Using the "viu" command to View Images on the Terminal (with examples)
Introduction
The “viu” command is a useful tool for viewing images and animated GIFs directly in the terminal. It provides a convenient way to quickly see image files without the need to open them in an external application. In this article, we will explore different use cases of the “viu” command and provide code examples to illustrate each case.
Case 1: Render an Image or Animated GIF
To render an image or animated GIF using the “viu” command, simply provide the path to the file as an argument.
viu path/to/file
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to quickly view an image or GIF without opening a separate image viewer application. It can save time and simplify the image viewing process.
Explanation: The “viu” command takes the path to the image file as an argument and renders it directly in the terminal. It automatically detects the image format and adapts its rendering accordingly.
Example Output:
Case 2: Render an Image or GIF from the Internet using curl
To render an image or GIF from the internet using the “viu” command, you can combine it with the “curl” command. First, use “curl” to retrieve the image from the internet, and then pipe the output to “viu” using the “-” symbol.
curl -s https://example.com/image.png | viu -
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to view an image or GIF directly from the internet without having to download it first. It can be helpful when you need to quickly inspect an image or verify if a remote image is rendered correctly.
Explanation: The “curl” command retrieves the image from the given URL, and the “-s” option suppresses its output. The “|” symbol pipes the output of “curl” to the “viu” command, which then renders the image in the terminal.
Example Output:
Case 3: Render an Image with a Transparent Background
To render an image with a transparent background, use the “-t” flag followed by the path to the image file.
viu -t path/to/file
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to inspect an image that has a transparent background, such as an icon or logo. By rendering the image with transparency, you can see how it would appear when placed on different backgrounds.
Explanation: The “-t” flag tells the “viu” command to render the image with transparency. It utilizes the capabilities of a terminal emulator to display the transparency effect.
Example Output:
Case 4: Render an Image with a Specific Width and Height
To render an image with a specific width and height in pixels, use the “-w” and “-h” flags followed by the desired values, along with the path to the image file.
viu -w width -h height path/to/file
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to preview an image at a specific size without modifying its original file. It allows you to quickly visualize how the image would appear in different dimensions.
Explanation: The “-w” flag specifies the width of the image in pixels, and the “-h” flag specifies the height. By providing both values, the “viu” command will scale the image accordingly.
Example Output:
Case 5: Render an Image or GIF and Display its File Name
To render an image or GIF and display its file name along with the rendered image, use the “-n” flag followed by the path to the file.
viu -n path/to/file
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to quickly identify the file name of an image or GIF without manually checking it. It can be helpful when you have multiple image files and want to keep track of their names.
Explanation: The “-n” flag tells the “viu” command to display the file name of the image or GIF along with its rendered output.
Example Output:
Conclusion
The “viu” command provides a convenient way to view images and animated GIFs directly in the terminal. In this article, we explored different use cases of the command and provided code examples to illustrate each case. By utilizing the various flags and options of the “viu” command, you can customize your image viewing experience and save time when inspecting images.
