From usethis::ui functions to cli

`usethis::ui_code()`

Usage

usethis::ui_code(x)

Example

ui_todo("Redocument with {ui_code('devtools::document()')}")

#> • Redocument with `devtools::document()`

With cli

In general inline code formatting can be done with inline styles in cli. The default theme has a "code" class, but it also one for functions, so this can be either of:

cli_ul("Redocument with {.code devtools::document()}")

#> • Redocument with `devtools::document()`

cli_ul("Redocument with {.fun devtools::document}")

#> • Redocument with `devtools::document()`

`usethis::ui_code_block()`

Usage

usethis::ui_code_block(x, copy = interactive(), .envir = parent.frame())

Example

ui_code_block("{format(cli_code)}")

#> •       lines <- c(lines, unlist(list(...)))                                    
#> •       id <- cli_div(class = paste("code", language), .auto_close = .auto_close
#> ,                                                                               
#> •           .envir = .envir)                                                    
#> •       cli_verbatim(lines)                                                     
#> •       invisible(id)                                                           
#> •   }                                                                           
#> <simpleWarning in system2(util_test[1], util_test[-1], stdout = TRUE, stderr = T
#> RUE): running command ''xsel' --clipboard --output 2>&1' had status 1>          
#> <simpleWarning in system2(util_test[1], util_test[-1], stdout = TRUE, stderr = T
#> RUE): running command ''xsel' --clipboard --output 2>&1' had status 1>

With cli

cli_code() produces similar output and it also syntax highlight R code:

cli_code(format(cli_code))

#> function (lines = NULL, ..., language = "R", .auto_close = TRUE,                
#>     .envir = environment())                                                     
#> {                                                                               
#>     lines <- c(lines, unlist(list(...)))                                        
#>     id <- cli_div(class = paste("code", language), .auto_close = .auto_close,   
#>         .envir = .envir)                                                        
#>     cli_verbatim(lines)                                                         
#>     invisible(id)                                                               
#> }

However, cli does not copy stuff to the clipboard, so this has to be done separately.

Another difference is that it also does not run glue substitutions on the code text, so if you want that to happen you’ll need to do that before the cli call.

`usethis::ui_done()`

Usage

usethis::ui_done(x, .envir = parent.frame())

Example

name <- "VignetteBuilder"
value <- "knitr, rmarkdown"
ui_done("Setting {ui_field(name)} field in DESCRIPTION to {ui_value(value)}")

#> ✔ Setting VignetteBuilder field in DESCRIPTION to 'knitr, rmarkdown'

With cli

This is probably closest to cli_alert_success():

cli_alert_success("Setting {.field {name}} field in DESCRIPTION to {.val {value}}")

#> ✔ Setting VignetteBuilder field in DESCRIPTION to "knitr, rmarkdown"

If you want to handle success and failure, then maybe the cli_process_*() functions are a better fit:

tryCatch({
    cli_process_start("Setting {.field {name}} field in DESCRIPTION to {.val {value}}")
    Sys.sleep(1) # <- do the task here, we just sleep
    cli_process_done() },
  error = function(err) {
    cli_process_failed()
    cli_alert_danger("Failed to ...")
  }
)

`usethis::ui_field()`

Usage

usethis::ui_field(x)

Example

name <- "VignetteBuilder"
value <- "knitr, rmarkdown"
ui_done("Setting {ui_field(name)} field in DESCRIPTION to {ui_value(value)}")

#> ✔ Setting VignetteBuilder field in DESCRIPTION to 'knitr, rmarkdown'

With cli

cli has a "field" class for inline styling:

cli_alert_success("Setting {.field {name}} field in DESCRIPTION to {.val {value}}")

#> ✔ Setting VignetteBuilder field in DESCRIPTION to "knitr, rmarkdown"

Just like usethis::ui_field() and similar usethis functions, cli collapses inline vectors, before styling:

name <- c("Depends", "Imports", "Suggests")
ui_done("Setting the {ui_field(name)} field(s) in DESCRIPTION")

#> ✔ Setting the Depends, Imports, Suggests field(s) in DESCRIPTION

cli_alert_success("Setting the {.field {name}} field{?s} in DESCRIPTION")

#> ✔ Setting the Depends, Imports, and Suggests fields in DESCRIPTION

cli also helps you with the correct pluralization:

name <- "Depends"
cli_alert_success("Setting the {.field {name}} field{?s} in DESCRIPTION")

#> ✔ Setting the Depends field in DESCRIPTION

`usethis::ui_info()`

Usage

usethis::ui_info((x, .envir = parent.frame())

Example

ui_info("No labels need renaming")

#> ℹ No labels need renaming

With cli

This is simply cli_alert_info():

cli_alert_info("No labels need renaming")

#> ℹ No labels need renaming

`usethis::ui_line()`

Usage

usethis::ui_line(x, .envir = parent.frame())

Example

ui_line("No matching issues/PRs found.")

#> No matching issues/PRs found.

With cli

This is just a line of text, so cli_text() is fine for this. One difference is that cli_text() will automatically wrap the long lines.

cli_text("No matching issues/PRs found.")

#> No matching issues/PRs found.

`usethis::ui_nope()`

Usage

ui_nope(x, .envir = parent.frame())

With cli

cli does not support user input currently, so this has to stay in usethis.

`usethis::ui_oops()`

Usage

usethis::ui_oops(x, .envir = parent.frame())

Example

ui_oops("Can't validate token. Is the network reachable?")

#> ✖ Can't validate token. Is the network reachable?

With cli

This is mostly just cli_alert_danger(), but for see also the cli_process_*() alternatives at usethis::ui_done().

`usethis::ui_path()`

Usage

usethis::ui_path(x, base = NULL)

Example

ui_path() formats paths as relative to the project or the supplied base directory, and also appends a / to directories.

logo_path <- file.path("man", "figures", "logo.svg")
img <- "/tmp/some-image.svg"
ui_done("Copied {ui_path(img)} to {ui_path(logo_path)}")

#> ✔ Copied '/tmp/some-image.svg' to 'man/figures/logo.svg'

With cli

cli does not do any of these, but it does have inline markup for files and paths:

cli_alert_success("Copied {.file {img}} to {.file {logo_path}}")

#> ✔ Copied /tmp/some-image.svg to man/figures/logo.svg

`usethis::ui_stop()`

Usage

usethis::ui_stop(x, .envir = parent.frame())

Example

ui_stop() does glue substitution on the string, and then calls stop() to throw an error.

ui_stop("Could not copy {ui_path(img)} to  {ui_path(logo_path)}, file already exists")

#> Error: Could not copy '/tmp/some-image.svg' to  'man/figures/logo.svg', file alr
#> eady exists

With cli

cli_abort() does the same and is formatted using cli_bullets().

cli_abort(c(
  "Could not copy {.file {img}} to {.file {logo_path}}, file already exists",
  "i" = "You can set {.arg overwrite = TRUE} to avoid this error"
  ))

#> Error:                                                                          
#> ! Could not copy /tmp/some-image.svg to man/figures/logo.svg, file              
#>   already exists                                                                
#> ℹ You can set `overwrite = TRUE` to avoid this error                            
#> Run `rlang::last_trace()` to see where the error occurred.

`usethis::ui_todo()`

Usage

usethis::ui_todo(x, .envir = parent.frame())

Example

ui_todo("Redocument with {ui_code('devtools::document()')}")

#> • Redocument with `devtools::document()`

With cli

This is a bullet, so either cli_ul() or cli_alert_info() should be appropriate:

cli_ul("Redocument with {.fun devtools::document}")

#> • Redocument with `devtools::document()`

`usethis::ui_value()`

Usage

usethis::ui_value(x)

Example

name <- "VignetteBuilder"
value <- "knitr, rmarkdown"
ui_done("Setting {ui_field(name)} field in DESCRIPTION to {ui_value(value)}")

#> ✔ Setting VignetteBuilder field in DESCRIPTION to 'knitr, rmarkdown'

With cli

The "value" inline class is appropriate for this.

cli_alert_success("Setting {.field {name}} field in DESCRIPTION to {.val {value}}")

#> ✔ Setting VignetteBuilder field in DESCRIPTION to "knitr, rmarkdown"

`usethis::ui_warn()`

Usage

usethis::ui_warn(x, .envir = parent.frame())

Example

ui_warn() does glue substitution on the string, and then calls warning() to throw a warning.

ui_warn("Could not copy {ui_path(img)} to  {ui_path(logo_path)}, file already exists")

#> Warning: Could not copy '/tmp/some-image.svg' to  'man/figures/logo.svg', file a
#> lready exists

With cli

cli_warn() does the same and is formatted using cli_bullets().

cli_warn(c(
  "Could not copy {.file {img}} to {.file {logo_path}}, file already exists",
  "i" = "You can set {.arg overwrite = TRUE} to avoid this warning"
  ))

#> Warning message:                                                                
#> Could not copy /tmp/some-image.svg to man/figures/logo.svg, file already exists 
#> ℹ You can set `overwrite = TRUE` to avoid this warning

`usethis::ui_yeah()`

Usage

ui_yeah(x, .envir = parent.frame())

With cli

cli does not support user input currently, so this has to stay in usethis.

Gábor Csárdi

2025-05-23

Introduction

How to

usethis::ui_code()

Usage

Example

With cli

usethis::ui_code_block()

Usage

Example

With cli

usethis::ui_done()

Usage

Example

With cli

usethis::ui_field()

Usage

Example

With cli

usethis::ui_info()

Usage

Example

With cli

usethis::ui_line()

Usage

Example

With cli

usethis::ui_nope()

Usage

With cli

usethis::ui_oops()

Usage

Example

With cli

usethis::ui_path()

Usage

Example

With cli

usethis::ui_stop()

Usage

Example

With cli

usethis::ui_todo()

Usage

Example

With cli

usethis::ui_value()

Usage

Example

With cli

usethis::ui_warn()

Usage

Example

With cli

usethis::ui_yeah()

Usage

With cli

`usethis::ui_code()`

`usethis::ui_code_block()`

`usethis::ui_done()`

`usethis::ui_field()`

`usethis::ui_info()`

`usethis::ui_line()`

`usethis::ui_nope()`

`usethis::ui_oops()`

`usethis::ui_path()`

`usethis::ui_stop()`

`usethis::ui_todo()`

`usethis::ui_value()`

`usethis::ui_warn()`

`usethis::ui_yeah()`