listr2

What is listr2?

The listr2 npm package is a powerful utility for creating beautiful and interactive command-line interfaces (CLI) with tasks lists. It allows developers to manage and execute multiple tasks in a structured and visually appealing way. It supports concurrent tasks, nested tasks, and customizable rendering, making it suitable for complex CLI applications.

What are listr2's main functionalities?

Basic Task Execution

This feature allows for the execution of a series of tasks, each represented by a title and a task function. The tasks are executed sequentially, and the progress is visually represented in the CLI.

const { Listr } = require('listr2');

const tasks = new Listr([
  {
    title: 'Task 1',
    task: () => Promise.resolve('First task result')
  },
  {
    title: 'Task 2',
    task: () => Promise.resolve('Second task result')
  }
]);

tasks.run().catch(err => console.error(err));

Concurrent Tasks

This feature demonstrates how to run tasks concurrently. By setting the 'concurrent' option to true, tasks within the same group are executed in parallel, improving performance for independent tasks.

const { Listr } = require('listr2');

const tasks = new Listr([
  {
    title: 'Concurrent Tasks',
    task: () => {
      return new Listr([
        {
          title: 'Task 1',
          task: () => Promise.resolve('First concurrent task result')
        },
        {
          title: 'Task 2',
          task: () => Promise.resolve('Second concurrent task result')
        }
      ], { concurrent: true });
    }
  }
]);

tasks.run().catch(err => console.error(err));

Nested Tasks

This feature showcases the ability to nest tasks within other tasks. It is useful for structuring complex workflows where tasks have sub-tasks, allowing for better organization and readability.

const { Listr } = require('listr2');

const tasks = new Listr([
  {
    title: 'Parent Task',
    task: () => {
      return new Listr([
        {
          title: 'Nested Task 1',
          task: () => Promise.resolve('First nested task result')
        },
        {
          title: 'Nested Task 2',
          task: () => Promise.resolve('Second nested task result')
        }
      ]);
    }
  }
]);

tasks.run().catch(err => console.error(err));

Other packages similar to listr2

ora

Ora is a terminal spinner library that provides a similar visual feedback mechanism as listr2 but focuses solely on indicating the progress of ongoing tasks without the structured task list approach. It's simpler for use cases that require only a spinner.

inquirer

Inquirer.js is a comprehensive library for creating interactive CLI prompts. While it doesn't manage tasks like listr2, it complements it by handling user inputs in a structured way, making it suitable for CLI applications that require both user interaction and task management.

chalk

Chalk is a styling library that allows developers to customize the terminal text appearance. Although it doesn't offer task management functionalities like listr2, it's often used alongside listr2 to enhance the visual output of tasks by adding colors and styles.

README

listr2

Create beautiful CLI interfaces via easy and logical to-implement task lists that feel alive and interactive.

Documentation

Read the documentation...

Demo