php - Flushing output to browser, carriage return and overwrite? -

i'm experimenting here output buffering , stuck on carriage returns, overwrites.

basically, if run snippet in cli:

<?php  $times = 5000;  ($i = 1; $i <= $times; $i++) {     echo chr(13) . sprintf('running step %d/%d...', $i, $times); } 

it stay on line 1 , overwrite contents actual step information.

like, on first step console output be:

> php micro.php
running step 1/5000...

on step 3333:

> php micro.php
running step 3333/5000...

after completition:

> php micro.php
running step 5000/5000...
>

as can see, in total, program have consumed 1 line it's output.

now, if tweak script browser , request browser:

<?php  header('content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1');  $times = 50000;  ($i = 1; $i <= $times; $i++) {     echo chr(13) . sprintf('running step %d/%d...', $i, $times);     flush();     ob_flush(); } 

i output while script being processed, but, not overwritten.

like, on first step console output be:

localhost/micro.php:

running step 1/5000...

on step 3333:

localhost/micro.php:

running step 1/5000...
running step 2/5000...
running step 3/5000...
running step 4/5000...
...
running step 3333/5000...

after completition:

localhost/micro.php:

running step 1/5000...
running step 2/5000...
running step 3/5000...
running step 4/5000...
...
running step 3333/5000...
...
running step 5000/5000...

in total consuming 5001 lines.

how carriage return in browser output force line overwrite?

as far know, can't.

the way see implement progress bar in browser involves javascript, , ajax requests poll server on progress status.