I have not found a header for basic text colors in C so I wrote one with as part of a program that creates a colorized ASCII char chart. It compiled with no errors in both Visual Studio 2022 using either compiler option (/TC) or default C++) and GCC. The program included AsciiChart.c and concolor.h and seems to work well. Both are exhaustively commented. My question is, can these files be written more efficiently?
concolor.h#ifndef CONCOLOR_H // this is the 'guard' test preventing another header with this name from being overwritten#define CONCOLOR_H // if there is no other header by this name then define it/* The following 'defines' connect each ANSI code string with a readable name. To use these color/styles just enter the capitalized word in your 'printf' statements positioned AFTER the formatting string and before the literal strings or variables followed by a comma (examples in the 'asciichart.c' file). Remember to add an additional '%s' in the formatting string as a place holder for the color string. There are ways of shrinking this file to arrays and/or pointers but this is easier to understand.*///Color Reset#define CREST "\x1B[0m"//Normal text#define NBLK "\x1B[0;30m"#define NRED "\x1B[0;31m"#define NGRN "\x1B[0;32m"#define NYEL "\x1B[0;33m"#define NBLU "\x1B[0;34m"#define NMAG "\x1B[0;35m"#define NCYN "\x1B[0;36m"#define NWHT "\x1B[0;37m"//High intensity text#define HNBLK "\x1B[0;90m"#define HNRED "\x1B[0;91m"#define HNGRN "\x1B[0;92m"#define HNYEL "\x1B[0;93m"#define HNBLU "\x1B[0;94m"#define HNMAG "\x1B[0;95m"#define HNCYN "\x1B[0;96m"#define HNWHT "\x1B[0;97m"//Bold text#define BBLK "\x1B[1;30m"#define BRED "\x1B[1;31m"#define BGRN "\x1B[1;32m"#define BYEL "\x1B[1;33m"#define BBLU "\x1B[1;34m"#define BMAG "\x1B[1;35m"#define BCYN "\x1B[1;36m"#define BWHT "\x1B[1;37m"//High intensity Bold text#define HBBLK "\x1B[1;90m"#define HBRED "\x1B[1;91m"#define HBGRN "\x1B[1;92m"#define HBYEL "\x1B[1;93m"#define HBBLU "\x1B[1;94m"#define HBMAG "\x1B[1;95m"#define HBCYN "\x1B[1;96m"#define HBWHT "\x1B[1;97m"//Faint text#define FBLK "\x1B[2;30m"#define FRED "\x1B[2;31m"#define FGRN "\x1B[2;32m"#define FYEL "\x1B[2;33m"#define FBLU "\x1B[2;34m"#define FMAG "\x1B[2;35m"#define FCYN "\x1B[2;36m"#define FWHT "\x1B[2;37m"//High intensity Faint text#define HFBLK "\x1B[2;90m"#define HFRED "\x1B[2;91m"#define HFGRN "\x1B[2;92m"#define HFYEL "\x1B[2;93m"#define HFBLU "\x1B[2;94m"#define HFMAG "\x1B[2;95m"#define HFCYN "\x1B[2;96m"#define HFWHT "\x1B[2;97m"//Italic text#define IBLK "\x1B[3;30m"#define IRED "\x1B[3;31m"#define IGRN "\x1B[3;32m"#define IYEL "\x1B[3;33m"#define IBLU "\x1B[3;34m"#define IMAG "\x1B[3;35m"#define ICYN "\x1B[3;36m"#define IWHT "\x1B[3;37m"//High intensity Italic text#define HIBLK "\x1B[3;90m"#define HIRED "\x1B[3;91m"#define HIGRN "\x1B[3;92m"#define HIYEL "\x1B[3;93m"#define HIBLU "\x1B[3;94m"#define HIMAG "\x1B[3;95m"#define HICYN "\x1B[3;96m"#define HIWHT "\x1B[3;97m"//Underline text#define UBLK "\x1B[4;30m"#define URED "\x1B[4;31m"#define UGRN "\x1B[4;32m"#define UYEL "\x1B[4;33m"#define UBLU "\x1B[4;34m"#define UMAG "\x1B[4;35m"#define UCYN "\x1B[4;36m"#define UWHT "\x1B[4;37m"//High intensity Underline text#define HUBLK "\x1B[4;90m"#define HURED "\x1B[4;91m"#define HUGRN "\x1B[4;92m"#define HUYEL "\x1B[4;93m"#define HUBLU "\x1B[4;94m"#define HUMAG "\x1B[4;95m"#define HUCYN "\x1B[4;96m"#define HUWHT "\x1B[4;97m"//Slow Blink text#define LBLK "\x1B[5;30m"#define LRED "\x1B[5;31m"#define LGRN "\x1B[5;32m"#define LYEL "\x1B[5;33m"#define LBLU "\x1B[5;34m"#define LMAG "\x1B[5;35m"#define LCYN "\x1B[5;36m"#define LWHT "\x1B[5;37m"//High intensity Slow Blink text#define HLBLK "\x1B[5;90m"#define HLRED "\x1B[5;91m"#define HLGRN "\x1B[5;92m"#define HLYEL "\x1B[5;93m"#define HLBLU "\x1B[5;94m"#define HLMAG "\x1B[5;95m"#define HLCYN "\x1B[5;96m"#define HLWHT "\x1B[5;97m"//Fast Blink text#define QBLK "\x1B[6;30m"#define QRED "\x1B[6;31m"#define QGRN "\x1B[6;32m"#define QYEL "\x1B[6;33m"#define QBLU "\x1B[6;34m"#define QMAG "\x1B[6;35m"#define QCYN "\x1B[6;36m"#define QWHT "\x1B[6;37m"//High intensity Fast Blink text#define HQBLK "\x1B[6;90m"#define HQRED "\x1B[6;91m"#define HQGRN "\x1B[6;92m"#define HQYEL "\x1B[6;93m"#define HQBLU "\x1B[6;94m"#define HQMAG "\x1B[6;95m"#define HQCYN "\x1B[6;96m"#define HQWHT "\x1B[6;97m"//Reverse text#define RBLK "\x1B[7;30m"#define RRED "\x1B[7;31m"#define RGRN "\x1B[7;32m"#define RYEL "\x1B[7;33m"#define RBLU "\x1B[7;34m"#define RMAG "\x1B[7;35m"#define RCYN "\x1B[7;36m"#define RWHT "\x1B[7;37m"//High intensity Reverse text#define HRBLK "\x1B[7;90m"#define HRRED "\x1B[7;91m"#define HRGRN "\x1B[7;92m"#define HRYEL "\x1B[7;93m"#define HRBLU "\x1B[7;94m"#define HRMAG "\x1B[7;95m"#define HRCYN "\x1B[7;96m"#define HRWHT "\x1B[7;97m"//Strike-through text#define SBLK "\x1B[9;30m"#define SRED "\x1B[9;31m"#define SGRN "\x1B[9;32m"#define SYEL "\x1B[9;33m"#define SBLU "\x1B[9;34m"#define SMAG "\x1B[9;35m"#define SCYN "\x1B[9;36m"#define SWHT "\x1B[9;37m"//High intensity Strike-through text#define HSBLK "\x1B[9;90m"#define HSRED "\x1B[9;91m"#define HSGRN "\x1B[9;92m"#define HSYEL "\x1B[9;93m"#define HSBLU "\x1B[9;94m"#define HSMAG "\x1B[9;95m"#define HSCYN "\x1B[9;96m"#define HSWHT "\x1B[9;97m"//Regular background#define NBLKB "\x1B[0;40m"#define NREDB "\x1B[0;41m"#define NGRNB "\x1B[0;42m"#define NYELB "\x1B[0;43m"#define NBLUB "\x1B[0;44m"#define NMAGB "\x1B[0;45m"#define NCYNB "\x1B[0;46m"#define NWHTB "\x1B[0;47m"//High intensity background #define HBLKB "\x1B[0;100m"#define HREDB "\x1B[0;101m"#define HGRNB "\x1B[0;102m"#define HYELB "\x1B[0;103m"#define HBLUB "\x1B[0;104m"#define HMAGB "\x1B[0;105m"#define HCYNB "\x1B[0;106m"#define HWHTB "\x1B[0;107m"#endif //CONCOLOR_Hasciichart.c/* This program will display an ascii chart in the command window for each corresponding decimal, hex, and octal number. The first page is the standard ascii set, the second is the extended set. The pages will toggle back and forth with ANY key press until the command window is closed. If you right click the top of the cmd window and select 'settings' then select 'launch size' and set columns to 120 and rows to 36 and run again it will fit better. This program compiled without errors or warnings in Visual Studio 2022 using the 'C Code (/TC)' compiler. To build this program make sure both this file and 'concolor.h' are in the same directory and compile it adding both file names to the compiler input string and a file name(.exe) of your choice for the output string if you are using a command line compiler like GCC.*/#include <stdio.h> //included C header to make the 'printf' function work#include <stdlib.h> //included C header to make the 'system' function work#include "concolor.h" //header created to define many console color settings //refer to this header (just a list of 'defines') to select color keywords // not all keywords may work in your console but most dochar s[][4] = { "NUL","SOH","STX","ETX","EOT","ENQ","ACK","BEL","BS ","TAB","LF ","VT ","FF ","CR ","SO ","SI ","DLE","DC1","DC2","DC3","DC4","NAK","SYN","ETB","CAN","EM ","SUB","ESC","FS ","GS ","RS ","US " }; //char array of the standard ascii control nameschar e[][4] = {"\\0"," ", " ", " ", " ", " ", " ", "\\a", "\\b", "\\t", "\\n", "\\v", "\\f", "\\r", " ", " ", " ", " ", " ", " ", " ", " ", " ", " ", " ", " ", " ", "\\e", " ", " ", " ", " ", }; //char array of escape sequences with other spaces for alignmentvoid DataList(int k); //prototype for the 'DataList' functionint main(void) //required 'main' function (program will start from here){ for (;;) { //infinite loop until the cmd window is closed DataList(0); //call the function passing 0 for the standard ascii set DataList(128); //call the function passing 128 for the extended ascii set } return 0; //included because 'main' can return an integer to the command line if required}void DataList(int k) { //beginning of the function that does all the work with the passed value assinged to 'k' //'k' holds the dec value of each ascii char char i, j; //'i' and 'j are iterators for the rows and columns system("cls"); //clears the console screen printf("\n"); //add a margin on top of the window for (j = 0; j < 4; j++) { //iterate through the columns headers printf(" %s%s %s %s ", IWHT, "Dec", "Hex", "Oct"); //prints each column header if (!k && !j) printf("%s%s\t", IWHT, "CTRL ESC"); //print this for the last header text for the column 1, page 1 else printf("%s%s\t\t", IWHT, "Char"); //print this for the last header text for all other columns } printf("\n"); //starts the first data row for (i = 32; i > 0; i--) { //iterate through each row for (j = 4; j > 0; j--) { //irterate through column printf(" %s%3d %s%02X %s%3o ", NYEL, k, NGRN, k, NCYN, k); //data for each column with control names and colors if (k < 32) { //test for the first column printf("%s%s %s%s\t", NRED, s[k], HNMAG, e[k]); //this will select from the control name array } //AND from the escape sequence array on page 1 else { //if not first column then... if (k == 32) printf("%s%s\t\t", NYEL, "space"); //print 'space' for ascii 32 else if (k == 127) printf("%s%s\t\t", NRED, "DEL"); //print 'DEL' for ascii 127 else if (k == 255) printf("%s%s\t\t", NRED, "NBSP"); //print 'NBSP' for ascii 255 else printf("%s%c\t\t", NWHT, k); //this will print the actual ascii character } k += 32; //add 32 to the dec number for the next column } printf("\n"); //start the next row k -= 127; //subtract (96 + 32) from the dec number for the next row } printf(CREST); //reset to the default console colors printf("\n"); //add a margin at the bottom of the window system("pause"); //wait for a key to be pressed to toggle between pages}Most of the examples I've seen show inserting the color keyword in the formatting side of the printf function statement. This was no problem for the C++ compiler in Visual Studio but when compiled with GCC it only printed the escape sequence text everywhere with no color changes to any of it. This was been corrected in these files.