René's URL Explorer Experiment

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"How to programmatically save multiline REPL history with \\r (like native Node CLI)?","articleBody":"### Node.js Version\n\nv26.5.0\n\n### NPM Version\n\n11.17.0\n\n### Operating System\n\nLinux archlinux 7.0.8-arch1-1 nodejs/help#1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Fri, 15 May 2026 16:45:15 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux\n\n### Subsystem\n\nrepl\n\n### Description\n\n### Description\n\nWhen using the native Node.js binary REPL via terminal (`node`), multiline inputs (like objects, functions, or arrays) are correctly saved into `.node_repl_history` as a single physical line, where internal line breaks are represented by `\\r`. \n\nHowever, when creating a REPL instance programmatically using `repl.start()` and initializing history via `repl.setupHistory()`, every press of the `Enter` key triggers a write to the history file immediately. This breaks multiline inputs into separate, independent physical lines separated by `\\n`. This completely breaks history navigation inside the programmatic REPL (pressing the Arrow Up key scrolls lines one by one instead of expanding the whole block).\n\n### Minimal Reproducible Example\n\nHere is a short script demonstrating the issue:\n\n```javascript\nimport repl from 'node:repl';\nimport path from 'node:path';\n\nconst historyFile = path.join(import.meta.dirname, 'history.txt');\n\nconst r = repl.start({ prompt: '> ', terminal: true });\nr.setupHistory(historyFile, () => {});\n```\n\nIf you run this script and type a multiline array:\n```javascript\n> [1,\n| 2]\n[ 1, 2 ]\n>\n```\n\nThe resulting `history.txt` contains separate lines in reverse order:\n```text\n2]\n[1,\n```\n\nWhile the native node history file combines them into a single line using `\\r`: \n```text\n2]\\r[1,\n```\n\n### Question\n\nIs there a clean, official way to make a programmatic REPL handle multiline history exactly like the native CLI?\n\n\n### Minimal Reproduction\n\n_No response_\n\n### Output\n\n_No response_\n\n### Before You Submit\n\n- [x] I have looked for issues that already exist before submitting this\n- [x] My issue follows the guidelines in the README file, and follows the 'How to ask a good question' guide at https://stackoverflow.com/help/how-to-ask","author":{"url":"https://github.com/psqq","@type":"Person","name":"psqq"},"datePublished":"2026-07-09T07:14:04Z","url":"https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/64508"}