carbon-now
Create aesthetically pleasing code snippet images
TLDR
Create an image from a file using default settings
Create an image from a text in clipboard using default settings
Create an image from stdin using default settings and copy to the clipboard
Create images interactively for custom settings and optionally save a preset
Create images from a previously saved preset
Start at a specified line of text
End at a specific line of text
Open image in a browser instead of saving
SYNOPSIS
carbon-now [options] [file]
PARAMETERS
-h, --help
Output usage information.
-v, --version
Output the version number.
-t, --theme
Specify the Carbon theme to use (e.g., 'material', 'dracula').
-f, --font
Specify the font family to use (e.g., 'Fira Code', 'Monoid').
-l, --language
Specify the programming language for syntax highlighting (e.g., 'javascript', 'python').
-w, --window-controls
Show window controls (the red, yellow, green dots).
-W, --no-window-controls
Hide window controls (the red, yellow, green dots).
-s, --shadow
Show shadow.
-S, --no-shadow
Hide shadow.
-i, --interactive
Start interactive mode. Open carbon.now.sh in your browser for further editing
-b, --background
Set the background color (e.g., '#1A2B34', 'rgba(255, 255, 255, 1)').
-p, --padding
Set the padding of the code (e.g., '20px', '10px').
-o, --location
Set the location of the file output (e.g., './output.png', '/tmp/image.png').
[file]
Path to the source code file. If omitted, reads from standard input.
DESCRIPTION
carbon-now is a command-line tool that simplifies creating aesthetically pleasing images of code snippets. It leverages the Carbon app (carbon.now.sh) allowing users to quickly transform code into visually appealing images suitable for sharing on social media, presentations, or documentation. The tool takes code either from a file or directly from standard input. Options exist to customize the appearance, including theme selection, font adjustments, window controls, and background color. It streamlines the process of creating polished code visualizations, removing the need to manually copy-paste and format code within a web browser. The resulting image can then be easily shared with a focus on visual appeal and readability, improving code communication.
It is written in JavaScript and requires Node.js and npm for installation.
CAVEATS
Requires Node.js and npm to be installed. Relies on the carbon.now.sh web service, so network connectivity is essential. Output quality and accuracy of syntax highlighting depend on the Carbon app.
EXAMPLES
Creating an image from a file:
carbon-now my_script.py
Using a specific theme:
carbon-now -t dracula my_script.py
Specifying the language:
carbon-now -l javascript my_script.js
Reading from standard input:
cat my_script.js | carbon-now -l javascript
Setting a background color:carbon-now -b '#282c34' my_script.js
Output file location:carbon-now -o ./output.png my_script.js
INSTALLATION
The recommended way to install carbon-now is through npm:npm install -g carbon-now-cli
HISTORY
carbon-now was developed to provide a convenient command-line interface for the Carbon code snippet image generator. It streamlines the process, enabling users to quickly generate shareable code images from the terminal. The tool gained popularity among developers and educators seeking to visually enhance their code presentations. It simplifies and automates a common task, reducing reliance on the carbon.now.sh web interface alone.