From: Terry Poulin <bigboss64@...>
Date: 2007-08-30T12:45:44+09:00
Subject: Re: How do I format outputted text?

Dan Mariani wrote:
>
> How can I control the format (font size, color and location) for text
> that I am out-putting to the screen.  For example:
>
>   puts ("Ruby is great!")
>
> How can I make this appear in larger font on my screen when I run my
> program?
>
> Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!
>
> dm
> --
> Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
>
>
> Dan Zwell wrote:
>> Dan Mariani wrote:
>>> dm
>> What environment are you running the program in?
> A:  I am running the program from the DOS Command Prompt.
>

Command Prompts don't generally support multiple fonts on screen, it basically
emulates a TTY < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletypewriter >. You can change
what font your command prompt displays stuff in, but your program can not
really do it for you the way you intend for it to do so.

Most Command Line Interfaces can support colours and bold text -> but doing
that is not very portable. Typically it involves using the curses library
(which tries to make such things portable between UNIX systems) or DOS/Windows
API instructions (only portable between those systems). Other Operating System
families would have their own way of doing it.

Doing such things as displaying the things in multiple fonts, sizes, colours,
styles e.t.c. can be done by creating a GUI program instead of a console one,
or even a Web Application with Ruby on Rails.

> Are you using a GUI toolkit?
> A:  No, I don't even know what one is.  I am new to both programming and
> Ruby.
>

A GUI (Graphical User Interface) toolkit is a collection of code that makes it
easier to write a program that runs within a 'Window' on your screen, like how
most programs do (notepad, internet explorer, word, e.t.c.).

Without a GUI toolkit, every one would have to write the code to create a
'window' on screen them selves and they'd never look the same... Like how
Programmers used to have to write their own puts() methods if they wanted to
put stuff to the command prompt :S

> Are you just printing to the console?
> A:  Yes, I am just printing to the console.
>
> Are you (trying) to get this functionality in TextMate?
> A:  I am not familiar with TextMate.
>
TextMate is a feature full text editor for Mac OS X popular with programmers.

> What operating system are you using?
> A:  Windows XP
>

> Do you need a portable program?
> A:  Yes, I would prefer that it be portable.

Basic input/output to and from the system console is usually pretty portable
in most high level languages created since the 1970s / 1980s. Some things are
not but simple stuff l

>>
>> See http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>>
>> Dan

This link is very valuable

>
> Thanks for the help!
>
>
> --
> Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
>
>


We are all new once, most regular people are to young to know every thing
about computers and even the oldest geeks probably have yet to learn it all.

As you learn more, you'll grow deeper in the force. Learning to ask questions
that make it easier for people to help you, will increase your chances of
success... Rather then meeting up with a few people that have probably yet to
stop laughing at a beginners question and hopefully not post remarks =/


PS: No offense to any of the other people on this mailing list with that last
sentence.


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