Skip to content

INTERACTIVE_UTILS_SUMMARY.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
115 lines (85 loc) · 3.61 KB

INTERACTIVE_UTILS_SUMMARY.md

File metadata and controls

115 lines (85 loc) · 3.61 KB

Interactive Utils - Comprehensive Non-Interactive Mode Solution

Related Code Files:

  • interactive_utils.py - The unified solution for all interactive prompts
  • text_undo.py - Example of migrated tool
  • INTERACTIVE_MIGRATION_PLAN.md - Complete migration strategy

Problem Solved

We've created a comprehensive solution for the EOF errors that occur when tools run in non-interactive environments (CI/CD, pipes, scripts). Instead of ugly stack traces, users now get clear, actionable error messages.

Solution Overview

1. Created interactive_utils.py

A shared module that ALL tools can use for consistent non-interactive handling:

from interactive_utils import (
    get_confirmation,         # Yes/no prompts
    get_multi_choice,        # y/n/force, y/n/q prompts
    get_numbered_selection,  # Select from list (1-10)
    get_multi_confirmation,  # Multiple confirmations
    safe_input,             # Safe input with defaults
    check_auto_yes_env      # Environment variable support
)

2. Comprehensive Feature Set

The module handles ALL interaction patterns found in our tools:

Pattern Function Example
Yes/No get_confirmation() "Proceed? [y/N]"
Typed Phrase get_confirmation(typed_confirmation="DELETE") "Type 'DELETE' to confirm"
Multi-Choice get_multi_choice() "Action? [y/N/force]"
Numbered List get_numbered_selection() "Select (1-10) or 0 to cancel"
Multi-Step get_multi_confirmation() Multiple dangerous confirmations

3. Non-Interactive Support

Every function gracefully handles non-interactive mode:

# EOF error before:
echo "" | python tool.py
# EOFError: EOF when reading a line

# Clear message after:
echo "" | python tool.py
# ERROR: Interactive confirmation required but running in non-interactive mode.
#        Use --yes flag to skip confirmation
#        Or set TOOL_ASSUME_YES=1 environment variable

4. Environment Variables

Standardized environment variable support:

  • {TOOL}_ASSUME_YES=1 - Auto-confirm prompts
  • {TOOL}_FORCE_YES=1 - Force dangerous operations
  • {TOOL}_NONINTERACTIVE=1 - Strict non-interactive mode

5. Example Migration

text_undo.py has been migrated as an example:

# Before (crashes with EOF):
confirm = input(f"Proceed with undo? (y/N): ")

# After (handles non-interactive gracefully):
if not get_confirmation(
    "Proceed with undo?",
    tool_name='text_undo',
    env_var='TEXT_UNDO_ASSUME_YES'
):
    print("Cancelled.")
    return

Tools to Migrate

High Priority

  1. sync_tools_to_desktop.py - No env var support
  2. text_undo.py - Needs numbered selection support
  3. safegit_undo_stack.py - Limited non-interactive support

Medium Priority

  1. safe_move.py - Not using common module
  2. refactor_rename.py/v2.py - For consistency

Already Good (Minor Updates)

  1. safe_file_manager.py - Has full support
  2. safegit.py - Has full support
  3. replace_text_ast_v2/v3.py - Has full support

Benefits

  1. No More EOF Errors - Clear messages instead of crashes
  2. CI/CD Ready - All tools work in automation
  3. Consistent UX - Same behavior across all tools
  4. User Friendly - Clear instructions on what to do
  5. Backward Compatible - Existing scripts continue to work

Next Steps

  1. Migrate remaining tools using the template
  2. Test in various non-interactive environments
  3. Update documentation
  4. Add to release notes as a major improvement

This solution ensures that all Code Intelligence Toolkit tools work seamlessly in both interactive terminals and automated environments!