# Usage
```js
import { checkbox, Separator } from '@inquirer/prompts';
// Or
// import checkbox, { Separator } from '@inquirer/checkbox';
const answer = await checkbox({
message: 'Select a package manager',
choices: [
{ name: 'npm', value: 'npm' },
{ name: 'yarn', value: 'yarn' },
new Separator(),
{ name: 'pnpm', value: 'pnpm', disabled: true },
{
name: 'pnpm',
value: 'pnpm',
disabled: '(pnpm is not available)',
},
],
});
```
## Options
| Property | Type | Required | Description |
| --------- | --------------------------------------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| message | `string` | yes | The question to ask |
| choices | `Choice[]` | yes | List of the available choices. |
| pageSize | `number` | no | By default, lists of choice longer than 7 will be paginated. Use this option to control how many choices will appear on the screen at once. |
| loop | `boolean` | no | Defaults to `true`. When set to `false`, the cursor will be constrained to the top and bottom of the choice list without looping. |
| required | `boolean` | no | When set to `true`, ensures at least one choice must be selected. |
| validate | `async (Choice[]) => boolean \| string` | no | On submit, validate the choices. When returning a string, it'll be used as the error message displayed to the user. Note: returning a rejected promise, we'll assume a code error happened and crash. |
| shortcuts | [See Shortcuts](#Shortcuts) | no | Customize shortcut keys for `all` and `invert`. |
| theme | [See Theming](#Theming) | no | Customize look of the prompt. |
`Separator` objects can be used in the `choices` array to render non-selectable lines in the choice list. By default it'll render a line, but you can provide the text as argument (`new Separator('-- Dependencies --')`). This option is often used to add labels to groups within long list of options.
### `Choice` object
The `Choice` object is typed as
```ts
type Choice = {
value: Value;
name?: string;
checkedName?: string;
description?: string;
short?: string;
checked?: boolean;
disabled?: boolean | string;
};
```
Here's each property:
- `value`: The value is what will be returned by `await checkbox()`.
- `name`: This is the string displayed in the choice list.
- `checkedName`: Alternative `name` (or format) displayed when the choice is checked.
- `description`: Option for a longer description string that'll appear under the list when the cursor highlight a given choice.
- `short`: Once the prompt is done (press enter), we'll use `short` if defined to render next to the question. By default we'll use `name`.
- `checked`: If `true`, the option will be checked by default.
- `disabled`: Disallow the option from being selected. If `disabled` is a string, it'll be used as a help tip explaining why the choice isn't available.
Also note the `choices` array can contain `Separator`s to help organize long lists.
`choices` can also be an array of string, in which case the string will be used both as the `value` and the `name`.
## Keybindings
Set `INQUIRER_KEYBINDINGS=vim`, `INQUIRER_KEYBINDINGS=emacs`, or `INQUIRER_KEYBINDINGS=vim,emacs` to enable alternative navigation keybindings globally.
You can override the environment setting per prompt with `theme.keybindings`.
## Shortcuts
You can customize the shortcut keys for `all` and `invert` or disable them by setting them to `null`.
```ts
type Shortcuts = {
all?: string | null; // default: 'a'
invert?: string | null; // default: 'i'
};
```
## Theming
You can theme a prompt by passing a `theme` object option. The theme object only need to includes the keys you wish to modify, we'll fallback on the defaults for the rest.
```ts
type Theme = {
prefix: string | { idle: string; done: string };
spinner: {
interval: number;
frames: string[];
};
style: {
answer: (text: string) => string;
message: (text: string, status: 'idle' | 'done' | 'loading') => string;
error: (text: string) => string;
defaultAnswer: (text: string) => string;
help: (text: string) => string;
highlight: (text: string) => string;
key: (text: string) => string;
disabledChoice: (text: string) => string;
description: (text: string) => string;
renderSelectedChoices: (
selectedChoices: ReadonlyArray>,
allChoices: ReadonlyArray | Separator>,
) => string;
keysHelpTip: (keys: [key: string, action: string][]) => string | undefined;
};
icon: {
checked: string;
unchecked: string;
cursor: string;
};
keybindings: readonly ('emacs' | 'vim')[];
};
```
### `theme.style.keysHelpTip`
This function allows you to customize the keyboard shortcuts help tip displayed below the prompt. It receives an array of key-action pairs and should return a formatted string. You can also hook here to localize the labels to different languages.
It can also returns `undefined` to hide the help tip entirely.
```js
theme: {
style: {
keysHelpTip: (keys) => {
// Return undefined to hide the help tip completely
return undefined;
// Or customize the formatting. Or localize the labels.
return keys.map(([key, action]) => `${key}: ${action}`).join(' | ');
};
}
}
```
# License
Copyright (c) 2023 Simon Boudrias (twitter: [@vaxilart](https://twitter.com/Vaxilart))
Licensed under the MIT license.
---
_Source: https://npm.io/package/@inquirer/checkbox · Machine-readable twin of the npm.io package page. Health data is recomputed on every publish._