How to use the command 'termdown' (with examples)
The ’termdown’ command is a countdown timer and stopwatch for the command-line. It allows you to start a timer or stopwatch, set a specific countdown time, display the current time, and customize the appearance of the countdown or stopwatch.
Use case 1: Start a stopwatch
Code:
termdown
Motivation: Starting a stopwatch can be useful when you need to measure the duration of a task or event. Using the ’termdown’ command, you can easily start and stop a stopwatch right from the command-line.
Explanation: By simply running the ’termdown’ command without any arguments, it will start a stopwatch. The stopwatch will display the elapsed time in hours, minutes, and seconds.
Example output:
00:00:00
00:00:01
00:00:02
...
Use case 2: Start a 1 minute and 30 seconds countdown
Code:
termdown 1m30s
Motivation: When you need to keep track of a specific duration, such as a countdown for finishing a task or a break time, using the ’termdown’ command allows you to set a custom countdown time.
Explanation: In this example, the ’termdown’ command is followed by the argument ‘1m30s’, which stands for 1 minute and 30 seconds. The countdown will start from this specified time and decrement down to zero.
Example output:
01:29
01:28
01:27
...
00:02
00:01
00:00
Use case 3: Start a 1 minute 30 seconds countdown with blinking the terminal at the end
Code:
termdown 1m30s --blink
Motivation: Blinking the terminal at the end of a countdown can provide a more visually prominent indication that the countdown has reached zero. This can be helpful when you want to draw immediate attention to the end of the countdown.
Explanation: In this example, the ’termdown’ command is followed by the argument ‘1m30s’ to set the countdown time. The ‘–blink’ option is added to enable terminal blinking when the countdown reaches zero.
Example output:
01:29
01:28
01:27
...
00:02
00:01
00:00 (terminal blinks)
Use case 4: Show a title above countdown
Code:
termdown 1m30s --title "Interesting title"
Motivation: Adding a title above a countdown can be helpful when you want to provide context or give the countdown a specific purpose. It can make the countdown more informative and meaningful.
Explanation: In this example, the ’termdown’ command is followed by the argument ‘1m30s’ to set the countdown time. The ‘–title’ option is used to specify the title that will be displayed above the countdown.
Example output:
Interesting title
01:29
01:28
01:27
...
00:02
00:01
00:00
Use case 5: Display current time
Code:
termdown --time
Motivation: Displaying the current time can be useful when you want to quickly check the current time without leaving the command-line interface. The ’termdown’ command provides an option to display the current time in a specific format.
Explanation: In this example, the ’termdown’ command is used with the ‘–time’ option, which will simply display the current time in the format hh:mm:ss.
Example output:
09:30:45
Conclusion:
The ’termdown’ command is a versatile countdown timer and stopwatch for the command-line. It allows you to start a stopwatch, set custom countdown times, display the current time, and add visual effects such as terminal blinking. With these features, it becomes a handy tool for time tracking and management right from the command-line.
