# Looking for gem for text based screen IO

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/looking-for-gem-for-text-based-screen-io/182175>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [January 24, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/looking-for-gem-for-text-based-screen-io/182175 "2010-01-24T03:25:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dale8458](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@dale8458](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dale8458)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/looking-for-gem-for-text-based-screen-io/182175/1 "2010-01-24T03:25:33Z")

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Hi,

I wanted to control the output, position of output to the console. Like  
old school text based application. I have a utility that is runing  
through many item and would like to show a status instead of puts()

-dale

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**Author:** ![dale8458](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@dale8458](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dale8458)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/looking-for-gem-for-text-based-screen-io/182175/2 "2010-01-24T03:28:07Z")

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On Sun, 24 Jan 2010, Dale A. wrote:

> I wanted to control the output, position of output to the console. Like  
> old school text based application. I have a utility that is runing  
> through many item and would like to show a status instead of puts()

Take a look at the ncurses package.

– Matt  
It’s not what I know that counts.  
It’s what I can remember in time to use.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dale8458](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@dale8458](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dale8458)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/looking-for-gem-for-text-based-screen-io/182175/3 "2010-01-24T22:47:29Z")

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On Sun, Jan 24, 2010 at 2:25 AM, Dale A. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
wrote:

> I wanted to control the output, position of output to the console. Like  
> old school text based application. I have a utility that is runing  
> through many item and would like to show a status instead of puts()

Matt L. suggested ncurses, and there’s a thread here on curses.  
[http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/336718](http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/336718)  
including this which has an example which seems to work.  
[http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/336742](http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/336742)