The ‘carbon-now’ command is a tool that allows you to create beautiful images of your code. It is particularly useful when you want to share code snippets on social media or in documentation, as it generates a visually appealing image of your code.

Use case 1: Create an image from a file using default settings

Code:

carbon-now path/to/file

Motivation: This use case is suitable when you have a code file that you want to convert into an image. By using ‘carbon-now’ with the path to the file, you can generate an image quickly and easily.

Explanation: The command ‘carbon-now’ is followed by the path to the file you want to convert into an image. The default settings will be used when generating the image.

Example Output: An image will be generated from the specified file using the default settings.

Use case 2: Create an image from a text in clipboard using default settings

Code:

carbon-now --from-clipboard

Motivation: This use case is convenient when you have copied a snippet of code to your clipboard and want to convert it into an image. Instead of first saving it as a file, you can directly use ‘carbon-now’ with the ‘–from-clipboard’ flag.

Explanation: The command ‘carbon-now’ is followed by the ‘–from-clipboard’ flag, which tells the tool to use the code in your clipboard as the input for generating the image. The default settings will be used.

Example Output: An image will be generated from the code present in the clipboard using the default settings.

Use case 3: Create an image from stdin using default settings

Code:

input | carbon-now

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to generate an image from code that is piped into the ‘carbon-now’ command.

Explanation: The command ‘carbon-now’ is used with the pipe operator ‘|’. The code input is first passed through ‘stdin’ and then converted into an image using the default settings.

Example Output: An image will be generated from the code passed through stdin using the default settings.

Use case 4: Create images interactively for custom settings and optionally save a preset

Code:

carbon-now -i path/to/file

Motivation: This use case is suitable when you want to have more control over the image generation process. By using the ‘-i’ flag, you can interactively adjust various settings and even save a preset for future use.

Explanation: The command ‘carbon-now’ is followed by the ‘-i’ flag and the path to the file you want to convert into an image. This starts the interactive mode, where you can customize the appearance of the generated image. You can choose the theme, font size, window theme, and other settings interactively. Additionally, you have the option to save the customized settings as a preset.

Example Output: The interactive mode will be launched for the specified file, allowing you to customize the settings and generate the image accordingly.

Use case 5: Create images from previously saved preset

Code:

carbon-now -p preset path/to/file

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to generate images using a saved preset. It allows you to easily recreate the same settings without having to go through the interactive mode again.

Explanation: The command ‘carbon-now’ is followed by the ‘-p’ flag, the name of the preset, and the path to the file you want to convert into an image. By specifying a previously saved preset, you can quickly generate an image with the desired settings.

Example Output: An image will be generated from the specified file using the settings saved in the preset.

Use case 6: Start at a specified line of text

Code:

carbon-now -s line path/to/file

Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to generate an image starting from a specific line of code. It allows you to focus on a particular section of your code snippet.

Explanation: The command ‘carbon-now’ is followed by the ‘-s’ flag, which is followed by the line number from which you want to start the image generation. The specified line number will be the first line visible in the generated image.

Example Output: An image will be generated starting from the specified line of the file.

Use case 7: End at a specific line of text

Code:

carbon-now -e line path/to/file

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to generate an image ending at a specific line of code. It allows you to focus on a particular section of your code snippet.

Explanation: The command ‘carbon-now’ is followed by the ‘-e’ flag, which is followed by the line number at which you want to end the image generation. The specified line number will be the last line visible in the generated image.

Example Output: An image will be generated ending at the specified line of the file.

Use case 8: Open image in a browser instead of saving

Code:

carbon-now --open path/to/file

Motivation: This use case is relevant when you want to quickly view the generated image without saving it as a file. It allows for convenient and immediate visual inspection.

Explanation: The command ‘carbon-now’ is followed by the ‘–open’ flag and the path to the file you want to convert into an image. Instead of saving the image as a file, it will be opened in a browser for immediate viewing.

Example Output: The generated image will be opened in a browser for visual inspection.

Conclusion:

The ‘carbon-now’ command is a versatile tool for creating beautiful images of code. It offers various use cases, from generating images from files, clipboard, and stdin to customizing settings using an interactive mode or presets. Whether you want to share code snippets on social media or enhance your documentation, ‘carbon-now’ provides an easy way to create visually appealing code images.