The Shift Around Feature Request: Output Progress

When claude --print runs, the terminal often feels like a ghost town - no sign the model’s working. For scripts or batch jobs, this silence breeds anxiety: is the process stuck or just slow? A subtle progress indicator on stderr would give clear, real-time feedback without cluttering output. nnWhat’s needed: a clean, non-intrusive dot (.) printed per tool call during execution, keeping stdout focused for pipelines and logs. Example:

$ claude --print refactor-file
.
<wait…>
<final output here>
``` nnThis small cue transforms uncertainty into control. Psychologically, it turns passive waiting into active participation - like a heartbeat in the silence. Culturally, it aligns with US tech norms where visibility equals reliability, especially in automation-heavy workflows. But here’s the catch: stderr is already crowded in scripts. The indicator must be lightweight, with no extra flags or side effects. nnMisunderstandings lurk: some fear clutter, others assume it’ll slow things down. But a single periodic dot uses minimal bandwidth and respects user control. No `--progress` toggles needed - just a default, lightweight feature. nnThe bottom line: in long-running non-interactive runs, progress signals matter. Do users want a quiet ‘ticking’ - or risk silence? The answer’s in the feedback: a single, subtle `.` on stderr gives clarity, trust, and calm.”
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