not in a readline() call, the next call will have odd behavior due to confusion about the window size.

The work-around is to force Readline to re-read the window size by sending it SIGWINCH.  This is accomplished using the async interface, which installs the signal handler but returns control to PHP.

The following function is a drop-in replacement for readline(), but re-reads the window size every time:

<?
    function xreadline($prompt)
    {
        global $xreadline, $xreadline_line;
        $code = '$GLOBALS["xreadline"] = false;' .
                '$GLOBALS["xreadline_line"] = $line;' .
                'readline_callback_handler_remove();';
        $cb = create_function('$line', $code);
        readline_callback_handler_install($prompt, $cb);
        $signal = defined("SIGWINCH") ? SIGWINCH : 28;
        posix_kill(posix_getpid(), $signal);
        $xreadline = true;
        while ($xreadline)
            readline_callback_read_char();
        return is_null($xreadline_line) ? false : $xreadline_line;
    }
?>

flobee

18 years ago

re to: ds at NOSPAM dot undesigned dot org dot za

cool program! note when trying to exec() something:
in the while loop you need to reset exec() returns or you will get all results of all executions (on my my windows and or cygwin :-( 
like:
<?php
// your class prompt()

echo "Enter something or 'exit' to quit\n";
do {
    $cmdline = new prompt();
    $buffer = $cmdline->get('shell command: ');
// init/ reset first!
    $data = null;
    $return = null;
// now start:
    echo "You said: $buffer\n";
    if (!empty($buffer)) {
        $x = exec($buffer, $data, $return);
        print_r($data);
    }
} while ($buffer !== "exit");
echo "Goodbye\n";

jcastromail at yahoo dot es

3 years ago

Windows.
To the current date,  PHP 8.1 64bits under Windows does not support all the functions:

supported:
readline_add_history                                                                 
readline_clear_history                                                               
readline_completion_function                                                         
readline_info                                                                        
readline_list_history                                                                
readline_read_history                                                                
readline_write_history                                                               
readline    
                                                                         
no supported: (the function is not even defined)

readline_callback_handler_install
readline_callback_handler_remove
readline_callback_read_char
readline_on_new_line
readline_redisplay

if you want to read a key in windows (without blocking), you can use the next code:

$out='';
$ret='';
$keys='1234567890abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz'."á";
$default="á";
while(true) {
    exec("choice /N /C $keys /D $default /T 1",$out,$ret);
    if($out[0]!=="á") {
        var_dump($out[0]);
    }
    $out=[];
}

It is not elegant and it calls choice every 1 second but it does the job (at least with some keys).

jewfish at jewfish dot net

22 years ago

There is a simpler way to do a multiline read than above:

function multiline() {
    while(($in = readline("")) != ".")
        $story .= ($PHP_OS == "WINNT") ? "\r\n".$in :
                                         "\n".$in;

    return $story;
}

Anonymous

23 years ago

[Ed. note: you can use fopen("php://stdin", "w") to achieve the same thing, works on both Windows and Unix)]



I wanted to get console input in a PHP script running on windows, so I made a little hack, which is so simple, it is clearly public domain.  What I did was write a C++ program to get a line, then output it.  Then all that is needed is to exec() that program and capture the output - readline() for windows.  The C++ source is as follows:



#include <iostream.h>

#include <string>

void main()

{

    string input;

    cin >> input;

    cout << input;

}



It works wonderfully for my purposes, since I love the PHP language and want to have console input.



Justin Henck

jeffrey at thompsonic dot com

20 years ago

Here's an easy way without readline() if you don't have it compiled in already:

   $fp = fopen("php://stdin","r");
   $line = rtrim(fgets($fp, 1024);

ds at NOSPAM dot undesigned dot org dot za

21 years ago

You can open /dev/tty on unix systems or \con in windows, with ob_implicit_flush(true) to write output unbuffered.  Works like a charm :-)

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

#!/usr/local/bin/php -q
<?php

set_time_limit(0);
@ob_end_flush();
ob_implicit_flush(true);

class prompt {
  var $tty;

  function prompt() {
    if (substr(PHP_OS, 0, 3) == "WIN") {
      $this->tty = fOpen("\con", "rb");
    } else {
      if (!($this->tty = fOpen("/dev/tty", "r"))) {
        $this->tty = fOpen("php://stdin", "r");
      }
    }
  }

  function get($string, $length = 1024) {
    echo $string;
    $result = trim(fGets($this->tty, $length));
    echo "\n";
    return $result;
  }
}

echo "Enter something or 'exit' to quit\n";
do {
  $cmdline = new prompt();
  $buffer = $cmdline->get("Something: ");
  echo "You said: $buffer\n";
} while ($buffer !== "exit");
echo "Goodbye\n";

?>

jcl atNOSPAM jcl dot name

20 years ago

Even better than 'plz at dont dot spam' in only one line :) :

@c:\\php\\cli\\php.exe script.php %*

Cheers,
Jean-Charles

joshua at neocodesoftware.com

22 years ago

Here's an example simple readline-like way to input from command line on windows - the single line is from http://www.phpbuilder.com/columns/darrell20000319.php3, the multiline is something I added...

<?
function read () {
    # 4092 max on win32 fopen

    $fp=fopen("php://stdin", "r");
    $in=fgets($fp,4094);
    fclose($fp);

    # strip newline
    (PHP_OS == "WINNT") ? ($read = str_replace("\r\n", "", $in)) : ($read = str_replace("\n", "", $in));

    return $read;
}

function multilineread () {
    do {
        $in = read();

        # test exit
        if ($in == ".") return $read;

        # concat input
        (PHP_OS == "WINNT") ? ($read = $read . ($read ? "\r\n" : "") . $in) : ($read = $read . "\n" . $in);

    } while ($inp != ".");

    return $read;
}

print("End input with . on line by itself.\n");

print("What is your first name?\n");
$first_name = multilineread();

print("What is your last name?\n");
$last_name = read();

print("\nHello, $first_name $last_name! Nice to meet you! \n");
?>

plz at dont dot spam

20 years ago

To get all arguments passed to a batch file in one variable
rather than using %1 %2 %3 etc;

:LOOP
if "%1" == "" goto DONE
set args=%args% %1
shift
goto LOOP
:DONE
@c:\\php\\cli\\php.exe script.php %args%
set args=

Readline Functions

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Found A Problem?

User Contributed Notes