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@bcap
Last active September 21, 2025 10:46
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Useful terminal control characters
# Terminal output control (http://www.termsys.demon.co.uk/vtansi.htm)
TC='\e['
CLR_LINE_START="${TC}1K"
CLR_LINE_END="${TC}K"
CLR_LINE="${TC}2K"
# Hope no terminal is greater than 1k columns
RESET_LINE="${CLR_LINE}${TC}1000D"
# Colors (based on https://github.com/demure/dotfiles/blob/master/subbash/prompt)
RCol="${TC}0m" # Reset Color
# Regular Bold Underline High Intensity BoldHigh Intensity Background High Intensity Backgrounds
Bla="${TC}0;30m"; BBla="${TC}1;30m"; UBla="${TC}4;30m"; IBla="${TC}0;90m"; BIBla="${TC}1;90m"; On_Bla="${TC}40m"; On_IBla="${TC}0;100m";
Red="${TC}0;31m"; BRed="${TC}1;31m"; URed="${TC}4;31m"; IRed="${TC}0;91m"; BIRed="${TC}1;91m"; On_Red="${TC}41m"; On_IRed="${TC}0;101m";
Gre="${TC}0;32m"; BGre="${TC}1;32m"; UGre="${TC}4;32m"; IGre="${TC}0;92m"; BIGre="${TC}1;92m"; On_Gre="${TC}42m"; On_IGre="${TC}0;102m";
Yel="${TC}0;33m"; BYel="${TC}1;33m"; UYel="${TC}4;33m"; IYel="${TC}0;93m"; BIYel="${TC}1;93m"; On_Yel="${TC}43m"; On_IYel="${TC}0;103m";
Blu="${TC}0;34m"; BBlu="${TC}1;34m"; UBlu="${TC}4;34m"; IBlu="${TC}0;94m"; BIBlu="${TC}1;94m"; On_Blu="${TC}44m"; On_IBlu="${TC}0;104m";
Pur="${TC}0;35m"; BPur="${TC}1;35m"; UPur="${TC}4;35m"; IPur="${TC}0;95m"; BIPur="${TC}1;95m"; On_Pur="${TC}45m"; On_IPur="${TC}0;105m";
Cya="${TC}0;36m"; BCya="${TC}1;36m"; UCya="${TC}4;36m"; ICya="${TC}0;96m"; BICya="${TC}1;96m"; On_Cya="${TC}46m"; On_ICya="${TC}0;106m";
Whi="${TC}0;37m"; BWhi="${TC}1;37m"; UWhi="${TC}4;37m"; IWhi="${TC}0;97m"; BIWhi="${TC}1;97m"; On_Whi="${TC}47m"; On_IWhi="${TC}0;107m";
# example:
# echo -n "${BBlu}${On_Whi}bold blue text on white background${RCol}"; sleep 3; echo "${RESET_LINE}${Red}${On_Pur}becomes red text on purple background${RCol}"
@cxyokk
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cxyokk commented Jul 24, 2013

Thanks man, it helps a lot~ Notice that you might need to use echo -e for those color escaped sequences to work.

@NicolasReibnitz
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Thanks man, it helps a lot~ Notice that you might need to use echo -e for those color escaped sequences to work.

Agreed! It's 'echo -e' for me too. Wonder if this can be set globally via system variable or so. But this is great! Thanks!

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