From bb6c8c1f394e172ca44793fd0227da1374cb3f30 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "google-labs-jules[bot]"
 <161369871+google-labs-jules[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:48:01 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] UX Improvement: Use ANSI Erase Sequence to prevent text
 artifacts

When using carriage return (`\r`) to overwrite lines in the terminal, relying on hardcoded spaces to pad out the previous text can leave artifacts if the new text is shorter.
This commit replaces the hardcoded spaces with the ANSI escape sequence `\033[K` (Erase in Line), ensuring a clean and artifact-free line overwrite.

Co-authored-by: EiJackGH <172181576+EiJackGH@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .Jules/palette.md | 4 ++++
 .gitignore        | 1 +
 src/main.cpp      | 8 ++++----
 3 files changed, 9 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.Jules/palette.md b/.Jules/palette.md
index c4e3778..8e14329 100644
--- a/.Jules/palette.md
+++ b/.Jules/palette.md
@@ -25,3 +25,7 @@
 ## 2026-03-02 - Hiding the Cursor in CLI Games
 **Learning:** In terminal applications that require rapid visual updates or where user input doesn't involve typing text, an actively blinking cursor can be a visual distraction. Hiding it during interaction (`\033[?25l`) and rigorously ensuring it is restored (`\033[?25h`) on exit—including signal interrupts—significantly improves the aesthetic and focus.
 **Action:** Always hide the cursor for interactive CLI games and explicitly restore it across all exit paths, including async-signal-safe signal handlers.
+
+## 2026-05-24 - Eliminating Trailing Text Artifacts in CLI
+**Learning:** When using carriage return `\r` to repeatedly overwrite a line in the terminal, relying on hardcoded spaces for padding can fail or leave artifacts if the new text is shorter than the old.
+**Action:** Always use the ANSI "Erase in Line" sequence `\033[K` immediately after the carriage return `\r\033[K` to dynamically clear the line before printing new content, ensuring a clean update without artifacts.
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index eb2c19a..d07c78a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -44,3 +44,4 @@ highscore.txt
 
 # Persistent data
 highscore.txt
+venv/
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index e72f1da..0231ec5 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ int main() {
     }
 
     for (int i = 3; i > 0; --i) {
-        std::cout << "\rStarting in " << i << "... " << std::flush;
+        std::cout << "\r\033[KStarting in " << i << "... " << std::flush;
         auto start_wait = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
         while (std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(std::chrono::steady_clock::now() - start_wait).count() < 1000) {
             int elapsed = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(std::chrono::steady_clock::now() - start_wait).count();
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ int main() {
             }
         }
     }
-    std::cout << "\rGO!             \n" << std::flush;
+    std::cout << "\r\033[KGO!\n" << std::flush;
     std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(200));
     tcflush(STDIN_FILENO, TCIFLUSH);
 
@@ -137,10 +137,10 @@ int main() {
         }
 
         if (updateUI) {
-            std::cout << "\r" << CLR_SCORE << "Score: " << score << CLR_RESET << " "
+            std::cout << "\r\033[K" << CLR_SCORE << "Score: " << score << CLR_RESET << " "
                       << (hardMode ? CLR_HARD "[HARD MODE]" : CLR_NORM "[NORMAL MODE]")
                       << (score > initialHighscore && initialHighscore > 0 ? " NEW BEST! 🥳" : "")
-                      << "           " << std::flush;
+                      << std::flush;
             updateUI = false;
         }
     }