Creating ASCII banners from the command line can be a fun and creative way to personalize your terminal, scripts, or even your website. In this article, we’ll explore several tools that allow you to do just that: Figlet, Sysvbanner, Toilet, and the ASCII-Banner library for Node.js. We’ll cover how to install and use each tool, and provide examples to help you get started.
Creating ASCII banners from the command line is a fun and creative way to personalize your terminal, scripts, or website. There are several tools available for this purpose, including Figlet, Sysvbanner, Toilet, and the ASCII-Banner library for Node.js. Each tool has its own installation process and offers different features and customization options.
Figlet
Figlet is a program that generates text banners in various typefaces composed of letters made up of conglomerations of smaller ASCII characters.
To install Figlet on a Debian-based system, use the following command:
sudo apt-get install figletOnce installed, you can create a banner by typing figlet followed by your desired text. For example:
figlet Hello WorldThis will output “Hello World” in an ASCII art banner. Figlet also allows you to customize your banner with different fonts and formatting options. The -f option allows you to specify a font:
figlet -f slant Hello WorldThis command will create a slanted banner with the text “Hello World”.
Sysvbanner
Sysvbanner is another tool for creating ASCII banners. It’s simpler than Figlet, but still gets the job done.
To install Sysvbanner, use the following command:
sudo apt-get install sysvbannerAfter installation, you can create a banner by typing banner followed by your text:
banner Hello WorldThis command will create a banner with the text “Hello World”.
Toilet
Toilet is a more advanced tool for creating ASCII banners. It offers more elaborate banners and a wider range of customization options.
To install Toilet, use the following command:
sudo apt-get install toiletAfter installation, you can create a banner by typing toilet followed by your text:
toilet Hello WorldThis command will create a banner with the text “Hello World”. You can also specify a font with the -f option and add color with the -F option:
toilet -f bigmono9 -F gay Hello WorldThis command will create a colorful banner with the text “Hello World”.
ASCII-Banner
ASCII-Banner is a library for Node.js. It’s a good option if you’re already working with Node.js and want to create ASCII banners programmatically.
To install ASCII-Banner, you need to have Node.js and npm installed. Then, you can install the library with the following command:
sudo npm -g install ascii-bannerAfter installation, you can create a banner by using the node -e command followed by the necessary code:
node -e "var AsciiBanner = require('ascii-banner');AsciiBanner.write('Hello World').out();"This command will create a banner with the text “Hello World”. The library offers various font and formatting options, which you can specify in the write method.
In conclusion, creating ASCII banners from the command line is a creative way to personalize your terminal or scripts. Whether you choose Figlet, Sysvbanner, Toilet, or ASCII-Banner, you’ll have a wide range of options to create the perfect banner. Happy coding!
To change the font of the ASCII banner created with Figlet, you can use the -f option followed by the name of the font. For example, figlet -f slant Hello World will create a slanted banner with the text "Hello World".
Yes, you can add color to the ASCII banner created with Toilet. Use the -F option followed by the name of the color. For example, toilet -f bigmono9 -F gay Hello World will create a colorful banner with the text "Hello World".
Yes, Figlet can be installed on non-Debian-based systems as well. You can check the Figlet website or the package manager of your specific system for installation instructions.
Yes, you can create ASCII banners programmatically using the ASCII-Banner library for Node.js. After installing the library, you can use the write method to specify the desired text and various font and formatting options.
Yes, apart from Figlet, Sysvbanner, Toilet, and ASCII-Banner, there are other tools and libraries available for creating ASCII banners. However, the ones mentioned in this article are widely used and provide a good starting point for creating ASCII banners from the command line.
