0x263b · June 30, 2025 09:26 · Jul 17, 2016 · Jul 17, 2016 · Jul 17, 2016 · Jul 17, 2016
diff --git a/colors.md b/colors.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Random color form string in javascript
+# Random color from string in javascript
 
 Consider a list of strings you need to permanently assign a random color.
 

diff --git a/colors.md b/colors.md
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ The issue is this can potentially spit out *any* color value. Ideally we'd want
 
 ### Color from array
 
-What if we hand pick some colors, and assign each string one of those? [(fiddle)](https://jsfiddle.net/wg6ymyyz/)
+What if we hand pick some colors, and assign each string one of those? [(fiddle)](https://jsfiddle.net/wg6ymyyz/1/)
 
 ```js
 String.prototype.toColor = function() {

diff --git a/colors.md b/colors.md
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ String.prototype.toRGB = function() {
 "string".toRGB() // rgb(17, 96, 213)
 ```
 
-Or a hexadecimal string
+Or a hexadecimal string [(fiddle)](https://jsfiddle.net/8v6ys4x1/)
 
 ```js
 String.prototype.toHex = function() {
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ The issue is this can potentially spit out *any* color value. Ideally we'd want
 
 ### Color from array
 
-What if we hand pick some colors, and assign each string one of those?
+What if we hand pick some colors, and assign each string one of those? [(fiddle)](https://jsfiddle.net/wg6ymyyz/)
 
 ```js
 String.prototype.toColor = function() {
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ This method is better if we want to be very particular over what colors are allo
 
 ### HSL
 
-How about we use the hash to pick a hue, then hardcode the intensity/lightness.
+How about we use the hash to pick a hue, then hardcode the intensity/lightness. [(fiddle)](https://jsfiddle.net/u3vc2efy/)
 
 ```js
 String.prototype.toHue = function() {
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ String.prototype.toHue = function() {
 ```
 **Note:** This can result in a negative value. CSS's `hsl()` handles values outside of `0..360` perfectly, but not everything does.
 
-For the sake of engineering, lets expand this out a bit more to include range values.
+For the sake of engineering, lets expand this out a bit more to include range values. [(fiddle)](https://jsfiddle.net/7zky3rbu/)
 
 ```js
 String.prototype.toHSL = function(opts) {

diff --git a/colors.md b/colors.md
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+# Random color form string in javascript
+
+Consider a list of strings you need to permanently assign a random color.
+
+First you should turn the string into a hash.
+
+
+```js
+var string = "string"
+var hash = 0
+
+for (var i = 0; i < string.length; i++) {
+	hash = string.charCodeAt(i) + ((hash << 5) - hash);
+	hash = hash & hash;
+}
+
+console.log(hash) // -891985903
+```
+
+* `string.charCodeAt(i)` returns the UTF-16 code for the character at index `i`
+* Bit operators work on 32 bits numbers. Any numeric operand in the operation is converted into a 32 bit number. 
+* `hash << 5` is equivalent to `hash * Math.pow(2, 5)` (`hash * 32`), except the bit operator `<<` makes sure our result is a 32 bit number.
+* `hash & hash` again, makes sure we only return a 32 bit number.
+
+Now we have something to play around with.
+
+### RGB
+
+The simplest method is to turn our hash into an RGB string:
+
+```js
+String.prototype.toRGB = function() {
+    var hash = 0;
+    if (this.length === 0) return hash;
+    for (var i = 0; i < this.length; i++) {
+        hash = this.charCodeAt(i) + ((hash << 5) - hash);
+        hash = hash & hash;
+    }
+    var rgb = [0, 0, 0];
+    for (var i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+        var value = (hash >> (i * 8)) & 255;
+        rgb[i] = value;
+    }
+    return `rgb(${rgb[0]}, ${rgb[1]}, ${rgb[2]})`;
+}
+
+"string".toRGB() // rgb(17, 96, 213)
+```
+
+Or a hexadecimal string
+
+```js
+String.prototype.toHex = function() {
+    var hash = 0;
+    if (this.length === 0) return hash;
+    for (var i = 0; i < this.length; i++) {
+        hash = this.charCodeAt(i) + ((hash << 5) - hash);
+        hash = hash & hash;
+    }
+    var color = '#';
+    for (var i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+        var value = (hash >> (i * 8)) & 255;
+        color += ('00' + value.toString(16)).substr(-2);
+    }
+    return color;
+}
+
+"string".toHex() // #1160d5
+```
+
+The issue is this can potentially spit out *any* color value. Ideally we'd want to filter out values too similar to our background color, and some gray/bland colors.
+
+
+### Color from array
+
+What if we hand pick some colors, and assign each string one of those?
+
+```js
+String.prototype.toColor = function() {
+	var colors = ["#e51c23", "#e91e63", "#9c27b0", "#673ab7", "#3f51b5", "#5677fc", "#03a9f4", "#00bcd4", "#009688", "#259b24", "#8bc34a", "#afb42b", "#ff9800", "#ff5722", "#795548", "#607d8b"]
+
+    var hash = 0;
+	if (this.length === 0) return hash;
+    for (var i = 0; i < this.length; i++) {
+        hash = this.charCodeAt(i) + ((hash << 5) - hash);
+        hash = hash & hash;
+    }
+    hash = ((hash % colors.length) + colors.length) % colors.length;
+    return colors[hash];
+}
+
+"string".toColor() // #e91e63
+```
+
+This method is better if we want to be very particular over what colors are allowed, but selecting a large number colors can get tedious.
+
+
+### HSL
+
+How about we use the hash to pick a hue, then hardcode the intensity/lightness.
+
+```js
+String.prototype.toHue = function() {
+    var hash = 0;
+    if (this.length === 0) return hash;
+    for (var i = 0; i < this.length; i++) {
+        hash = this.charCodeAt(i) + ((hash << 5) - hash);
+        hash = hash & hash;
+    }
+	return hash % 360;
+}
+
+"string".toHue() // -223
+```
+**Note:** This can result in a negative value. CSS's `hsl()` handles values outside of `0..360` perfectly, but not everything does.
+
+For the sake of engineering, lets expand this out a bit more to include range values.
+
+```js
+String.prototype.toHSL = function(opts) {
+    var h, s, l;
+    opts = opts || {};
+    opts.hue = opts.hue || [0, 360];
+    opts.sat = opts.sat || [75, 100];
+    opts.lit = opts.lit || [40, 60];
+
+    var range = function(hash, min, max) {
+        var diff = max - min;
+        var x = ((hash % diff) + diff) % diff;
+        return x + min;
+    }
+
+    var hash = 0;
+    if (this.length === 0) return hash;
+    for (var i = 0; i < this.length; i++) {
+        hash = this.charCodeAt(i) + ((hash << 5) - hash);
+        hash = hash & hash;
+    }
+
+    h = range(hash, opts.hue[0], opts.hue[1]);
+    s = range(hash, opts.sat[0], opts.sat[1]);
+    l = range(hash, opts.lit[0], opts.lit[1]);
+
+    return `hsl(${h}, ${s}%, ${l}%)`;
+}
+
+"string".toHSL() // hsl(137, 97%, 57%)
+
+"string".toHSL({
+    hue: [-45, 45],
+    sat: [75, 95],
+    lit: [45, 55]
+}) // hsl(2, 92%, 52%)
+```