Input Modules

What are input modules on Terminaux?

Input modules are components that describe how the input is going to be shown to users, and the actual implementation of the input, such as the method of telling users to provide an input. They are defined in a single abstract InputModule class that contains the necessary properties and functions that describe an input. Additionally, the derived classes may implement the two functions that work on rendering the input placeholder and processing user input, RenderInput() and ProcessInput().

The following built-in input methods are available:

• ComboBoxModule

• MaskedTextBoxModule

• MultiComboBoxModule

• SliderBoxModule

• TextBoxModule

You can use an information box that supports input modules, called InfoBoxMultiInputColor. It allows you to specify an array of input modules. You can also make presentations use the input modules to customize the flow of the presentations according to the user input.

In order to be able to use those modules, you'll need to instantiate a class and to fill the necessary fields that are required for modules to be distinguishable. An example code shown below shows the definitions of the three types of input modules:

var modules = new InputModule[]
{
    new TextBoxModule()
    {
        Name = "Text Box Integer",
        Description = "Type any integer to continue",
    },
    new TextBoxModule()
    {
        Name = "Text Box String",
        Description = "Type any string to continue",
    },
    new MaskedTextBoxModule()
    {
        Name = "Text Box Password",
        Description = "Type any password to continue",
    },
    new SliderBoxModule()
    {
        Name = "Choose a Number",
        Description = "Choose a number between 75 and 250. You'll start from 100.",
        MinPos = 75,
        MaxPos = 250,
        Value = 100,
    },
};
InfoBoxMultiInputColor.WriteInfoBoxMultiInput(modules, nameof(TestInputInfoBoxMultiInput), "Select an input module to test...");

For all input modules, Name and Description properties must be filled when instantiating such modules for reachability. Some of the modules might require extra information to be supplied by the caller. Here are some of the built-in modules which require extra properties to be filled:

• ComboBoxModule

  • Choices

• MultiComboBoxModule

  • Choices

• SliderBoxModule

  • MinPos

  • MaxPos

  • Value

In order to make your own derived input module class, you must inherit from the base InputModule class, which will require implementing the following abstract functions:

• RenderInput()

• ProcessInput()

It's recommended that RenderInput() respect the width field in the function parameter to maintain uniform look. Here's an example as to how to get a value and adjust the rendered input as per the width field:

public override string RenderInput(int width)
{
    // Render an input text box with selected value and blanks as underscores.
    string valueString = Value?.ToString() ?? "";
    string[] wrappedValue = ConsoleMisc.GetWrappedSentencesByWords(valueString, width);
    valueString = wrappedValue[0];

    // Determine how many underscores we need to render
    int valueWidth = ConsoleChar.EstimateCellWidth(valueString);
    int diffWidth = width - valueWidth;
    string underscores = new('_', diffWidth);

    // Render the text box contents now
    string textBox =
        ColorTools.RenderSetConsoleColor(Foreground) +
        ColorTools.RenderSetConsoleColor(Background, true) +
        valueString +
        ColorTools.RenderSetConsoleColor(BlankForeground) +
        underscores +
        ColorTools.RenderRevertForeground() +
        ColorTools.RenderRevertBackground();
    return textBox;
}

ProcessInput() uses the inputPopoverPos and the inputPopoverSize fields to determine where to render the popover, which could either:

• Render over the rendered input placeholder with RenderInput(), or

• Render under the input placeholder, such as combo boxes with selection choices.

In customized applications, you may have to render the input yourself using the RenderInput() function and to process the input yourself using the above function. Additionally, you may have to calculate the popover position yourself. It's usually located at the same position as the rendered input, but there are cases where you may need to render it just below the rendered input.

// Make a box frame and a text box module instance
var boxFrame = new BoxFrame()
{
    Left = 4,
    Top = 2,
    Width = ConsoleWrapper.WindowWidth - 14,
    Height = 1,
};
var boxModule = new TextBoxModule();

// Render the input placeholder
TextWriterRaw.WriteRaw(
    boxFrame.Render() +
    ConsolePositioning.RenderChangePosition(5, 3) +
    boxModule.RenderInput(ConsoleWrapper.WindowWidth - 14)
);

// Let the user press any key
Input.ReadKey();

// Process the input using the popover method
var popoverPos = new Coordinate(5, 3);
var popoverSize = new Size(ConsoleWrapper.WindowWidth - 14, 1);
boxModule.ProcessInput(popoverPos, popoverSize);