jline

JLine web site

JLine - Advanced Console Input for Java

Overview

JLine is a powerful Java library that brings advanced console input handling capabilities to your applications. It provides functionality similar to BSD editline and GNU readline, while offering additional features that rival the sophisticated ZSH line editor.

Key Features

Rich command-line editing capabilities
Customizable tab completion
History management with search
Syntax highlighting
Multi-line editing
Unicode support
Platform-independent implementation
Flexible keyboard mapping
Advanced line editing features (cut/paste, word movement, etc.)

See It in Action

Watch JLine’s capabilities in this interactive demo:

Getting Started

Maven Dependency

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jline</groupId>
    <artifactId>jline</artifactId>
    <version>3.x.x</version>
</dependency>

Quick Example

Terminal terminal = TerminalBuilder.terminal();
LineReader lineReader = LineReaderBuilder.builder()
        .terminal(terminal)
        .build();

String line = lineReader.readLine("prompt> ");

Evolution of JLine

JLine has evolved significantly since its inception:

JLine 3 (2015-Present)
- Current active version
- Complete rewrite with modern Java features
- Enhanced terminal support
- Rich building blocks for creating interactive applications
- Repository
JLine 2 (2009-2015)
- Major evolution of the original codebase
- Improved architecture and features
- Repository
JLine 1 (2002-2009)
- Original version by Marc Prud’hommeaux
- Established core functionality
- Repository