
A progress bar is a fundamental UI element that helps users track the status of a long-running operation, making their experience more engaging and interactive.
In Golang, you can create a progress bar using the `fmt` package and a simple loop to print the progress.
The progress bar can be customized to display different types of information, such as the percentage completed, the number of steps remaining, or the estimated time remaining.
To create a basic progress bar, you can use the `fmt.Printf` function to print the progress to the console.
If this caught your attention, see: Why Is Progress Monitoring Important
Creating a Progress Bar
You can create a progress bar with unknown length by setting the length to -1, which will automatically convert it to a spinner with a customizable spinner type.
A progress bar with unknown length is a spinner, and you can customize the spinner type. For example, you can set the resp.ContentLength to -1 to create a spinner.
You can display additional information about the current processing status by using a two-lined progress bar. This can be achieved by using the mpb package.
Expand your knowledge: Progress Bar Html
To create a two-lined progress bar, you can use the PrependDecorators or AppendDecorators method. However, if you need to display multiple lines of information, you may need to manually put that information directly to the Bar instead.
Here are some key features to consider when creating a progress bar:
- Track one or more tasks at the same time
- Dynamically add one or more task trackers while Render() is in progress
- Choose to have the writer auto-stop the render when no more trackers are in queue, or manually stop using Stop()
- Redirect output to an io.Writer object (like os.StdOut)
- Completely customizable styles
Configuring the Progress Bar
You can customize the progress bar by specifying how many spaces will be printed at the end of each bar using the `WithBarExtraTailSpaces` function. The default is 8 spaces, but you can disable extra spaces by setting it to -1.
To disable extra spaces, you can use the `WithBarExtraTailSpaces` function with a value of -1. This will prevent the progress bar from printing extra spaces at the end of each bar.
You can also create a progress bar with an unknown length by setting the length to -1. This will automatically convert the bar to a spinner with a customizable spinner type.
You might like: Golang Func Type
With MPB
With MPB, you can create a two-lined progress bar with ease. You can display additional information about the current processing status, like in the example where a file is being processed with the mode and pass number.
To achieve this, you can manually put the information directly into the Bar instead of using PrependDecorators or AppendDecorators. This is because using
in the name will break the whole progress bar.
If you want to display multiple progress bars at once, you can do so by creating multiple bars with different names. Each progress bar should be updated ASAP when something changes, not every 0.5 seconds.
Here are some key features of MPB that can help you configure the progress bar:
- You can track one or more tasks at the same time.
- You can dynamically add one or more task trackers while the Render() function is in progress.
- You can choose to have the writer auto-stop the Render when no more trackers are in queue, or manually stop using Stop().
- You can redirect output to an io.Writer object, like os.StdOut.
- You can completely customize the styles.
To stop the Render() logic, you can call Progress.Stop(). Alternatively, you can set AutoStop to true, which means the Render() function will automatically stop once all currently active trackers reach their final states.
Using Source Files

You can use source files to customize the progress bar by modifying the bar's appearance and behavior.
In the `progress_bar.css` file, you can adjust the colors and fonts used in the progress bar.
Customizing the progress bar's appearance is as simple as changing a few lines of code.
The `progress_bar.js` file contains the JavaScript code that handles the progress bar's functionality.
By modifying this file, you can change the way the progress bar responds to user interactions.
To update the progress bar's appearance, simply replace the existing CSS code with your custom styles.
Explore further: Reactivation in Progress Azure
Setting Message Length
The progress bar's message length can be configured to display a specific number of characters. You can set it to display up to 20 characters, but keep in mind that shorter messages can be more effective.
The default message length is 10 characters, which is suitable for short tasks. However, for longer tasks, you may want to consider displaying a longer message to keep users informed.
In the example of a file upload, a message length of 10 characters is sufficient, as seen in the "File Upload Progress Bar" section. This allows the progress bar to display a concise message while still keeping users updated on the upload progress.
For your interest: Golang Message
Setting Message Width

When setting the message width, it's essential to consider the progress bar's overall design.
The default message width is 200 pixels, which can be adjusted to suit your needs.
A message width of 200 pixels is sufficient for most applications, but you may need to adjust it if you're working with a large amount of data.
In our example, we used a message width of 300 pixels to accommodate a longer progress bar.
Setting Terminal Width
Setting Terminal Width is a crucial step in configuring the progress bar. This is because the progress bar's display width is determined by your terminal's width.
You can set the terminal width using the `stty columns` command. This command sets the number of columns to display in the terminal.
The default terminal width is often 80 characters. However, this can be adjusted to suit your needs.
Setting the terminal width to 120 characters can improve the readability of the progress bar.
A different take: Golang Test Command
Set Position

To set the position of a progress bar, you can use the `position` attribute. The default position is `absolute`, which means it will be placed relative to its nearest positioned ancestor.
The `top` and `left` attributes can be used to specify the position of the progress bar, for example: `top: 10px; left: 50px;`. This will place the progress bar 10 pixels from the top and 50 pixels from the left of its parent element.
You can also use the `right` and `bottom` attributes to position the progress bar from the right and bottom edges of its parent element. For instance, `right: 10px; bottom: 20px;` will place the progress bar 10 pixels from the right and 20 pixels from the bottom of its parent element.
The `z-index` attribute can be used to control the stacking order of the progress bar. If you have multiple progress bars with the same position, the one with the higher `z-index` value will be displayed on top.
You might like: Golang Use Cases
Displaying Progress
A progress bar with unknown length is actually a spinner, and you can create one by setting the length to -1. This will automatically convert the bar to a customizable spinner type.
You can create a two-lined progress bar using mpb, but it's not as straightforward as you might think. To display additional information about the current processing status, you can use a Bar instead of PrependDecorators or AppendDecorators.
To create multiple progress bars at once, you can use the same Bar object and update it accordingly. This way, each progress bar will be updated ASAP when something changes, rather than updating every progress bar every 0.5 seconds.
Here are some key features to consider when displaying progress:
- Track one or more Tasks at the same time
- Dynamically add one or more Task Trackers while Render() is in progress
- Choose to have the Writer auto-stop the Render when no more Trackers are in queue, or manually stop using Stop()
- Redirect output to an io.Writer object (like os.StdOut)
- Completely customizable styles
Showing Time
Showing Time is a feature that allows you to see the time taken by each Tracker. It's a useful tool for understanding how long tasks are taking.
The ShowTime function is used to toggle this feature on and off. However, it's worth noting that ShowTime is deprecated, meaning it's no longer recommended for use.

Instead, you can use the Style().Visibility.Time function to achieve the same result. This is a more modern and efficient way to control the visibility of time.
If you need to sort your Trackers, you can use the Sort applies the sorting method defined by SortBy function. This will help you organize your Trackers in a way that makes sense for your project.
Showing
Showing progress can be a great way to keep users engaged and informed. The Progress struct in the codebase has a ShowTracker method that toggles the visibility of the Tracker, a progress bar.
The ShowTracker method is deprecated, meaning it's no longer recommended for use. A better alternative is the Style().Visibility.Tracker method, which provides the same functionality.
To show the Tracker, simply call the Style().Visibility.Tracker method. This will toggle the visibility of the progress bar, allowing users to see their progress in real-time.
Tracking Progress
Tracking progress is a crucial aspect of any task, especially when working with multiple tasks in parallel. You can track one or more tasks at the same time using the Progress package in Go.
To track a task, you'll need to create a Tracker instance with a valid Message, a valid (expected) Total, and Units values. This Tracker should then be fed to the Progress Writer with the Writer.AppendTracker() method.
The Progress Writer can be customized to suit your needs, and you can choose to have it auto-stop the Render when no more Trackers are in queue, or manually stop using Stop(). The output can also be redirected to an io.Writer object, such as os.StdOut.
Here are some key methods for tracking progress:
To update the progress, you can increment the value of the Tracker using the Tracker.Increment(value) method. This will update the progress bar accordingly.
A fresh viewpoint: Golang Mod Update
Managing Progress Bar Output
You can customize the progress bar's output by using the `SetWidth` method to set the bar's width, or the `SetTarget` method to set the target value.
The `SetWidth` method allows you to set the bar's width in characters, which can be useful for displaying the progress bar in a terminal or console.
By setting the bar's width, you can ensure that the progress bar is displayed consistently across different systems and terminals.
Setting Sort By

When setting the sort by option, it's essential to consider the type of data being displayed. The sort by option can be set to either ascending or descending order.
The default sort by option is usually set to ascending order, which means the data will be displayed from smallest to largest. However, this can be changed to descending order, which displays the data from largest to smallest.
The sort by option can also be set to sort by specific fields, such as date, time, or numerical values. This is especially useful when working with large datasets.
Suggestion: Golang Set Env Variable
Setting Pinned Messages
The Progress function has a method called SetPinnedMessages.
This method sets message(s) pinned above all the trackers of the progress bar. You can use it to overwrite all the pinned messages.
To clear the pinned messages, call this function without arguments.
Setting Output Writer
To set the output writer, you'll want to use the `set_output_writer()` method, which allows you to specify the output writer to be used for the progress bar.

The default output writer is the `ConsoleOutputWriter`, but you can change it to a `FileOutputWriter` to write the progress bar to a file instead.
You can also use a custom output writer, such as a `CustomOutputWriter`, to write the progress bar to a specific location or in a specific format.
The output writer is responsible for writing the progress bar to the specified location, and it's an important part of managing the progress bar output.
In some cases, you may want to use a different output writer for different parts of the progress bar, such as writing the progress bar to the console and the summary to a file.
Additional reading: Golang Write String to File
Progress Bar Types and Styles
There are several types of progress bars available in Go, including the standard progress bar, the spinner progress bar, and the text progress bar.
The standard progress bar is the most basic type of progress bar and is used to display the progress of a task as a percentage.

The spinner progress bar is a type of progress bar that displays a spinning animation to indicate progress.
The text progress bar is a type of progress bar that displays the progress of a task as a text-based representation.
The standard progress bar is typically used for tasks that involve a fixed amount of work, such as copying a file.
The spinner progress bar is typically used for tasks that involve a variable amount of work, such as downloading a file.
The text progress bar is typically used for tasks that require a high degree of customization, such as displaying the progress of a task in a specific format.
Featured Images: pexels.com


