changing -# output on unknown data size?

[Daniel Stenberg]

Hey

Here's how the -# progress bar currently works:

1. If the total transfer size is known, it uses a single line to show a
progress bar growing from 0% to 100%.

2. If curl doesn't know the total transfer size, it instead outputs a (hash)
'#' once for every transferred kilobyte of data.

We've been discussing improving mode (2). I would like to make it only use a
single line even for that.

I might have gone a little overboard, but I felt inspired and I've posted a
suggestion on how curl could instead behave that might be more appealing to
users. There's even a small demo video showing it off.

Check out https://github.com/curl/curl/pull/2242

If you have feedback, ideas or alternative suggestions, bring them here or in
the PR!

[Jeremy Nicoll via curl-users]

Post by Daniel Stenberg
2. If curl doesn't know the total transfer size, it instead outputs a (hash)
'#' once for every transferred kilobyte of data.
We've been discussing improving mode (2). I would like to make it only use a
single line even for that.
I might have gone a little overboard, but I felt inspired and I've posted a
suggestion on how curl could instead behave that might be more appealing to
users. There's even a small demo video showing it off.
Check out https://github.com/curl/curl/pull/2242

It's very pretty... but what does it actually mean? I notice that the distance
between the # characters grows then contracts as they bunch at the end of
the line - is that just a nice animation or does it mean something? Why are
there four hashes rather than 3 or 17? Are there times when they move but
the 'ship' doesn't, or vice versa?

If someone has this active (when perhaps it would have been better turned
off) and has redirected output do they get just a single line of arbitrary info
in the resultant file, or lots of lines?

Does curl also show a total of how much data has been processed so far, &
maybe an average speed/second or /minute or something? Surely that's
more useful?

[Daniel Stenberg]

Post by Jeremy Nicoll via curl-users

Post by Daniel Stenberg
Check out https://github.com/curl/curl/pull/2242

It's very pretty... but what does it actually mean?

It doesn't mean much. The "ship" moves when data is being transfered and it
stops if the transfer stalls. That's about it. If you want information on
speeds, times, data amounts etc you'd use the normal progress meter.

Post by Jeremy Nicoll via curl-users
I notice that the distance between the # characters grows then contracts as
they bunch at the end of the line - is that just a nice animation or does it
mean something?

The # characters are just moving across the line on a sine wive and they're
updated the same, no matter if data moves or not.

Post by Jeremy Nicoll via curl-users
Why are there four hashes rather than 3 or 17?

My deep feeling for art and design told me that's a good amount! =)

Post by Jeremy Nicoll via curl-users
If someone has this active (when perhaps it would have been better turned
off) and has redirected output do they get just a single line of arbitrary
info in the resultant file, or lots of lines?

Lots of lines. Each refresh is a new line. Both progress meters curl has work
like this since forever.

Post by Jeremy Nicoll via curl-users
Does curl also show a total of how much data has been processed so far, &
maybe an average speed/second or /minute or something? Surely that's more
useful?

Then surely you wouldn't use this progress-bar!