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JLine Modules Overview

JLine is organized into several modules, each providing specific functionality. This modular architecture allows you to include only the components you need in your application, reducing dependencies and improving maintainability.

JPMS Support

JLine 4.0+ provides full support for the Java Platform Module System (JPMS). See the JPMS Support page for detailed information about which modules are JPMS-compatible and how to use them in modular applications.

Core Modules​

JLine's core functionality is provided by these essential modules:

  • jline-terminal: Provides terminal handling capabilities
  • jline-reader: Implements line reading with editing features

Additional Modules​

Beyond the core functionality, JLine offers several additional modules that extend its capabilities:

jline-builtins​

The jline-builtins module provides ready-to-use commands and utilities that you can incorporate into your command-line applications. These include:

  • POSIX commands (cat, ls, grep, head, tail, wc, sort, etc.)
  • File operations and utilities
  • Command history management
  • Completion utilities
  • Table formatting
  • Text editors (Nano)
  • Terminal multiplexer (Tmux)
  • System monitoring (TTop)

jline-style​

The jline-style module provides a styling API for terminal output, allowing you to:

  • Define and apply styles to text
  • Create color schemes
  • Apply styles consistently across your application
  • Parse style definitions from configuration files

jline-shell​

The jline-shell module provides a clean, modern API for building interactive command-line applications. It defines:

  • Command and AbstractCommand — the core command abstraction
  • CommandGroup and SimpleCommandGroup — command organization and discovery
  • CommandDispatcher — command resolution, pipeline execution, and completion
  • Shell and Shell.builder() — a thin REPL loop with a fluent builder API
  • Pipeline and PipelineParser — extensible pipeline parsing and execution (|, &&, ||, ;, >, >>)
  • JobManager and Job — job control for foreground, background, and suspended commands
  • AliasManager — command alias system with parameter substitution and optional persistence
  • Built-in commands — history, help, setopt/unsetopt/setvar (opt-in via builder)
  • CommandHighlighter — command-aware syntax highlighting

See the jline-shell module page for full details.

jline-console​

The jline-console module provides the legacy framework for building interactive console applications. New applications should prefer jline-shell. It includes:

  • Command processing infrastructure
  • Command registration and discovery
  • Argument parsing
  • Help generation
  • Bridge adapters for interoperability with jline-shell

jline-console-ui​

The jline-console-ui module provides interactive prompt components for console applications, inspired by Inquirer.js. It includes:

  • Text input with completion and GNU ReadLine compatible editing
  • Checkboxes for multiple selections
  • Lists for single item selection
  • Expandable choices (key-based answers with help)
  • Yes/No confirmation prompts

Module Dependencies​

The modules have the following dependency relationships:

jline-terminal
    ↑
jline-reader
   ↑ ↑
   |  jline-shell → jline-console (legacy bridge)
   |
jline-style
    ↑
jline-builtins
    ↑
jline-console-ui

Maven Dependencies​

To use these modules in your Maven project, add the appropriate dependencies:

<!-- Core functionality -->
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jline</groupId>
    <artifactId>jline</artifactId>
    <version>4.0.0</version>
</dependency>

<!-- Or individual modules -->
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jline</groupId>
    <artifactId>jline-builtins</artifactId>
    <version>4.0.0</version>
</dependency>

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jline</groupId>
    <artifactId>jline-style</artifactId>
    <version>4.0.0</version>
</dependency>

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jline</groupId>
    <artifactId>jline-shell</artifactId>
    <version>4.0.0</version>
</dependency>

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jline</groupId>
    <artifactId>jline-console</artifactId>
    <version>4.0.0</version>
</dependency>

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jline</groupId>
    <artifactId>jline-console-ui</artifactId>
    <version>4.0.0</version>
</dependency>

JPMS Module Status​

JLine 4.0+ includes full JPMS support for most modules:

  • ✅ JPMS Modules: jline-terminal, jline-reader, jline-style, jline-builtins, jline-shell, jline-console, jline-console-ui, jline-native, jline-terminal-ffm, jline-terminal-jni, jline-jansi-core
  • ❌ Automatic Modules: jline-terminal-jansi, jline-groovy, jline-remote-ssh, jline-remote-telnet, jline-demo, jline-graal

For detailed JPMS usage information, see the JPMS Support documentation.

The following sections provide detailed documentation for each of these modules.