From: Ben Thomas <ben643@...>
Date: 2006-11-12T05:40:06+09:00
Subject: Re: print message if user does nothing for x seconds?

ara.t.howard@noaa.gov wrote:
> On Sun, 12 Nov 2006, Ben Thomas wrote:
> 
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Only just started using ruby so this may be really simple to do, but 
>> here goes:
>>
>> I'm trying to write a program that asks a user to enter their sex 
>> using "gets" but if the user doesn't type anything for about 5 seconds 
>> I want to print a message, like "Please enter something..." then go 
>> back to the gets prompt. I've tried using the "sleep x" method but it 
>> doesn't seem to work because once gets has been initiated it gets 
>> stuck there until something is entered.
>>
>> Oh I don't have to use gets, but this is the only method of input I'm 
>> aware of at the moment
>>
>> Hope this makes sense,
>> Ben
> 
> 
> if you're on windows give up now.  otherwise try this:
> 
>     harp:~ > cat a.rb
>     require 'timeout'
> 
>     def prompt question, opts = {}
>       timeout = Integer(opts['timeout'] || opts[:timeout] || 42)
>       max = Integer(opts['max'] || opts[:max] || 42)
>       default = opts['default'] || opts[:default]
>       prod = (opts['prod'] || opts[:prod] || 'hey! wake up!').to_s
> 
>       answer = default
>       prompt = "\r#{ question }: "
>       prod = "\r#{ prod }"
> 
>       if prompt.size > prod.size
>         prod += (' ' * (prompt.size - prod.size))
>       end
>       if prod.size > prompt.size
>         prompt += (' ' * (prod.size - prompt.size))
>       end
> 
>       max.times{
>         begin
>           print prompt
>           STDOUT.flush
>           Timeout::timeout(timeout){ answer = gets }
>           break
>         rescue Timeout::Error
>           print prod
>           STDOUT.flush
>           sleep 2
>         end
>       }
> 
>       answer
>     end
> 
>     answer = prompt 'the question', 'timeout' => 5, 'max' => 2
> 
>     p 'answer' => answer
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -a

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately I am on windows.