Live Status Messages and Spinners - Spectre Console Series

Starting with a Simpler Status Example (0:31)

Tim starts by showing the simplest examples of a status message. He calls:

AnsiConsole.Status()
    .Start("Loading...", ctx =>
    {
        Thread.Sleep(3000);
    });

This is the most straightforward way to add a status indicator to a console project. He explains that inside the curly braces, you can execute any commands or run any code that takes time. For the demo, Tim just uses a three-second sleep to simulate a slow operation.

When running this console application, you immediately see the “Loading…” string on the line along with a default spinner. This quick demo shows how Spectre Console can turn even a plain prompt into something more dynamic.

Customizing the Spinner – Supported Types (1:54)

At 1:54 Tim moves on to customization. Spectre Console comes with a long list of built-in spinner types, and you can change them with:

ctx.Spinner = Spinner.Known.Aesthetic;

He scrolls through the available types and picks “Aesthetic” to show that the format of the spinner can be changed easily. This kind of small change already makes your console application look more polished.

Tim also points out at 2:39 that not every terminal fully supports every spinner. If you’re running inside Visual Studio, you may see a fallback animation. This is Spectre Console’s way of handling errors gracefully—it automatically picks a simpler spinner that is true for your environment so the user still gets feedback.

Why This Makes Console Applications Easier for the User (3:07)

At 3:07 Tim pauses to explain why this feature matters. If your app is creating or downloading files, processing data, or doing anything time-consuming, a status message with a spinner “lets the user know something is happening.” Without it, a blank console might look frozen.

Tim stresses that when the task is complete, the status disappears, leaving behind only the result information. This helps keep your console application clean and informative at the same time.

Moving to Await AnsiConsole for Async Work (3:24)

Up to this point, Tim has used Start(). But in real apps, you’re probably awaiting operations. At 3:34, he switches to:

await AnsiConsole.Status()
    .StartAsync("Loading...", async ctx =>
    {
        // asynchronous work
    });

This small change—using await AnsiConsole and .StartAsync()—lets you run asynchronous code inside the status block. Tim cautions at 4:02 that the context inside is not thread-safe for UI updates. Always “come back to the UI thread” to change the spinner or status text. This check avoids strange errors when you try to update from another thread.

Downloading Data in a Loop – A More Realistic Demo (4:26)

Next, Tim creates a loop to simulate a real-world task: downloading 20 courses from an API. He rewrites the code to look like this:

for (int i = 1; i < 21; i++)
{
    ctx.Status($"Download course {i}...");
    var jsonResponse = await Helpers.Fetch($"https://sample.com/courses/{i}");
    AnsiConsole.MarkupLine($"[red]Course {i} downloaded[/]");
}

Here he shows three important Spectre Console features working together:

• Context.Status() dynamically changes the status string shown next to the spinner.

• await Helpers.Fetch(...) represents a real asynchronous task inside your console application.

• AnsiConsole.MarkupLine() uses Spectre’s markup to add colors. Tim picks [red] just “to have something fun to do.”

This example shows how easily you can add progress feedback to a project without complex code.

Seeing the Running Application (7:21)

When Tim runs the new code, you see a green spinner (the Aesthetic type in his theme) and the status text changing to “Downloading course 1…,” “Downloading course 2…,” etc. As each download finishes, a red line appears: “Course 1 downloaded,” “Course 2 downloaded.”

Tim notes that this makes a great way to track tasks like uploading data or processing files. “You leave behind the result messages, but you don’t have that waiting message with the downloading anymore,” he explains at 7:27.

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous – No Performance Difference (8:00)

At 8:00 Tim addresses performance. Using Start() versus StartAsync() doesn’t change how fast the spinner animates. It only matters whether your code inside is asynchronous. If you’re using await, you need .StartAsync(); otherwise, .Start() is fine.

This means you can add status feedback to your console application without worrying about slowing it down. It simply wraps whatever work you’re already doing.

Built-In and Custom Spinners – A Long List to Check (8:45)

As he closes, Tim highlights that Spectre Console provides “tons” of built-in spinners. You can scroll through the list and pick the one you like—everything from dots to arrows to “aesthetic.” Later in the series, Tim will show how to create a custom spinner so you can fully match your app’s branding or colors.

This flexibility is part of what makes Spectre Console a great tool for building beautiful console applications. It gives you progress feedback, prompt output, and dynamic visuals without reinventing the wheel.

Conclusion – Spectre Console Status in Action (9:07)

By following Tim Corey’s video, we’ve seen how to use Spectre Console Status to improve a .NET console application:

• Use AnsiConsole.Status().Start() or await AnsiConsole.Status().StartAsync() to show a spinner and status text while a task executes.

• Update the context.Status() dynamically inside your loop.

• Output results with AnsiConsole.MarkupLine() and Spectre markup for red, green, or other colors.

• Choose from a built-in list of spinners or create your own later.

• Provide clear information to the user while keeping the console output clean.

These small touches can turn an ordinary console project into a beautiful console application. Spectre Console’s status feature makes it simpler to share progress, check results, and make your app’s prompt friendlier and more interactive.