carbon-now

Create an image from a file using default settings

$ carbon-now [path/to/file]

$ carbon-now --from-clipboard

$ [input] | carbon-now --to-clipboard

$ carbon-now [[-i|--interactive]] [path/to/file]

$ carbon-now [[-p|--preset]] [preset] [path/to/file]

$ carbon-now [[-s|--start]] [line] [path/to/file]

$ carbon-now [[-e|--end]] [line] [path/to/file]

$ carbon-now --open [path/to/file]

carbon-now [options] [file]
carbon-now [options] < input

--help, -h
    Display a help message with available options.

--output path, -o path
    Specify the directory where the generated image will be saved.

--save-as filename
    Define the output image filename, overriding the default.

--language lang, -l lang
    Explicitly set the programming language for syntax highlighting (e.g., javascript, python).

--theme theme-name, -t theme-name
    Set the code's syntax highlighting theme (e.g., seti, dracula, monokai).

--background color, -b color
    Set the background color of the image, typically a hex code like #FF0000 or a named color.

--width pixels
    Set the width of the generated image in pixels.

--font-size size
    Set the font size of the code in pixels (e.g., 18px).

--window-controls
    Display macOS-like window controls on the code image.

--line-numbers
    Display line numbers next to the code snippet.

--config path
    Load configuration options from a specified JSON file, allowing for presets.

--open-browser
    Instead of saving the image, open the generated Carbon image in a web browser.

The carbon-now command, more accurately known as carbon-now-cli, is a command-line interface tool that allows users to generate stylish, shareable images of their source code directly from the terminal. It leverages the popular carbon.now.sh web service, which provides a simple way to create aesthetically pleasing code snippets. Instead of manually visiting the website, pasting code, and downloading the image, carbon-now-cli automates this process.

Users can specify an input file or pipe code directly, along with various customization options such as syntax highlighting theme, programming language, background color, and window style. The generated image is then saved to a specified output directory or the current working directory. It's particularly useful for quickly creating code snippets for presentations, social media, or documentation, streamlining a common developer task.

The carbon-now command (carbon-now-cli) is not a standard Linux utility; it requires Node.js and npm for installation. It relies on the carbon.now.sh web service, meaning internet connectivity is required for image generation. Advanced features like headless browser rendering (which it uses internally) may require additional system dependencies (e.g., for Puppeteer).

To install carbon-now-cli, ensure you have Node.js and npm installed, then use the following command:
npm install -g carbon-now-cli

For repetitive tasks or specific styles, users can define presets in a .carbon-now.json file in their home directory or project root. This file can contain default options, which can then be applied using the --preset name option.

The carbon.now.sh web application gained significant popularity around 2017-2018 for its intuitive interface in creating aesthetically pleasing code snippets. The carbon-now-cli tool was subsequently developed to extend this functionality to the command line, enabling automation and integration into developer workflows without requiring manual browser interaction. It is an open-source project, primarily maintained by the community, leveraging Node.js and Puppeteer for headless browser automation.

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