Java Clear Console

Introduction

In Java, clearing the console screen is not as straightforward as in some other programming languages. This guide explains various methods to clear the console screen in a Java program.

Table of Contents

1. Using ANSI Escape Sequences
2. Using ProcessBuilder
3. Using JNI (Java Native Interface)

Using ANSI Escape Sequences

public class ClearConsole {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.print("\033[H\033[2J");
        System.out.flush();
    }
}

Note: This method works on consoles that support ANSI escape sequences, such as most Unix-based terminals and some modern Windows terminals.

Using ProcessBuilder

import java.io.IOException;

public class ClearConsole {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            new ProcessBuilder("cmd", "/c", "cls").inheritIO().start().waitFor();
        } catch (IOException | InterruptedException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Note: This method clears the console by executing the system command cls on Windows or clear on Unix-based systems.

Using JNI (Java Native Interface)

#include <jni.h>

JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_ClearConsole_clearConsole(JNIEnv *env, jclass obj) {
    #ifdef _WIN32
        system("cls");
    #else
        system("clear");
    #endif
}

public class ClearConsole {
    public static native void clearConsole();

    static {
        System.loadLibrary("ClearConsole");
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        clearConsole();
    }
}

Note: This method requires writing native code in C and using JNI to invoke it from Java. It clears the console by executing the system command cls on Windows or clear on Unix-based systems.

Conclusion

These are some of the methods to clear the console screen in a Java program. Depending on the platform and the requirements of your application, you can choose the method that suits you best.