Method: CLI::UI::Prompt.ask

Defined in:
lib/cli/ui/prompt.rb

.ask(question, options: nil, default: nil, is_file: false, allow_empty: true, multiple: false, filter_ui: true, select_ui: true, &options_proc) ⇒ Object

Ask a user a question with either free form answer or a set of answers (multiple choice) Can use arrows, y/n, numbers (1/2), and vim bindings to control multiple choice selection Do not use this method for yes/no questions. Use confirm

  • Handles free form answers (options are nil)

  • Handles default answers for free form text

  • Handles file auto completion for file input

  • Handles interactively choosing answers using InteractiveOptions

Attributes

  • question - (required) The question to ask the user

Options

  • :options - Options that the user may select from. Will use InteractiveOptions to do so.

  • :default - The default answer to the question (e.g. they just press enter and don’t input anything)

  • :is_file - Tells the input to use file auto-completion (tab completion)

  • :allow_empty - Allows the answer to be empty

  • :multiple - Allow multiple options to be selected

  • :filter_ui - Enable option filtering (default: true)

  • :select_ui - Enable long-form option selection (default: true)

Note:

  • :options or providing a Block conflicts with :default and :is_file,

    you cannot set options with either of these keywords
    
  • :default conflicts with +:allow_empty:, you cannot set these together

  • :options conflicts with providing a Block , you may only set one

  • :multiple can only be used with :options or a Block; it is ignored, otherwise.

Block (optional)

  • A Proc that provides a OptionsHandler and uses the public :option method to add options and their respective handlers

Return Value

  • If a Block was not provided, the selected option or response to the free form question will be returned

  • If a Block was provided, the evaluated value of the Block will be returned

Example Usage:

Free form question

CLI::UI::Prompt.ask('What color is the sky?')

Free form question with a file answer

CLI::UI::Prompt.ask('Where is your Gemfile located?', is_file: true)

Free form question with a default answer

CLI::UI::Prompt.ask('What color is the sky?', default: 'blue')

Free form question when the answer can be empty

CLI::UI::Prompt.ask('What is your opinion on this question?', allow_empty: true)

Interactive (multiple choice) question

CLI::UI::Prompt.ask('What kind of project is this?', options: %w(rails go ruby python))

Interactive (multiple choice) question with defined handlers

CLI::UI::Prompt.ask('What kind of project is this?') do |handler|
  handler.option('rails')  { |selection| selection }
  handler.option('go')     { |selection| selection }
  handler.option('ruby')   { |selection| selection }
  handler.option('python') { |selection| selection }
end

: (String question, ?options: Array?, ?default: (String | Array)?, ?is_file: bool, ?allow_empty: bool, ?multiple: bool, ?filter_ui: bool, ?select_ui: bool) ?{ (OptionsHandler handler) -> void } -> (String | Array)



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# File 'lib/cli/ui/prompt.rb', line 103

def ask(
  question,
  options: nil,
  default: nil,
  is_file: false,
  allow_empty: true,
  multiple: false,
  filter_ui: true,
  select_ui: true,
  &options_proc
)
  has_options = !!(options || block_given?)
  if has_options && is_file
    raise(ArgumentError, 'conflicting arguments: is_file is only useful when options are not provided')
  end

  if options && multiple && default && !(Array(default) - options).empty?
    raise(ArgumentError, 'conflicting arguments: default should only include elements present in options')
  end

  if multiple && !has_options
    raise(ArgumentError, 'conflicting arguments: options must be provided when multiple is true')
  end

  if !multiple && default.is_a?(Array)
    raise(ArgumentError, 'conflicting arguments: multiple defaults may only be provided when multiple is true')
  end

  if has_options
    ask_interactive(
      question,
      options,
      multiple: multiple,
      default: default,
      filter_ui: filter_ui,
      select_ui: select_ui,
      &options_proc
    )
  else
    ask_free_form(
      question,
      default, #: as String?
      is_file,
      allow_empty,
    )
  end
end