Showing Status and Spinners

Show a Basic Spinner

Let's start by showing a spinner while our "coffee grinder" runs. The Status() method displays an animated spinner with a message:

public void ShowBasicSpinner()
{
    AnsiConsole.Status()
        .Start("Grinding beans...", ctx =>
        {
            // Simulate grinding
            Thread.Sleep(3000);
        });
  
    AnsiConsole.MarkupLine("[green]Done![/]");
}

Run the code:

dotnet run

You should see an animated spinner next to "Grinding beans..." that runs for a few seconds, then "Done!" appears.

Notice how the spinner animates automatically? Spectre.Console handles the animation loop for you - just put your work inside the callback.

That's your first status spinner.

Update the Status Text

Real tasks have multiple stages. Let's update the status message as our coffee progresses through grinding, brewing, and pouring:

public void UpdateStatusText()
{
    AnsiConsole.Status()
        .Start("Grinding beans...", ctx =>
        {
            Thread.Sleep(1500);
  
            ctx.Status("Brewing coffee...");
            Thread.Sleep(2000);
  
            ctx.Status("Pouring into cup...");
            Thread.Sleep(1000);
        });
  
    AnsiConsole.MarkupLine("[green]Coffee is ready![/]");
}

Run it:

dotnet run

You should see the message change from "Grinding beans..." to "Brewing coffee..." to "Pouring into cup..." - all while the spinner keeps animating.

Notice how we use ctx.Status() to change the message? The ctx parameter gives you control over the status display while it's running.

Your status now reflects what's actually happening.

Try Different Spinners

Spectre.Console includes many spinner styles. Let's try a few to see the difference:

public void TryDifferentSpinners()
{
    // Calm and steady
    AnsiConsole.Status()
        .Spinner(Spinner.Known.Dots)
        .Start("Grinding beans...", ctx =>
        {
            Thread.Sleep(2000);
        });
  
    // Energetic
    AnsiConsole.Status()
        .Spinner(Spinner.Known.Star)
        .SpinnerStyle(Style.Parse("yellow"))
        .Start("Brewing coffee...", ctx =>
        {
            Thread.Sleep(2000);
        });
  
    AnsiConsole.MarkupLine("[green]Done![/]");
}

Run it:

dotnet run

You should see two different spinner animations - the smooth Dots spinner for grinding, then the lively Star spinner (in yellow) for brewing.

Notice how .Spinner() sets the style and .SpinnerStyle() sets the color? You can match the spinner to your app's personality.

You can now customize the look and feel of your spinners.

Complete Coffee Brew

Let's put it all together into a complete brewing experience that changes both the message and spinner style at each stage:

// Error: Symbol not found: M:Spectre.Docs.Examples.SpectreConsole.Tutorials.StatusSpinnersTutorial.ShowCompleteCoffeeBrew for 'M:Spectre.Docs.Examples.SpectreConsole.Tutorials.StatusSpinnersTutorial.ShowCompleteCoffeeBrew'

Run the complete application:

dotnet run

You should see "Time for coffee!" followed by an animated brewing sequence: yellow dots while grinding, blue stars while brewing, and a green arc while pouring - then the final success message.

Notice how we change both the spinner and its color using ctx.Spinner() and ctx.SpinnerStyle()? This creates a dynamic, engaging experience.

That's a polished status display with some personality.