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ConsoleMonster

Help sections

Fold long help into sections, keep one open and widen the pane you are reading.

Demos Terminal apps

Use it when a reference page is too long to read at once and readers jump between sections.

  • Live
  • 88×22
  • PowerShell 7.4+
  • .NET 8.0+
Help sections 88×2224-bitFull

How it's built

The whole program in one file, with its sample data at the top. It drew the recording above; all three styles produce the same frame bytes.

PowerShellhelp-sections.ps1View on GitHub
# Fold help sections and resize the pane beside them.

Import-Module -Name ConsoleMonster
# All data is synthetic and inline; no services are contacted or changed.

# Layout: construct the widgets shown on screen.
$content = {
    New-ConsoleSplitter -Key Panes -Ratio 0.6 -Fill -First {
        New-ConsoleCollapsible -Accordion -Content {
            New-ConsoleCollapsible -Key Synopsis -Expanded -Content {
                'Lists servers and their roles from an inline inventory.'
            }
            New-ConsoleCollapsible -Key Parameters -Summary '(3)' -Content {
                '-Name    server name or wildcard'
                '-Role    web, db or cache'
                '-Online  only servers that answer'
            }
            New-ConsoleCollapsible -Key Examples -Summary '(2)' -Content {
                'Get-Inventory -Role web'
                'Get-Inventory -Name db* -Online'
            }
        }
    } -Second {
        New-ConsolePanel -Title Related -Content {
            'Get-Service'
            'Test-Connection'
        }
    }
}

# Behaviour: Enter folds a section, + expands all, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right resizes; Escape exits.
Show-ConsoleApp -Content $content
C#Program.csView on GitHub
// Fold help sections and resize the pane beside them.
// All data is synthetic and inline; no services are contacted or changed.
using ConsoleMonster.Interactive;
using ConsoleMonster.Layout;
using ConsoleMonster.Widgets;

// Layout: construct the widgets shown on screen.
Splitter layout = new Splitter(
    new Accordion(
        new Collapsible(
            "Synopsis",
            new TextBlock("Lists servers and their roles from an inline inventory."))
        {
            Expanded = true
        },
        new Collapsible("Parameters", new Rows(
            new TextBlock("-Name    server name or wildcard"),
            new TextBlock("-Role    web, db or cache"),
            new TextBlock("-Online  only servers that answer")))
        {
            Summary = "(3)"
        },
        new Collapsible("Examples", new Rows(
            new TextBlock("Get-Inventory -Role web"),
            new TextBlock("Get-Inventory -Name db* -Online")))
        {
            Summary = "(2)"
        }),
    new Panel(new Rows(
        new TextBlock("Get-Service"),
        new TextBlock("Test-Connection"))) { Title = "Related" })
{
    Key = "Panes",
    Ratio = 0.6
};

// Behaviour: Enter folds a section, + expands all, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right resizes; Escape exits.
ConsoleApp.Run(layout);
C# fluentProgram.Fluent.csView on GitHub
// Fold help sections and resize the pane beside them.
// All data is synthetic and inline; no services are contacted or changed.
using ConsoleMonster.Interactive;
using ConsoleMonster.Layout;
using ConsoleMonster.Widgets;
using ConsoleMonster;

// Layout: construct the widgets shown on screen.
Splitter layout = Ui.Splitter().First(Ui.Accordion().Content(c2 =>
{
    c2.Collapsible(collapsible => collapsible.Key("Synopsis")
        .Content(Ui.Markup("Lists servers and their roles from an inline inventory."))
        .Expanded());
    c2.Collapsible(collapsible => collapsible.Key("Parameters").Content(Ui.Rows().Content(c =>
    {
        c.Markup("-Name    server name or wildcard");
        c.Markup("-Role    web, db or cache");
        c.Markup("-Online  only servers that answer");
    })).Summary("(3)"));
    c2.Collapsible(collapsible => collapsible.Key("Examples").Content(Ui.Rows().Content(c =>
    {
        c.Markup("Get-Inventory -Role web");
        c.Markup("Get-Inventory -Name db* -Online");
    })).Summary("(2)"));
})).Second(Ui.Panel().Title("Related").Content(c2 =>
{
    c2.Rows(r => r.Content(c =>
    {
        c.Markup("Get-Service");
        c.Markup("Test-Connection");
    }));
})).Key("Panes").Ratio(0.6);

// Behaviour: Enter folds a section, + expands all, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right resizes; Escape exits.
ConsoleApp.Run(layout);

Run it yourself

Three steps in PowerShell, four in C#. Every command copies with one click.

  1. Install the module

    Once. Windows PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7 on Windows, macOS or Linux.

    Install-Module ConsoleMonster -Scope CurrentUser

  2. Save the program

    Download it, or copy it from above into help-sections.ps1.

    Download help-sections.ps1View on GitHub

  3. Run it

    From the folder you saved it in.

    ./help-sections.ps1

  1. Create a project

    A plain console app; .NET 8 or later.

    dotnet new console -n HelpSections; cd HelpSections

  2. Save the project

    The project selects one C# style at a time and restores ConsoleMonster.

    Download HelpSections.csproj

  3. Save both programs

    Replace Program.cs and save Program.Fluent.cs beside it.

    Download Program.cs Download Program.Fluent.cs View on GitHub

  4. Run it

    dotnet run

  1. Create a project

    A plain console app; .NET 8 or later.

    dotnet new console -n HelpSections; cd HelpSections

  2. Save the project

    The project selects one C# style at a time and restores ConsoleMonster.

    Download HelpSections.csproj

  3. Save both programs

    Replace Program.cs and save Program.Fluent.cs beside it.

    Download Program.cs Download Program.Fluent.cs View on GitHub

  4. Run it

    dotnet run --property:DemoStyle=Fluent

Or skip the copying. Run the bundled program.

Show-ConsoleDemo help-sections
$source = (Get-ConsoleDemo help-sections).Source
[IO.File]::WriteAllText("$PWD/help-sections.ps1", $source, [Text.UTF8Encoding]::new($true))

Make it yours

Start with these, then read the rest of the file.

  1. Replace the sections with your own command's help or a runbook.

  2. Start long sections such as Examples folded and give them a count.

  3. Put a list on the left and its details on the right of the splitter.

More terminal apps

All demos