Node.js: printing to console without a trailing newline?

You can use process.stdout.write():

process.stdout.write("hello: ");

See the docs for details.


Also, if you want to overwrite messages in the same line, for instance in a countdown, you could add \r at the end of the string.

process.stdout.write("Downloading " + data.length + " bytes\r");

As an expansion/enhancement to the brilliant addition made by @rodowi above regarding being able to overwrite a row:

process.stdout.write("Downloading " + data.length + " bytes\r");

Should you not want the terminal cursor to be located at the first character, as I saw in my code, the consider doing the following:

let dots = ''
process.stdout.write(`Loading `)

let tmrID = setInterval(() => {
  dots += '.'
  process.stdout.write(`\rLoading ${dots}`)
}, 1000)

setTimeout(() => {
  clearInterval(tmrID)
  console.log(`\rLoaded in [3500 ms]`)
}, 3500)

By placing the \r in front of the next print statement the cursor is reset just before the replacing string overwrites the previous.


In Windows console (Linux, too), you should replace '\r' with its equivalent code \033[0G:

process.stdout.write('ok\033[0G');

This uses a VT220 terminal escape sequence to send the cursor to the first column.


There seem to be many answers suggesting:

process.stdout.write

Error logs should be emitted on:

process.stderr

Instead use:

console.error

For anyone who is wonder why process.stdout.write('\033[0G'); wasn't doing anything it's because stdout is buffered and you need to wait for drain event (more info).

If write returns false it will fire a drain event.