How to Print Color Text in PowerShell and Windows Terminal Using ANSI Escape Codes

Learn how to effectively use `ANSI escape codes` to print colored text in PowerShell and Windows Terminal with our step-by-step guide.
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Printing Color Text in PowerShell and Windows Terminal Using ANSI Escape Codes

If you're diving into the world of terminal programming with Python, you might find yourself wanting to colorize your text output. Using color can make your applications more engaging, help with debugging, and significantly improve readability. However, if you're encountering issues when trying to use ANSI escape codes in PowerShell or the Windows Terminal, you're not alone. Today, we'll walk through the problem and present an effective solution to ensure your colored text prints as intended.

The Problem

You've written some Python code intending to output colored text in your terminal. Here's a brief overview of what you've tried:

Utilizing ANSI escape codes through PowerShell, Command Prompt, and Windows Terminal.

When executing your code, rather than seeing colored text, you’ve been greeted with the raw code instead. This is a common hurdle when transitioning to working with character encoding in different environments.

Example of Code Attempted

It seems you attempted to use the following code snippet:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

However, the output was simply:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The Solution

After troubleshooting, the solution to your problem is straightforward. You need to change the way you're declaring your ANSI escape codes. Instead of using PowerShell syntax, which does not directly translate to Python, you’ll want to use the appropriate Python escape sequence.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Update Your Escape Codes: Replace the PowerShell escape code $([char]0x1b) with the correct Python escape sequence \x1b.

Here’s the revised code:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Understanding the Code:

\x1b is the escape character that begins the ANSI sequence.

[30;41m specifies the text color (black) and the background color (red).

\x1b[0m resets the formatting back to default after your text outputs.

Running Your Code: Make sure to run this in your terminal. This should display the desired text in the appropriate colors.

Additional Tips

Test Different Colors: Experiment by changing the values in the \x1b sequence. Here’s a quick reference for color codes:

Text Colors: 30 (Black), 31 (Red), 32 (Green), 33 (Yellow), 34 (Blue), 35 (Magenta), 36 (Cyan), 37 (White).

Background Colors: 40 (Black), 41 (Red), 42 (Green), 43 (Yellow), 44 (Blue), 45 (Magenta), 46 (Cyan), 47 (White).

Ensure Compatibility: Remember that not all terminals support ANSI colors. PowerShell, Windows Terminal, and other modern terminals do, but older command prompts may not.

Conclusion

Colorizing terminal output can greatly enhance your programming projects and improve the user experience. By replacing the PowerShell specific syntax with the correct Python escape codes, you can successfully print colorful text in your terminal applications. If you follow the solution steps outlined in this post, you should be able to achieve your desired output without any hiccups.

Don't hesitate to continue experimenting and pushing the limits of what's possible in your terminal! Happy coding!