@gesslar/colours

256 colours for your terminal expressions. Template literal-based ANSI colour
library with precise colour selection, granular styles, and semantic aliases.

Installation

``bash
npm install @gesslar/colours
`

Quick Start

`javascript
import c from '@gesslar/colours'

console.log(c{F045}Running:{/} {F213}${testName}{/})
console.log(c{F034}[OK]{/} Build completed {F240}(${time}ms){/})
console.log(c{F196}[ERR]{/} {)
`

Core Features

$3

Use any colour from the 256-colour terminal palette:

`javascript
// Foreground colours
c{F045}Bright green text{/}
c{F196}Red text{/}
c{F033}Blue text{/}

// Background colours
c{B196}Red background{/}
c{B045}Green background{/}

// Combined
c{F255}{B196}White text on red background{/}
`

$3

Turn styles on and off individually:

`javascript
// Turn on styles
c{
c{
c{

// Turn off specific styles
c{}italic and underlined{I>}just underlined{/}

// Available styles:
// - B(old)
// - D(im)
// - F(lash)
// - I(talic)
// - O(verline)
// - R(everse),
// - S(trikethrough)
// - U(nderline)
`

$3

Create meaningful names for your colours:

`javascript
// Set up aliases
c.alias.set("success", "{F034}")
c.alias.set("error", "{F196}")
c.alias.set("warning", "{F214}")
c.alias.set("muted", "{F240}")

// Use them in your code
console.log(c{success}[OK]{/} Operation completed)
console.log(c{error}[ERR]{/} Something went wrong)
console.log(c{warning}!{/} Check this out {muted}(optional){/})

// Complex aliases with styles
c.alias.set("header", "{F045}{console.log(c{header}IMPORTANT SECTION{/})
`

Advanced Usage

$3

`javascript
import c from '@gesslar/colours'

// Status messages
const success = (msg) => console.log(c{F034}[OK]{/} ${msg})
const error = (msg) => console.log(c{F196}[ERR]{/} ${msg})
const info = (msg) => console.log(c{F045}[INFO]{/} ${msg})

success("Build completed successfully")
error("Failed to load configuration")
info(Processing ${count} files...)
`

$3

`javascript
// Before: boring
console.log(Running: ${testName})
console.log([OK] ${testName} passed (${time}ms))

// After: beautiful
console.log(c{F045}Running:{/} {F213}${testName}{/})
console.log(c{F034}[OK]{/} {F085}${testName}{/} passed {F240}(${time}ms){/})
`

$3

`javascript
const debug = {
error: (msg) => console.log(c{F196}{),
warn: (msg) => console.log(c{F214}[WARN]{/} ${msg}),
info: (msg) => console.log(c{F045}[INFO]{/} ${msg}),
debug: (msg) => console.log(c{F240}[DEBUG]{/} ${msg})
}
`

Syntax Reference

$3

- {F###} - Foreground colour (0-255)
- {B###} - Background colour (0-255)
- {/} - Reset all formatting

$3

- { - Turn on styles (e.g., { for bold+underline)
- {STYLES>} - Turn off styles (e.g., {B>} to turn off bold)

$3

- B - Bold/Bright
- D - Dim
- F - Flash/Blink
- I - Italic
- O - Overline
- R - Reverse
- S - Strikethrough
- U - Underline

$3

- {aliasName} - Any alias you've created
- Built-in: none (you define what you need)

Colour Selection Workflow

1. Run colours command to see the colour chart (if CLI installed)
2. Pick the colour number you want
3. Use it in your code: c{F045}text{/}`

API Reference

$3

- ctemplate` - Process template literal with colour codes

$3

- c.alias.set(name, replacement) - Create an alias
- c.alias.del(name) - Remove an alias

Why @gesslar/colours?

vs ansi-colours:

- Precise colour selection with visual picker
- Cleaner syntax: c{F045}text{/}` vs ansiColors.rgb(255,100,50)('text')
- No guessing what .yellowBright` actually looks like
- Granular style control

vs chalk:

- 256-colour palette support
- Template literal syntax
- Semantic aliases you define
- Lighter weight, focused scope

License

The Unlicense, because colours belong to everybody
and if you disagree, well, you probably _would_ download a car. 🤨

---

_"I want green here, but which green?" -> colours -> "oooo ok that one"_

The workflow that just works.