From: Florian Gross <flgr@...>
Date: 2004-10-21T13:49:23+09:00
Subject: Re: Printing a backspace

ruby talk wrote:

> ######code 1
> print "monkey cat"
> print "\x08\x08\x08"
> ### works remves cat
> 
> #########code 2
> print "Enter password:\n"
>     pass = ''
>     while true
>       ca = STDIN.getc
>       print "\x08\x08\x08"
>       if ca.to_i ==10 then
>         break
>       end
>       pass << ca 
>     end
>      pass.strip!
> ###### does not work :(
> 
> Any Help would be good. I also tried \b . I am running windows  i am
> using a bat file but i also tried rde it just prints the squares

The problem is that .getc will read a whole line at the time then buffer 
the characters and when all are used up it will read a whole line again etc.

So I guess the best you can do without using a terminal library is 
calling `cls` immediately after you read in the password.

Regards,
Florian Gross