#colorado

ridiculously simple console string styling in nodejs.

aside: named after a cool state

###Install

npm install colorado

###Usage

var ansi = require('colorado').encode,
    raw  = require('colorado').raw;

colorado.encode is a function that takes any number of strings as arguments, and concatenates them into an ansi-encoded string.

colorado.raw is a function that takes an ansi-encoded string, and gives back the raw text. This is very useful when you want to get the length of the output text, for instance, to set a cursor position.

###colorado.encode( ) hereafter stored in var 'ansi' for legibility

Pass in a string to add plain text:

var boring = ansi('blah');
console.log(boring); // is boring

Use double handlebars to specify styles (comma separated):

var dangerous = ansi('{{red,bold,blink}}danger!');
console.log(dangerous); // made you look

If you already know the code number for a style, pass it as a number:

var justAsDangerous = ansi('{{31,1,5}}danger!');
console.log(justAsDangerous); // remarkably similar

You can inline a whole bunch of them, and mix and match names and code numbers:

var obviouslyPractical = ansi(
  '{{blue,104}}blue{{blink}}flashing{{1}}emphasized{{reset}}normal'
);
console.log(obviouslyPractical); // trés artistique

Styles are reset between each string passed:

var cuteStory = colorado(
  'I was reading all this boring text and then... ',
  '{{bold,yellow,redBG}} BAM! ',
  '{{36}} everything looked cyan to me...'
);
console.log(cuteStory); // very anecdotal

###colorado.raw( )

hereafter stored as var 'raw' for legibility

var pretty = ansi('{{blue}}Isn\'t this pretty?');

// it sure is, lets write it
process.stdout.write(pretty, 'utf8');
// now I want the cursor 2 spaces after that...
// so I need to know the printed length of the pretty string
// or else all those escape characters will put me in outer space
var actualLength = raw(pretty).length;
process.stdout.cursorTo(actualLength + 2);
process.stdout.write('I\'m right where I wanted to be...', 'utf8');

It really clears things up...

var ugly = '\u001b[36;1mfinally\u001b[37m, \u001b[22mclarity\u001b[39;49;0m.'

raw(ugly);  // 'finally, clarity.'