dispstat.m

function dispstat(TXT,varargin)
% Prints overwritable message to the command line. If you dont want to keep
% this message, call dispstat function with option 'keepthis'. If you want to
% keep the previous message, use option 'keepprev'. First argument must be
% the message.
% IMPORTANT! In the firt call, option 'init' must be used for initialization purposes.
% Options:
%     'init'      this must be called in the begining. Otherwise, it can overwrite the previous outputs on the command line.
%     'keepthis'    the message will be persistent, wont be overwritable,
%     'keepprev'  the previous message wont be overwritten. New message will start from next line,
%     'timestamp' current time hh:mm:ss will be appended to the begining of the message.
% Example:
%   clc;
%   fprintf('12345677890\n');
%   dispstat('','init')      %Initialization. Does not print anything.
%   dispstat('Time stamp will be written over this text.'); % First output
%   dispstat('is current time.','timestamp','keepthis'); % Overwrites the previous output but this output wont be overwritten.
%   dispstat(sprintf('*********\nDeveloped by %s\n*********','Kasim')); % does not overwrites the previous output
%   dispstat('','timestamp','keepprev','keepthis'); % does not overwrites the previous output
%   dispstat('this wont be overwriten','keepthis');
%   dispstat('dummy dummy dummy');
%   dispstat('final stat');
% % Output:
%     12345677890
%     15:15:34 is current time.
%     *********
%     Developed by Kasim
%     *********
%     15:15:34 
%     this wont be overwriten
%     final stat

% **********
% **** Options
keepthis = 0; % option for not overwriting
keepprev = 0;
timestamp = 0; % time stamp option
init = 0; % is it initialization step?
if ~isstr(TXT)
    return
end
persistent prevCharCnt;
if isempty(prevCharCnt)
    prevCharCnt = 0;
end
if nargin == 0
    return
elseif nargin > 1
    for i = 2:nargin
        eval([varargin{i-1} '=1;']);
    end
end
if init == 1
    prevCharCnt = 0;
    return;
end
if isempty(TXT) && timestamp == 0
    return
end
if timestamp == 1
    c = clock; % [year month day hour minute seconds]
    txtTimeStamp = sprintf('%02d:%02d:%02d ',c(4),c(5),round(c(6)));
else
    txtTimeStamp = '';
end
if keepprev == 1
    prevCharCnt = 0;
end
% *************** Make safe for fprintf, replace control charachters
TXT = strrep(TXT,'%','%%');
TXT = strrep(TXT,'\','\\');
% *************** Print
TXT = [txtTimeStamp TXT '\n'];
fprintf([repmat('\b',1, prevCharCnt) TXT]);
nof_extra = length(strfind(TXT,'%%'));
nof_extra = nof_extra + length(strfind(TXT,'\\'));
nof_extra = nof_extra + length(strfind(TXT,'\n'));
prevCharCnt = length(TXT) - nof_extra; %-1 is for \n
if keepthis == 1
    prevCharCnt = 0;
end
end