How to write output in the same place on the console with Python?

To write output in the same place on the console with Python, you can use a combination of techniques such as the carriage return (\r) and the flush option. Here’s an example:

import time

for i in range(10):
    print(f"Progress: {i}/10", end='\r')
    time.sleep(1)

print("Task completed!")

In this example, we use a loop to simulate some progress updates. Instead of printing each progress update on a new line, we use the carriage return (\r) at the end of the print statement. This moves the cursor back to the beginning of the line.

By default, the print() function buffers the output, meaning it waits until a newline character (\n) is encountered before actually writing the output to the console. To ensure that the output is immediately displayed on the console without buffering, you can use the flush=True option:

import time

for i in range(10):
    print(f"Progress: {i}/10", end='\r', flush=True)
    time.sleep(1)

print("Task completed!")

By setting flush=True, the output is immediately flushed to the console after each print() call.

Keep in mind that the behavior of printing output in the same place may vary depending on the console or terminal being used. Some terminals may handle the carriage return differently or not support it at all.

Additionally, if the output contains variable-length strings, you may need to pad or truncate the output to ensure that the previous output is fully overwritten. You can achieve this by using fixed-width strings or adding spaces or backspaces as necessary.

Overall, while these techniques can help you achieve the desired effect of writing output in the same place on the console, they may not work consistently across all platforms or terminals. It’s recommended to test and adjust your code accordingly for the specific environment in which it will be executed.