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Q&A How to overwrite lines of STDOUT in Python?

The solution proposed by the other answer works, but there's a corner case. If the last message is shorter than the previous one, you might not get what you want. Example: print("this is some text...

posted 7mo ago by hkotsubo‭ · edited 7mo ago by hkotsubo‭

Answer

#4: Post edited by

hkotsubo‭ · 2023-10-09T17:23:54Z (7 months ago)

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The solution proposed by the [other answer](/posts/289907/289919#answer-289919) works, but there's a corner case. If the last message is shorter than the previous one, you might not get what you want. Example:
```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("abc")
```
Testing this in a Linux terminal, the output is:
```none
abcs is some text
```
But I guess it should be only "abc", right? The rest of this answer assumes that that's the case.
IMO, the following isn't a pretty solution, but anyway: you could workaround this by printing lots of spaces before the next message (using the previous message's length to know how many spaces to use). For example, assuming the script is reading from `stdin`:
```python
last_line = ''
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
print(' ' * len(last_line), end='\r') # spaces to "clear" the line
print(line, end='\r')
last_line = line
print() # just to print a newline after the last line
```
Even though, in the case of a previous message bigger than the last one, there'll be extra spaces in the end (not visible, but still extra characters, which might or might not make a difference, depending on what you need).
---
A better solution, IMO, is to use the [ANSI escape sequence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code) `\033[K` to clear the line before printing the next message:
```python
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
print(f"\033[K{line}", end='\r')
print()
```
With this solution, the first example will be:
```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("\033[Kabc")
```
In this case, the output isn't `abcs is some text` anymore, as the ANSI escape sequence clears the line before printing the rest, so the output is just `abc`.
---
Older versions of Windows don't support ANSI escape sequences, and for those, one solution is to use an external library, such as [Colorama](https://pypi.org/project/colorama/):
```python
import colorama
colorama.just_fix_windows_console()
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print(f"{colorama.ansi.clear_line()}abc")
```

The solution proposed by the [other answer](/posts/289907/289919#answer-289919) works, but there's a corner case. If the last message is shorter than the previous one, you might not get what you want. Example:
```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("abc")
```
Testing this in a Linux terminal, the output is:
```none
abcs is some text
```
But I guess it should be only "abc", right? The rest of this answer assumes that that's the case.
IMO, the following isn't a pretty solution, but anyway: you could workaround this by printing lots of spaces before the next message (using the previous message's length to know how many spaces to use). For example, assuming the script is reading from `stdin`:
```python
last_line = ''
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
print(' ' * len(last_line), end='\r') # spaces to "clear" the line
print(line, end='\r')
last_line = line
print() # just to print a newline after the last line
```
Even though, in the case of a previous message bigger than the last one, there'll be extra spaces in the end (not visible, but still extra characters, which might or might not make a difference, depending on what you need).
---
A better solution, IMO, is to use the [ANSI escape sequence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code) `\033[K` to clear the line before printing the next message:
```python
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
print(f"\033[K{line}", end='\r')
print()
```
With this solution, the first example will be:
```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("\033[Kabc")
```
In this case, the output isn't `abcs is some text` anymore, as the ANSI escape sequence clears the line before printing the rest, so the output is just `abc`.
---
Older versions of Windows don't support ANSI escape sequences, and for those, one solution is to use an external library, such as [Colorama](https://pypi.org/project/colorama/):
```python
# external lib, install it with "pip install colorama"
import colorama
colorama.just_fix_windows_console()
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print(f"{colorama.ansi.clear_line()}abc")
```

#3: Post edited by

hkotsubo‭ · 2023-10-09T14:30:53Z (7 months ago)

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The solution proposed by the [other answer](/posts/289907/289919#answer-289919) works, but there's a corner case. If the last message is shorter than the previous one, you might not get what you want. Example:
```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("abc")
```
Testing this in a Linux terminal, the output is:
```none
abcs is some text
```
But I guess it should be only "abc", right? The rest of this answer assumes that that's the case.
IMO, the following isn't a pretty solution, but anyway: you could workaround this by printing lots of spaces before the next message (using the previous message's length to know how many spaces to use). For example, assuming the script is reading from `stdin`:
```python
last_line = ''
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
print(' ' * len(last_line), end='\r') # spaces to "clear" the line
print(line, end='\r')
last_line = line
print() # just to print a newline after the last line
```
Even though, in the case of a previous message bigger than the last one, there'll be extra spaces in the end (not visible, but still extra characters, which might or might not make a difference, depending on what you need).
---
A better solution, IMO, is to use the [ANSI escape sequence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code) `\033[K` to clear the line before printing the next message:
```python
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
print(f"\033[K{line}", end='\r')
print()
```
With this solution, the first example will be:
```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("\033[Kabc")
```
~~In this case, the output isn't `abcs is some text` anymore, as the ANSI escape sequence clears the line before printing `abc`.~~
---
Older versions of Windows don't support ANSI escape sequences, and for those, one solution is to use an external library, such as [Colorama](https://pypi.org/project/colorama/):
```python
import colorama
colorama.just_fix_windows_console()
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print(f"{colorama.ansi.clear_line()}abc")
```

The solution proposed by the [other answer](/posts/289907/289919#answer-289919) works, but there's a corner case. If the last message is shorter than the previous one, you might not get what you want. Example:
```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("abc")
```
Testing this in a Linux terminal, the output is:
```none
abcs is some text
```
But I guess it should be only "abc", right? The rest of this answer assumes that that's the case.
IMO, the following isn't a pretty solution, but anyway: you could workaround this by printing lots of spaces before the next message (using the previous message's length to know how many spaces to use). For example, assuming the script is reading from `stdin`:
```python
last_line = ''
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
print(' ' * len(last_line), end='\r') # spaces to "clear" the line
print(line, end='\r')
last_line = line
print() # just to print a newline after the last line
```
Even though, in the case of a previous message bigger than the last one, there'll be extra spaces in the end (not visible, but still extra characters, which might or might not make a difference, depending on what you need).
---
A better solution, IMO, is to use the [ANSI escape sequence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code) `\033[K` to clear the line before printing the next message:
```python
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
print(f"\033[K{line}", end='\r')
print()
```
With this solution, the first example will be:
```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("\033[Kabc")
```
In this case, the output isn't `abcs is some text` anymore, as the ANSI escape sequence clears the line before printing the rest, so the output is just `abc`.
---
Older versions of Windows don't support ANSI escape sequences, and for those, one solution is to use an external library, such as [Colorama](https://pypi.org/project/colorama/):
```python
import colorama
colorama.just_fix_windows_console()
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print(f"{colorama.ansi.clear_line()}abc")
```

#2: Post edited by

hkotsubo‭ · 2023-10-09T13:28:05Z (7 months ago)

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The solution proposed by the [other answer](/posts/289907/289919#answer-289919) works, but there's a corner case. If the last message is shorter than the previous one, you might not get what you want. Example:
```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("abc")
```
Testing this in a Linux terminal, the output is:
```none
abcs is some text
```
Of course you could workaround this by printing lots of spaces before the next message (using the previous message's length to know how many spaces to use). For example, assuming the script is reading from stdin:
```python
last_line = ''
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
print(' ' * len(last_line), end='\r') # spaces to "clear" the line
print(line, end='\r')
last_line = line
print() # just to print a newline after the last line
```
Even though, in the case of a previous message bigger than the last one, there'll be extra spaces in the end (not visible, but still extra characters, which might or might not make a difference, depending on what you need).
---
~~A better solution, IMO, is to use the [ANSI escape sequence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code) `\033[K` to clear the line:~~
```python
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
print(f"\033[K{line}", end='\r')
print()
```
With this solution, the first example will be:
```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("\033[Kabc")
```
In this case, the output isn't `abcs is some text` anymore, as the ANSI escape sequence clears the line before printing `abc`.
---
Older versions of Windows don't support ANSI escape sequences, and for those, one solution is to use an external library, such as [Colorama](https://pypi.org/project/colorama/):
```python
import colorama
colorama.just_fix_windows_console()
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print(f"{colorama.ansi.clear_line()}abc")
```

The solution proposed by the [other answer](/posts/289907/289919#answer-289919) works, but there's a corner case. If the last message is shorter than the previous one, you might not get what you want. Example:
```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("abc")
```
Testing this in a Linux terminal, the output is:
```none
abcs is some text
```
But I guess it should be only "abc", right? The rest of this answer assumes that that's the case.
IMO, the following isn't a pretty solution, but anyway: you could workaround this by printing lots of spaces before the next message (using the previous message's length to know how many spaces to use). For example, assuming the script is reading from `stdin`:
```python
last_line = ''
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
print(' ' * len(last_line), end='\r') # spaces to "clear" the line
print(line, end='\r')
last_line = line
print() # just to print a newline after the last line
```
Even though, in the case of a previous message bigger than the last one, there'll be extra spaces in the end (not visible, but still extra characters, which might or might not make a difference, depending on what you need).
---
A better solution, IMO, is to use the [ANSI escape sequence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code) `\033[K` to clear the line before printing the next message:
```python
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
print(f"\033[K{line}", end='\r')
print()
```
With this solution, the first example will be:
```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("\033[Kabc")
```
In this case, the output isn't `abcs is some text` anymore, as the ANSI escape sequence clears the line before printing `abc`.
---
Older versions of Windows don't support ANSI escape sequences, and for those, one solution is to use an external library, such as [Colorama](https://pypi.org/project/colorama/):
```python
import colorama
colorama.just_fix_windows_console()
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print(f"{colorama.ansi.clear_line()}abc")
```

#1: Initial revision by

hkotsubo‭ · 2023-10-09T13:24:22Z (7 months ago)

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The solution proposed by the [other answer](/posts/289907/289919#answer-289919) works, but there's a corner case. If the last message is shorter than the previous one, you might not get what you want. Example:

```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("abc")
```

Testing this in a Linux terminal, the output is:

```none
abcs is some text
```

Of course you could workaround this by printing lots of spaces before the next message (using the previous message's length to know how many spaces to use). For example, assuming the script is reading from stdin:

```python
last_line = ''
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
    print(' ' * len(last_line), end='\r') # spaces to "clear" the line
    print(line, end='\r')
    last_line = line
print() # just to print a newline after the last line
```

Even though, in the case of a previous message bigger than the last one, there'll be extra spaces in the end (not visible, but still extra characters, which might or might not make a difference, depending on what you need).

---

A better solution, IMO, is to use the [ANSI escape sequence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code) `\033[K` to clear the line:

```python
for line in map(str.rstrip, sys.stdin): # read from stdin, strip new line at the end
    print(f"\033[K{line}", end='\r')
print()
```

With this solution, the first example will be:

```python
print("this is some text", end="\r")
print("\033[Kabc")
```

In this case, the output isn't `abcs is some text` anymore, as the ANSI escape sequence clears the line before printing `abc`.

---

Older versions of Windows don't support ANSI escape sequences, and for those, one solution is to use an external library, such as [Colorama](https://pypi.org/project/colorama/):

```python
import colorama
colorama.just_fix_windows_console()

print("this is some text", end="\r")
print(f"{colorama.ansi.clear_line()}abc")
```

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