ConsoleTextFormat

Summary

A simple static class library facilitating .NET Console app text formatting in Console.Write() and Console.WriteLine() statements without explicitly using escape codes.

Links

• Nuget Package: ConsoleTextFormat
• Detailed blog post
• Console Virtual Terminal Sequences: MS Learn Ref

About

Whilst there are same Console class methods for setting text and background colors, there are no methods for setting text attributes such as bold, underline, etc. This library provides a simple way to do this. This library enables inline code (that is, with in a string) to change text format when writing to the console using Console.Write() and Console.WriteLine() methods.

The class entities have been made a cryptic as possible whilst maintaining interpretation upon inspection. The strings so used are not escaped, but are interpreted by the library.

String Interpolation is used to embed the format strings in the text to be written to the console.

The format strings are at 2 levels.

• Quite explicit e.g. {Fmt.fg(Fmt.Col.yellow)}
• Cryptic e.g. {F.fgYel}

Both of the code segments above will produce the same result. The cryptic version requires the using statements as in the following code to alias the class names.

Example Console Code

using B = ConsoleTextFormat.Fmt.Bold;
using F = ConsoleTextFormat.Fmt;
namespace ConsoleApp9
{
    using System;
    using ConsoleTextFormat;

    internal class Program
    {

        enum Animals { fox,cat,dog,zebra,lion,tiger, rat, bird, butterfly,fish, stingray,snake }
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {


            Layout.Heading("Hello, World!",Fmt.Col.yellow, Fmt.Col.blue);
            Layout.RainbowHeading("Hello, World!", Fmt.Col.yellow);
            Layout.Info("This is a topic:", "Information");
            Console.WriteLine($"{Fmt.bg(Fmt.Col.white)}Hello, {Fmt.b}World!{Fmt._b}{Fmt.clear}");
            Console.WriteLine($"{Fmt.fg(Fmt.Col.yellow)}Hello, {Fmt.b}World!{Fmt._b}{Fmt.clear}");
            Console.WriteLine($"{Fmt.fg(Fmt.Col.blue)}Hello, {Fmt.clear}World!");
            Console.WriteLine($"{B.fgRed}{B.bgCya}Hello, {Fmt.clear}World!");
            Console.WriteLine($"{F.fgRed}{F.bgCya}Hello, {Fmt.clear}World!");

            var lst = Layout.GenerateEnumMenuList<Animals>();
            foreach (var item in lst)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(item);
            }
            char ch = Layout.Prompt4Ch("Hello Joe", '2', new List<char> { '1', '2' });
            Console.WriteLine($"{ch} selected");
            int menuResp = Layout.Prompt4Num(2, 4, true);
            if (menuResp < 0)
                return; //Quit
            menuResp = Layout.Prompt4Num(2, 12, true);
            if (menuResp < 0)
                return; //Quit
            bool quit = false;
            //fish is hidden so won't show in next menu.
            Layout.AddHideMenuItems("fish");
            Animals vv = Layout.SelectEnum<Animals>(2, ref quit, true);
            if (quit)
                return;
            Console.WriteLine($"Selected: {vv}");
            Layout.Press2Continue();
            Layout.Press2Continue("Wait for completion");
            Layout.Press2Continue("","when ready.");
            Layout.Press2Continue("Wait for completion", "when ready.");
            var col = ConColors.SelevctaConsoleColor();
            var rgb = ConColors.GetRGBfromConsoleColor(col);
            Console.WriteLine($"{rgb.Item1},{rgb.Item2},{rgb.Item3}");
        }
    }
}

Image of running app
Console app output

Updates

• 2024-09-07: Added Fmt.Heading() and Fmt.RainbowHeading() methods to format text as headings.
• 2024-09-07: Added Fmt.Info(topic,info) method.
• 2024-09-13: Added Press2Con "Press any key to continue" method. Optional messages to pre and post pend. Also, Info() 2nd parameter IS optional.
• 2024-09-13: Added Prompt() added. As per Info() but no newline. Heading clears screen. And '_' in heading to blank.
• 2024-11-06: Added HideMenu Items to Layout. So items on end of enum list can not appear in menu.

    Layout.AddHideMenuItems("MaxType");
    Layout.AddHideMenuItems("Undefined");
    Testtype = Layout.SelectEnum<ConsoleTestType>((int)Testtype + 1, ref quit, true);
    Layout.ClearHideMenuItems();

• 2024-11-07: Added ConColors class:

    public static class ConColors
    {
        /// Menu to select a ConsoleColor
        public static ConsoleColor SelevctaConsoleColor()

        /// Menu to select a ConsoleColor and return the RGB values
        public static Tuple<byte, byte, byte> SelectRGB()

        /// Get RGB values from a ConsoleColor
        public static Tuple<byte, byte, byte> GetRGBfromConsoleColor(ConsoleColor col)

        /// Get a ConsoleColor from RGB values          
        public static ConsoleColor GetConsoleColorFromRGB(byte r, byte g, byte b)

    }

• 2024-11-08 Bug Fix: DarkYellow returns (0,0,0) Reason: No DarkYellow in Color wheras is in ConsoleColors. Set to (139,128,0)