PromptPlus

# PromptPlus ## **Spinners** [![NuGet](https://img.shields.io/badge/NuGet-PromptPlus-blue)](https://www.nuget.org/packages/PromptPlus) [![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT) [![.NET](https://img.shields.io/badge/.NET-8%20%7C%209%20%7C%2010-512BD4)](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/)

← Back to Home • Next: Spinner Catalog →

A spinner is a small looping animation that signals “work in progress”. Four controls can show one via a .Spinner(SpinnersType) method:

This page explains how to use spinners and how they behave on terminals without Unicode support. For the full visual list of every spinner and its frames, see the Spinner catalog.

Using a spinner

Pass a SpinnersType value. Each spinner animates at its own built-in speed — you pick the style, the library drives the animation.

using PromptPlusLibrary;

var result = PromptPlus.Controls
    .Task("Loading")
    .Spinner(SpinnersType.Dots)     // choose any SpinnersType
    .Action(token => DoWork(token))
    .Run();

The same call works on ProgressBar, MultiTasks, and Timer. If you never call .Spinner(...), the control simply doesn’t show one.

Automatic ASCII fallback

✅ You can pick any spinner without worrying about portability. When the terminal does not report Unicode support (PromptPlus.Console.SupportsUnicode == false), calling .Spinner(...) automatically substitutes the Ascii spinner (- \ | /). On a Unicode-capable terminal you get exactly the spinner you asked for.

Details worth knowing:

The fallback is decided when you call .Spinner(...), based on the detected terminal capability. It replaces the whole spinner (not individual frames).
The switch is gated on SupportsUnicode only — it is not a per-glyph check. So on a terminal that reports Unicode support but is paired with a font that lacks a specific emoji, an emoji spinner (Moon, Clock, Hearts, …) may still render as boxes. If that scenario matters to you, prefer a braille/shape/ASCII spinner over an emoji one.

You normally don’t need to branch yourself, but the capability is available if you want it:

using PromptPlusLibrary;

if (!PromptPlus.Console.SupportsUnicode)
    PromptPlus.Console.WriteLine("[grey]Running in ASCII mode[/]");

Pure-ASCII spinners

These use only plain ASCII characters, so they look identical everywhere (the automatic fallback picks Ascii; the others are here if you want an ASCII look on a capable terminal too):

Ascii · Line · SimpleDots · SimpleDotsScrolling · BouncingBar · Star2 · Balloon · Binary · Dqpb · Toggle13

What to expect visually (quick sample)

A few representative spinners; the frames cycle in order. The full catalog with every spinner is on the Spinner catalog page.

`SpinnersType`	Frames (cycle)	Kind
`Ascii` / `Line`	`-` `\` `\\|` `/`	ASCII (also the fallback)
`SimpleDots`	`.` → `..` → `...` → (blank)	ASCII
`BouncingBar`	`[= ]` `[== ]` `[=== ]` `[====]` …	ASCII
`Default`	⣷ ⣯ ⣟ ⡿ ⢿ ⣻ ⣽ ⣾	Unicode (braille)
`Dots`	⠋ ⠙ ⠹ ⠸ ⠼ ⠴ ⠦ ⠧ ⠇ ⠏	Unicode (braille)
`Arc`	◜ ◠ ◝ ◞ ◡ ◟	Unicode (shapes)
`Arrow`	← ↖ ↑ ↗ → ↘ ↓ ↙	Unicode (arrows)
`Moon`	🌑 🌒 🌓 🌔 🌕 🌖 🌗 🌘	Emoji

💡 The animation speed is fixed per spinner (for example, Dots steps every ~80 ms, Toggle every ~250 ms). You choose the look; the pace comes with it.

All spinner names

Grouped as in the SpinnersType enum. Names in bold are pure ASCII. See the frames for each on the Spinner catalog.

Dots & braille — Default · Dots · Dots2 … Dots14 · Dots8Bit · DotsCircle · Sand

Lines & bars — Ascii · Line · Line2 · Pipe · SimpleDots · SimpleDotsScrolling · Flip · Binary · Dqpb · BouncingBar · Material · BetaWave · Aesthetic · Layer · Toggle13

Shapes — Star · Star2 · Hamburger · GrowVertical · GrowHorizontal · Balloon · Balloon2 · Noise · Bounce · BoxBounce · BoxBounce2 · Triangle · Arc · Circle · SquareCorners · CircleQuarters · CircleHalves · Squish · Point

Toggle — Toggle · Toggle2 … Toggle12

Arrows & motion — Arrow · Arrow2 · Arrow3 · BouncingBall · Pong · Shark

Emoji — Smiley · Monkey · Hearts · Clock · Earth · Moon · Runner · Weather · Christmas · Grenade · FingerDance · FistBump · SoccerHeader · Mindblown · Speaker · OrangePulse · BluePulse · OrangeBluePulse · TimeTravel · DwarfFortress