# Need help - changeable text screen output
**URL:** https://discourse.processing.org/t/need-help-changeable-text-screen-output/13374
**Category:** Coding Questions
**Created:** [August 14, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/need-help-changeable-text-screen-output/13374 "2019-08-14T13:58:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@waffi](https://discourse.processing.org/u/waffi)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/need-help-changeable-text-screen-output/13374/1 "2019-08-14T13:58:03Z")
how can you output a changing text, which comes via a serial interface on the screen output? the problem is that the first text always stops and then it runs into each other.
example:
```auto
textSize(100);
fill(0, 139, 0, 139);
text(distance, 1000,1400);
```
thanks for the help!
---
### Author:  [@humayung](https://discourse.processing.org/u/humayung)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2019, 2:35pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/need-help-changeable-text-screen-output/13374/2 "2019-08-14T14:35:42Z")
I guess you’re not clearing the previous display? if yes, juts put `background(0)` to clear, put it before the text being drawn onto the screen. I’m not very sure, can you post the working code? just a bit to show the problem.
---
### Author:  [@waffi](https://discourse.processing.org/u/waffi)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/need-help-changeable-text-screen-output/13374/3 "2019-08-14T14:44:23Z")
hi thanks for the answer and sorry for the bad description.
i’m doing a radar project, with the arduino i send distance to processing and i want to show it there. because background(0) i want to leave it that way, that’s just the background color, right?
i just tried to make an example:
```auto
int test;
void setup(){
size(1000, 1000);
}
void draw(){
int test=5*5;
textSize(100);
fill(0, 139, 0, 139);
text(test, 300,300);
}
```
that’s how it works. but the measured distance always changes or stays away.
I’ll take a picture later to pinpoint the problem.
thank you
---
### Author:  [@humayung](https://discourse.processing.org/u/humayung)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2019, 2:52pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/need-help-changeable-text-screen-output/13374/4 "2019-08-14T14:52:16Z")
You need to clear the previous display to show the next frame. Just draw a background on to it
```auto
int test;
void setup() {
size(1000, 1000);
frameRate(3);
}
void draw() {
background(200);
float test=random(10);
textSize(100);
fill(0, 139, 0, 139);
text(test, 300, 300);
}
```
---
### Author:  [@Chrisir](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Chrisir)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2019, 8:16pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/need-help-changeable-text-screen-output/13374/5 "2019-08-14T20:16:35Z")
you could also make a list and add the last value at the top of the list
- Using background(200); too, of course
- the `"\n" +` means line break
Chrisir
```auto
String textResult = "";
void setup() {
size(1000, 1000);
frameRate(3);
}
void draw() {
background(200);
float test=random(10);
println(test);
textResult = test + "\n" + textResult; // !!!!!!!
showText();
}
//---------------------------------------------------------
void showText() {
// show text
textSize(15);
fill(0, 139, 0);
text(textResult, 300, 30);
}
//
```
---
### Author:  [@waffi](https://discourse.processing.org/u/waffi)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2019, 9:04am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/need-help-changeable-text-screen-output/13374/6 "2019-08-15T09:04:12Z")
so it works perfectly but unfortunately my text is also covered because i inserted it in the setup.
is there a possibility to put the background in a small field?
Edit:
i took my text from the setup into the loop. now it works 🙂 thank you!
i try to build in the rest and get back to you if i’m still waiting somewhere.
many thanks 🙂