Text Animation

[Fazer]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has done any simple text-based animation?

I mean things such as text-based pre-loaders. One example would be
when you use the *nix utility called `wget.` You get that fancy "
====> " type of animation as you download a large file. Or maybe even
a rotating " | " that I have seen before in some installation
programs.

Any ideas how these effects can be achieved?

Thanks a lot!

Faizan

[Josiah Carlson]

Re: Text Animation

Fazer wrote:[color=blue]
> Hello,
>
> I was wondering if anyone has done any simple text-based animation?
>
> I mean things such as text-based pre-loaders. One example would be
> when you use the *nix utility called `wget.` You get that fancy "
> ====> " type of animation as you download a large file. Or maybe even
> a rotating " | " that I have seen before in some installation
> programs.
>
> Any ideas how these effects can be achieved?
>
> Thanks a lot!
>
> Faizan[/color]


Yeah, don't print linefeed ('\n') characters, only print carriage
returns ('\r').

import time
for i in xrange(75):
print '*'*i, '\r',
time.sleep(.1)

- Josiah

[Gordon Airport]

Re: Text Animation

Fazer wrote:

snip
[color=blue]
> Or maybe even
> a rotating " | " that I have seen before in some installation
> programs.
>[/color]

On each loop use the \b backspace character to move the cursor back,
then overwrite with progressive characters for the spinner. This can
look bad if the cursor is visible.

[Skip Montanaro]

Re: Text Animation


faizan> Any ideas how these effects can be achieved?

You can start here:

http://www.musi-cal.com/~skip/python/progress.py

That module provides a couple simple progress counters.

Skip

[Andrew Henshaw]

Re: Text Animation

Fazer wrote:
[color=blue]
> Hello,
>
> I was wondering if anyone has done any simple text-based animation?
>
> I mean things such as text-based pre-loaders. One example would be
> when you use the *nix utility called `wget.` You get that fancy "
> ====> " type of animation as you download a large file. Or maybe even
> a rotating " | " that I have seen before in some installation
> programs.
>
> Any ideas how these effects can be achieved?
>
> Thanks a lot!
>
> Faizan[/color]

I use this:

############### ############### #####
import sys

class Spinner:
SYMBOLS = '|/-\\'
def __init__(self):
self.index = 0

def __call__(self):
sys.stdout.writ e(Spinner.SYMBO LS[self.index]+'\b')
self.index = (self.index+1) % len(Spinner.SYM BOLS)

############### ############### #####

And call it like this:

############### ############### #####
if __name__ == '__main__':
import time

spin = Spinner()
for i in range(100):
spin()
time.sleep(0.1)
############### ############### #####


This looks fine under the Win2K cmd window; but, as pointed out in another
reply, you may need to turn off the cursor. I just tested it under Konsole
on Linux, and the block cursor doesn't allow the effect to show.

--Andy