readline-unexpected.mjs

/**
 * Unexpeced readline behavior in node.js:
 * 
 * Let the first prompt time out
 * Enter a value in the second prompt
 * Enter a value in the third prompt
 * The third prompt should hang and time out (unless terminal is set to false)
 * 
 * Even without the abort at all it has the same behavior, not processing input.
 * Setting  terminal to `false` in createInterface() makes it work as expected
 */

import * as readline from "readline";

function getInput() {
  return new Promise((resolve) => {
    const rl = readline.createInterface({
      input: process.stdin,
      output: process.stdout,
      terminal: true,
    });

    const controller = new AbortController();

    const timeout = setTimeout(() => {
      controller.abort();
      rl.close();
      resolve("TIMEOUT");
    }, 5000);

    rl.question("prompt> ", { signal: controller.signal }, (answer) => {
      clearTimeout(timeout);
      rl.close();
      resolve(answer);
    });
  });
}

while (true) {
  const input = await getInput();
  console.log("You entered: ", input);
}