wxGUI/console: Adding prompt string to command prompt

[lindakarlovska]

This PR adds input prompt to Console in order to clarify beginners that they are supposed to write their commands here. Follows the idea given in #2585.

[veroandreo]

Hi Linda!
I'm wondering: Is there a reason to not use > similar to the GRASS terminal and Python console? I find the <-- a bit confusing... does the user write before or after the arrow?

[lindakarlovska]

Hi Linda! I'm wondering: Is there a reason to not use > similar to the GRASS terminal and Python console? I find the <-- a bit confusing... does the user write before or after the arrow?

Hi Vero, I am not sure about >, do you mean the >>> which is used in Python console? If yes, I agree. I first wanted to use a sys module variable for a prompt string (https://docs.python.org/3/library/sys.html) but for some reason sys.ps1 and sys.ps2 were not defined and only sys.ps3 worked.

[tmszi]

Perhaps the >_ symbol would be more appropriate, since the >>> symbol is a Python shell prompt, which the wxGUI Console is not. It can be misleading.

[veroandreo]

Perhaps the >_ symbol would be more appropriate, since the >>> symbol is a Python shell prompt, which the wxGUI Console is not. It can be misleading.

I tend to agree, either >_ or simply >

[lindakarlovska]

Perhaps the >_ symbol would be more appropriate, since the >>> symbol is a Python shell prompt, which the wxGUI Console is not. It can be misleading.

I tend to agree, either >_ or simply >

Just realized that for example the Python Shell prompt in Spyder is also interesting - it uses "In [1]:" where the number 1, 2, etc. refers to the order of executed commands.

[tmszi]

Or we can distinguish between console prompt symbol according OS:

GNU/Linux and Unix-like (Free/OpenBSD, macOS) terminal uses the prompt symbol $.

MS Windows CMD uses the prompt symbol >.

[lindakarlovska]

Or we can distinguish between console prompt symbol according OS:

GNU/Linux and Unix-like (Free/OpenBSD, macOS) terminal uses the prompt symbol $.

MS Windows CMD uses the prompt symbol >.

I am still not sure if this one sign (may it be $ or >) truly helps beginners to get oriented. What about something like username:~$ (for all OS options)?

[tmszi]

I am still not sure if this one sign (may it be $ or >) truly helps beginners to get oriented. What about something like username:~$ (for all OS options)?

I'm ok with it, but for GRASS GIS under MS Windows, it would be better to use e.g. C:\Users\IEUser> style used by CMD or Powershell.

[lindakarlovska]

I am still not sure if this one sign (may it be $ or >) truly helps beginners to get oriented. What about something like username:~$ (for all OS options)?

I'm ok with it, but for GRASS GIS under MS Windows, it would be better to use e.g. C:\Users\IEUser> style used by CMD or Powershell.

Yes @tmszi, I agree. I looked under Windows and GRASS's independent CMD actually also uses this C:\Users\IEUser> for GRASS's CMD:

When I looked under my Ubuntu, it is different, it uses location@mapset:grass > style:

First I thought to preserve that style exactly as it is. The first style for Windows and the second one for Unix-like systems.

But for Unix-like systems, I am not sure how the Console prompt should behave when a user switches to a different mapset. Should the prompt string be also changed? Probably yes and then it is getting a bit complicated. :-)

So maybe the variant with username > for Unix-like systems is the most similar to the current state and we do not need to care of some outer changes. (Just thoughts that when we do that once we would find the solution that would be as user-friendly and natural as possible).

[tmszi]

So maybe the variant with username > for Unix-like systems is the most similar to the current state and we do not need to care of some outer changes. (Just thoughts that when we do that once we would find the solution that would be as user-friendly and natural as possible).

I overlooked that even on Unix-like OS systems (terminal) GRASS GIS use the > prompt symbol instead of $.

Yes I agree as you suggest, let's use the username > style for the wxGUI Console prompt on all OS.

[petrasovaa]

Honestly, I am not convinced about this. It's basically a workaround because we can't use real shell here, it introduces a lot of new code to maintain and it will likely introduce new bugs. For example type something, select everything and use backspace - it doesn't work. Another one: select all and type any letter - I am not able to use the console anymore. This approach requires handling a lot of edge cases to make it work in a robust way.

I was wondering a different solution would work better (maybe not): When there is no focus on the console and it's empty, it would display grayish text (e.g. something like "Type command here and press Enter") and then on focus the text would disappear. When the widget looses focus, it would test if it's empty and if yes, it would show the help text again. I think this could potentially be easier to implement.

If that doesn't work we could try to keep this solution but it needs to be really well tested. In terms of the prompt I think ' > ' should be enough.

[hellik]

I was wondering a different solution would work better (maybe not): When there is no focus on the console and it's empty, it would display grayish text (e.g. something like "Type command here and press Enter") and then on focus the text would disappear. When the widget looses focus, it would test if it's empty and if yes, it would show the help text again.

I concur here regarding usability

[lindakarlovska]

Implemented according to the suggestion #2718 (comment) in #2728 .