Using %Library.Prompt in IRIS for terminal interaction

Interacting with Users in the Terminal: A Guide to Using %Library.Prompt in IRIS

Have you ever wondered how commands like ^DATABASE engage users in the terminal? Or perhaps you're writing an automation routine and want ways to specify options directly from the terminal. Thankfully, the %Library.Prompt class in IRIS offers a straightforward way to do so!

String Input

For basic input, such as asking the user to provide a filepath or namespace, use the following code:

set status = ##class(%Library.Prompt).GetString("Input filepath:", .path)

This code prompts the user to input a string, which could be anything from file paths to namespaces. The resulting response will be stored in the path variable.

Numeric Input

To request a numeric input, like the number of cores, you can use:

set status = ##class(%Library.Prompt).GetNumber("Input number of cores:",.number)

%Library.Prompt automatically ensure that the input is numeric. We can also specify a min and max number to use

set status = ##class(%Library.Prompt).GetNumber("Input number of cores (1-8):",.number,0,8)

Default Options

You can set default options as well. For example, to default an answer to 'yes' we just set the response variable beforehand:

set answer = 1
set status = ##class(%Library.Prompt).GetYesNo("Accept default settings?", .answer)

Here, answer defaults to 1 (yes) if the user doesn't provide input.

Menus

For more complex inputs, such as selecting from a menu, you can use methods like GetArray() or GetMenu():

#include %syPrompt
 set options(1) = "Option 1" 
 set options(2) = "Option 2" 
 do ##class(%Library.Prompt).GetArray("Select deployment type:", .result, .options, , , , $$$InitialDisplayMask)

This approach presents a list of options to the user.  The $$$InitialDisplayMask flag displays the menu before selection.

These command-line tools significantly simplify writing and interacting with more complex routines. For further information check out the IRIS documentation.