How to write a console-application with windows on a terminal in Ruby?

Question

I want to write a simple chat-client in Ruby for the terminal. The Problem is, that I need two separate "windows", one for the chatlog and another for the input prompt. I dont have a clue how to do this. I watched (n)curses and some other ruby-libs, but nothing gives me this functionality.

.------------------------------.
| Mike: Hi Jenny               |
| Jenny: Hi Mike, how are you? |
|------------------------------|
|> I am fine_                  |
`------------------------------'

The big Problem is, if a new Line arives, the upper frame should scroll, but the prompt should stay on its position. And if I write something in the input prompt, the text should disappear when the user press ENTER.

Any ideas?

Aaron

Answer 1

Well, ncurses (and its ruby binding library) does allow you for this since all the corresponding tools with windows(1), talk(1) and screen(1) are written with ncurses. You can have multiple windows with (n)curses.