How to use the command banner (with examples)

The banner command is used to print a given argument as a large ASCII art. It can be used to create visually appealing banners and signs in the terminal.

Use case 1: Print the text message as a large banner

Code:

banner "Hello World"

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to create visually appealing banners for messages. It can be used to draw attention or create a decorative display.

Explanation:

• banner is the command to call the banner tool.
• "Hello World" is the argument provided, which is the text to be printed as a banner.

Example output:

######                                                        
#     #   ##   ##### #    # #####   ####  #    #  ####  
#     #  #  #    #   #    # #    # #    # #    # #    # 
######  #       #   ###### #    # #    # #    # #      
#       #       #   #    # #####  #    # #    # #      
#       #  #    #   #    # #      #    # #    # #    # 
#        ##     #   #    # #       ####   ####   ####  

Use case 2: Print the text message as a banner with a width of 50 characters

Code:

banner -w 50 "Hello World"

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to control the width of the banner. It allows you to adjust the size of the banner based on your specific requirements or constraints.

Explanation:

• banner is the command to call the banner tool.
• -w 50 is an option provided to set the width of the banner to 50 characters.
• "Hello World" is the argument provided, which is the text to be printed as a banner.

Example output:

#################################              
#                               #             
#                               #             
#   #####  #####  ####   #    # #    #        
#     #   #    # #    #  #    # #    #        
#     #   #    # #    #  #    # #    #        
#     #   #####  #    #  #    # #    #        
#     #   #      #    #  #    # #    #        
#  #  #   #      #    #   #  #   #  #         
#   ##    #       ####     ##     ##  ####### 
#                               #             
#                               #             
#################################              

Use case 3: Read text from stdin

Code:

banner

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to input text from stdin instead of specifying it as an argument. It allows you to create dynamic banners by providing the text programmatically.

Explanation:

• banner is the command to call the banner tool.

Example output: If you type “Hello World” in the stdin and then press Enter, the following banner will be printed:

######                                                        
#     #   ##   ##### #    # #####   ####  #    #  ####  
#     #  #  #    #   #    # #    # #    # #    # #    # 
######  #       #   ###### #    # #    # #    # #      
#       #       #   #    # #####  #    # #    # #      
#       #  #    #   #    # #      #    # #    # #    # 
#        ##     #   #    # #       ####   ####   ####  

Conclusion:

The banner command is a powerful tool for creating visually appealing banners and signs in the terminal. It allows you to print large ASCII art, control the width of the banner, and read text from stdin. Whether you want to draw attention, create decorative displays, or add visual elements to your terminal output, the banner command provides a simple and effective solution.