How to use the 'banner' command (with examples)

The banner command is a useful utility that allows users to print text as large ASCII art, creating a visually impactful representation of a message. It can be useful for creating memorable displays in terminal environments or for fun, eye-catching text in scripts and applications. The banner command accepts text inputs and outputs them in enlarged, stylized ASCII characters, making it a playful and unique way to communicate messages.

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

Code:

banner "Hello World"

Motivation:

The primary motivation for using the banner command in its basic form is to create a simple yet attention-grabbing display of text in the terminal. This can be particularly useful in scripts that require feedback or alerts, allowing the text to stand out in a sea of regular-sized terminal outputs. It’s also great for creating a playful or aesthetically pleasing introduction to command-line applications.

Explanation:

In this particular use case:

• banner is the command itself, which will trigger the ASCII art process.
• "Hello World" is the argument provided to the command, encapsulated in quotes to ensure that the entire phrase is treated as a single string. Though quotes are optional, they can prevent errors when there are spaces or special characters in the input.

Example output:

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

Use case 2: Use a banner width of 50 characters

Code:

banner -w 50 "Hello World"

Motivation:

Adjusting the width of an ASCII banner can be incredibly useful for ensuring that the relatively large output of a banner fits within the confines of your terminal window or a designated display area. This can help maintain a clean layout and ensure that the displayed message is easily viewable without needing horizontal scrolling or line wrapping.

Explanation:

Here’s what each part of the command does:

• banner: The base command used to initiate the creation of the ASCII text.
• -w 50: This flag represents the width option, where -w indicates to the banner command that the user wants to specify a width for the output, and 50 sets the desired maximum width to 50 characters. This restricts the output to fit within this specified width.
• "Hello World": This is the text argument that will be displayed as an ASCII banner. The quotes ensure that it is treated as a unified string.

Example output:

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

Use case 3: Read text from stdin

Code:

banner

Motivation:

Reading from standard input (stdin) can be useful in situations where the text you wish to convert into a banner is not predefined or is the result of another command’s output. For instance, you might concatenate multiple text inputs or read from a file and then pass it to banner without having to explicitly type out the text. This flexibility allows for dynamic text input and seamless integration into more complex command-line workflows or scripts.

Explanation:

In this scenario:

• banner: Invoking the command without any immediate arguments allows it to wait for input from stdin. This makes it receptive to receiving text passed from other processes or manually input by the user.

After executing the command, you can input the desired text manually or pipe output from another command.

Example output:

If Hello World is entered via stdin:

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

Conclusion:

The banner command is a lightweight yet powerful tool for creating ASCII art from text. It offers flexibility in display width and handles direct user input, making it an excellent choice for a variety of use cases in scripting and interactive command-line applications. Whether for fun or functional purposes, banner helps messages pop out in a text-dominated environment.