JLine - Java Console Library

March 17, 2026 · View on GitHub

JLine is a Java library for handling console input. It's similar to GNU Readline but with a focus on portability, flexibility, and integration with Java applications. See https://jline.org for its documentation.

Requirements

Java 11 or higher: JLine 4.x requires Java 11 as the minimum runtime version
Maven 3.9 or higher: JLine 4.x requires Maven 3.9+ for building from source
Note: JLine 3.x supports Java 8+ and Maven 3.x+, but JLine 4.x requires Java 11+ and Maven 3.9+

Features

Cross-platform support: Works on Windows, macOS, Linux, and other Unix-like systems
Line editing: Emacs and Vi editing modes with customizable key bindings
History management: Persistent command history with search capabilities
Tab completion: Customizable completion for commands, arguments, and file paths
Syntax highlighting: Colorize input based on custom rules
Password masking: Secure input for sensitive information
ANSI terminal support: Full support for ANSI escape sequences and colors
Unicode support: Proper handling of wide characters and combining marks
ConsoleUI components: Interactive UI elements like menus, checkboxes, and prompts

Installation

Maven

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jline</groupId>
    <artifactId>jline</artifactId>
    <version>4.0.0</version>
</dependency>

Gradle

implementation 'org.jline:jline:4.0.0'

Java 11-21 Compatibility (JDK11 Classifier)

If you're using Java 11-21 and need to avoid Java 22+ class files, use the jdk11 classifier. This variant excludes the FFM (Foreign Function & Memory) terminal provider which requires Java 22+:

Maven:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jline</groupId>
    <artifactId>jline</artifactId>
    <version>4.0.0</version>
    <classifier>jdk11</classifier>
</dependency>

Gradle:

implementation 'org.jline:jline:4.0.0:jdk11'

The jdk11 classifier artifact:

Contains all JLine functionality
Excludes the FFM terminal provider (org.jline.terminal.impl.ffm.* classes compiled with Java 22)
Uses JNI or Exec providers for native terminal access instead
Compatible with Java 11-21

Note: For JLine 3.x, use the jdk8 classifier instead, which is compatible with Java 8-21.

Quick Start

Here's a simple example to get you started:

import org.jline.reader.*;
import org.jline.reader.impl.*;
import org.jline.terminal.*;
import org.jline.terminal.impl.*;

public class HelloJLine {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            // Create a terminal
            Terminal terminal = TerminalBuilder.builder()
                    .system(true)
                    .build();

            // Create line reader
            LineReader reader = LineReaderBuilder.builder()
                    .terminal(terminal)
                    .build();

            // Prompt and read input
            String line = reader.readLine("JLine > ");

            // Print the result
            System.out.println("You entered: " + line);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Modules

JLine is organized into several modules:

jline-terminal: Core terminal functionality
jline-reader: Line editing and reading
jline-console: Higher-level console abstractions
jline-console-ui: Interactive UI components (checkboxes, lists, etc.) - Deprecated
jline-prompt: Modern prompt API for interactive console applications
jline-style: Styling and coloring support
jline-builtins: Built-in commands and utilities
jline-remote-ssh: SSH server support
jline-remote-telnet: Telnet server support

JPMS (Java Platform Module System) Support

JLine provides full support for JPMS starting with version 4.0. The following modules are proper JPMS modules with module-info.java:

✅ JPMS Modules (with module-info.java)

Module	Artifact ID	Module Name	Description
Core Modules
Native	`jline-native`	`org.jline.nativ`	Native library loading
Terminal	`jline-terminal`	`org.jline.terminal`	Core terminal functionality
Terminal FFM	`jline-terminal-ffm`	`org.jline.terminal.ffm`	FFM-based terminal (JDK 22+)
Reader	`jline-reader`	`org.jline.reader`	Line editing and reading
Style	`jline-style`	`org.jline.style`	Styling and coloring
Extended Modules
Builtins	`jline-builtins`	`org.jline.builtins`	Built-in commands
Console UI	`jline-console-ui`	`org.jline.console.ui`	Interactive UI components (deprecated)
Prompt	`jline-prompt`	`org.jline.prompt`	Modern prompt API for interactive applications
Console	`jline-console`	`org.jline.console`	Console framework
Jansi Core	`jline-jansi-core`	`org.jline.jansi.core`	ANSI support

❌ Non-JPMS Modules (automatic modules)

These modules remain as automatic modules for compatibility:

Module	Artifact ID	Reason
Terminal Jansi	`jline-terminal-jansi`	Legacy compatibility
Groovy	`jline-groovy`	Groovy integration
Remote SSH	`jline-remote-ssh`	SSH server support
Remote Telnet	`jline-remote-telnet`	Telnet server support
Demo	`jline-demo`	Example applications
Graal	`jline-graal`	GraalVM native image support

🎯 Usage with JPMS

When using JLine in a modular application, add the required modules to your module-info.java:

module your.application {
    requires org.jline.terminal;
    requires org.jline.reader;
    requires org.jline.style;        // Optional: for styling
    requires org.jline.builtins;     // Optional: for built-in commands
    requires org.jline.console;      // Optional: for console framework
    requires org.jline.prompt;       // Optional: for modern prompt API
    requires org.jline.console.ui;   // Optional: for legacy UI components (deprecated)
}

Note: The FFM terminal provider (jline-terminal-ffm) requires JDK 22+ and native access permissions:

java --enable-native-access=org.jline.terminal.ffm your.application