[REQUEST] support multiple chars for rule printing

[hedyhli]

Have you checked the issues for a similar suggestions? Yes

How would you improve Rich?

Currently for rule.py it only allows the character to have 1 cell length, it would better if it could allow more, like

>>> console.print(Rule("hello", character="-+"))
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ hello -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

What problem does it solved for you?

I was just thinking it would improve it and it looks like an ASCII rule, which is cool (like this program)

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If this is accepted, I would like to work on it, because I have already tried it out ”locally” (https://repl.it/@hedythedev/rich#rich/rule.py) and it works well

console.print(Rule(text, character="-/-"))

[hedyhli]

I will also remember add tests for this (if accepted) of course

[willmcgugan]

Hi @hedythedev

Works for me. Since we allow multiple characters now, it should probably take in to account multi-cell characters like emoji. See the functions in cells.py for help with that.

The name of the parameter is probably wrong now. character implies a single character. Suggest adding additional characters parameter which allows for multiple characters.

BTW there is a rule method on the Console class that will also need updating...

Thanks!

[hedyhli]

Got it!
Btw when you say works for me, do you mean the code in repl.it?

Also would chars work better? Because characters is a bit long

[willmcgugan]

Btw when you say works for me, do you mean the code in repl.it?

Just meant its a good idea in general.

Also would chars work better? Because characters is a bit long

It is, but I dislike abbreviations. I'd rather type it in full than recall how it was abbreviated...

[hedyhli]

So if the characters provided have a long length, this might end up happening (| represents terminal width)

>>> console.print(Rule("hello", character="12345"))
|12345 hello 12345    |
#                 ^^^^

Because 12345 is longer than the width left after the right side of 12345, there will be a number blank spaces smaller than the cell width of characters param, in this case it is len(“12345”) == 5. Which is caused by treating characters (12345) as a whole.

So in this case, which solution would we want?

1. using truncate() to make it
   |1234512 hello 1234512 | (there will be an ending space if length of characters is odd)

2. Or just leave it as is

|12345 hello 12345    |

In my opinion we should use truncate

[willmcgugan]

The Rule should extend to the full width available, which may mean you need an extra character on the right hand side. To use your example:

|1234512 hello 12345123|