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DocsAPI ReferenceInterfacesInkCanvasHandle

ink-canvas

ink-canvas / InkCanvasHandle

Interface: InkCanvasHandle

Handle exposing imperative methods for controlling the InkCanvas

Use this interface with React’s useRef and useImperativeHandle to access the underlying terminal and Ink instances.

Example

const canvasRef = useRef<InkCanvasHandle>(null);
 
// Later, access the terminal:
const terminal = canvasRef.current?.terminal;
const dimensions = canvasRef.current?.dimensions;
const inkInstance = canvasRef.current?.instance;

Properties

dimensions

readonly dimensions: ITerminalDimensions | null

Current dimensions of the terminal in columns and rows

Returns an object with cols and rows properties, or null if the terminal hasn’t been initialized yet.

instance

readonly instance: Instance | null

The underlying Ink Instance

Provides access to Ink’s render instance for operations like:

  • instance.rerender(): Force a re-render
  • instance.unmount(): Unmount the Ink application
  • instance.waitUntilExit(): Wait for the app to exit

terminal

readonly terminal: Terminal | null

The underlying Xterm.js Terminal instance

Provides direct access to the terminal for advanced operations like:

  • Custom escape sequence handling
  • Terminal-level event listeners
  • Programmatic writing to the terminal

Remarks

Be cautious when interacting with the terminal directly, as it may interfere with Ink’s rendering. The terminal is initialized during the first render, so this may be null before mount.

CanvasInkCanvasProps