colorize

*nixy filter that adds color to its standard input by rows or columns

Example usage

• output alternate rows in different colors:

  $ ls -l | colorize.py -a
  $ ls -l | colorize.py -a green,blue

• output each space separated column from stdin in a different color:

  $ tail -f logfile | colorize.py
  $ tail -f logfile | colorize.py -c green,blue,red,yellow

• output the first 3 space separated columns in different colors and all subsequent text in one color:

  $ tail -f logfile | colorize.py 3
  $ tail -f logfile | colorize.py -c green,blue,red 3

• output the columns specified by widths in different colors

# - The first 10 characters is green, the next 12 in red, followed by space
# separated columns alternating in green and red
$ tail -f logfile | colorize.py -c green:10,red:12

# - The first 10 characters in green, the next 12 in red, all subsequent text in yellow
$ tail -f logfile | colorize.py -c green:10,red:12,yellow 3

# - The first 10 characters in the default first color (blue), the next 12 in green,
# the next space separated column in red, the subsequent text in yellow
$ tail -f logfile | colorize.py -c :10,green:12,red,yellow 4

• filter the output of tail -f, coloring lines from each file in different color:

  $ tail -f first.log second.log | colorize.py -t
  $ tail -f first.log second.log | colorize.py -t green,yellow

Demo

Usage Tip

If you use bash, you can create colorized versions of commands, like:

function ctail() { tail $@ | colorize.py -t; }
function cll() { ls -l $@ | colorize.py 8; }
function cvmstat() { vmstat $@ | colorize.py -a red,green; }