tmux-highlight-text.patch enables tmux to highlight the text like iTerm2.

tmux-highlight-text-patch-README.md

tmux-highlight-text.patch

This patch enables tmux to highlight the text like iTerm2.
When some text in the terminal matches the regular expression set in tmux.conf, tmux highlights them.

usage

install

git clone https://github.com/tmux/tmux.git
cd tmux
git checkout -b v2.1 2.1
wget https://gist.githubusercontent.com/pxsta/5f86092eec0d611c2770/raw/tmux-highlight-text.patch
patch --dry-run -p0 < tmux-highlight-text.patch
patch -p0 < tmux-highlight-text.patch
sh autogen.sh
./configure && make
make install

config

Write like this at the '.tmux.conf'.

set-option -g trigger-highlight "Regular Expression" "Colour" IgnoreCase

• Regular Expression : When some text matches this regular expression, tmux highlights them.

• Colour : Put 'coulour[0-255]' like other *-fg options.

• IgnoreCase : If ignorecase put 1, otherwise put 0.

example

set-option -g trigger-highlight "error|fail|fatal" colour9 1
set-option -g trigger-highlight "note" colour96 1
set-option -g trigger-highlight "warning" colour93 1

tmux-highlight-text.gif

tmux-highlight-text.jpg

tmux-highlight-text.patch

diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 81dc4c7..b953a3f 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ dist_tmux_SOURCES = \
 	format.c \
 	grid-view.c \
 	grid.c \
+	highlight.c \
 	hooks.c \
 	input-keys.c \
 	input.c \
diff --git a/cmd-set-option.c b/cmd-set-option.c
index 491353a..6ab5bc7 100644
--- a/cmd-set-option.c
+++ b/cmd-set-option.c
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ struct options_entry *cmd_set_option_choice(struct cmd *, struct cmd_q *,
 struct options_entry *cmd_set_option_style(struct cmd *, struct cmd_q *,
 	    const struct options_table_entry *, struct options *,
 	    const char *);
+struct options_entry *cmd_set_highlight(struct cmd *, struct cmd_q *,
+	    const struct options_table_entry *, struct options *,
+	    const char *);
 
 const struct cmd_entry cmd_set_option_entry = {
 	.name = "set-option",
@@ -362,6 +365,10 @@ cmd_set_option_set(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq,
 	case OPTIONS_TABLE_STYLE:
 		o = cmd_set_option_style(self, cmdq, oe, oo, value);
 		break;
+	case OPTIONS_TABLE_HIGHLIGHT:
+		o = cmd_set_highlight(self, cmdq, oe, oo, value);
+		break;
+
 	}
 	if (o == NULL)
 		return (-1);
@@ -425,6 +432,25 @@ cmd_set_option_key(__unused struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq,
 	return (options_set_number(oo, oe->name, key));
 }
 
+/* Set a highlight option. */
+struct options_entry *
+cmd_set_highlight(unused struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq,
+    const struct options_table_entry *oe, struct options *oo,
+    const char *value)
+{
+	int fg, ignorecase;
+
+	if (self->args->argc < 4) {
+		cmdq_error(cmdq, "bad argument count : %d", self->args->argc);
+		return (NULL);
+	}
+
+	fg = colour_fromstring(self->args->argv[2]);
+	ignorecase = atoi(self->args->argv[3]);
+	add_highlight(value,fg, ignorecase);
+	return (options_set_number(oo,oe->name,fg));
+}
+
 /* Set a colour option. */
 struct options_entry *
 cmd_set_option_colour(__unused struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq,
diff --git a/highlight.c b/highlight.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c297833
--- /dev/null
+++ b/highlight.c
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <regex.h>
+
+#include "tmux.h"
+
+struct highlightlist  all_highlights = LIST_HEAD_INITIALIZER(all_highlights);
+
+int add_highlight(const char *regstr, int fg, int ignorecase){
+  struct highlight *tmp_highlight, *new_highlight;
+  int flags=REG_EXTENDED | REG_NEWLINE;
+
+  LIST_FOREACH(tmp_highlight, &all_highlights, lentry) {
+    if (strcmp(tmp_highlight->regstr, regstr) == 0 && tmp_highlight->ignorecase == ignorecase) {
+      free(tmp_highlight->regstr);
+      regfree(&tmp_highlight->reg);
+      tmp_highlight->regstr = xmalloc(sizeof(char)*strlen(regstr));
+      strcpy(tmp_highlight->regstr, regstr);
+      tmp_highlight->fg = fg;
+      tmp_highlight->ignorecase = ignorecase;
+      if(tmp_highlight->ignorecase){
+        flags |= REG_ICASE;
+      }
+      if (regcomp(&tmp_highlight->reg, tmp_highlight->regstr, flags) != 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "regex compile failed");
+        return 1;
+      }
+      return 0;
+    }
+  }
+  new_highlight = xmalloc(sizeof(struct highlight));
+  new_highlight->regstr = xmalloc(sizeof(char)*strlen(regstr));
+  strcpy(new_highlight->regstr, regstr);
+  new_highlight->fg = fg;
+  new_highlight->ignorecase = ignorecase;
+  if (new_highlight->ignorecase) {
+    flags |= REG_ICASE;
+  }
+  if (regcomp(&new_highlight->reg, new_highlight->regstr, flags) != 0) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "regex compile failed");
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+	LIST_INSERT_HEAD(&all_highlights, new_highlight, lentry);
+  return 0;
+}
+
+struct highlight_search_result find_highlight_target(const u_char *target){
+  struct highlight *tmp_highlight;
+  struct highlight_search_result res = {.find = 0, .start = 0, .end = 0};
+  regmatch_t patternMatch;
+
+  LIST_FOREACH(tmp_highlight, &all_highlights, lentry) { 
+    if (regexec(&tmp_highlight->reg, target, 1, &patternMatch, 0) == 0){
+     regoff_t tmp_startIndex = patternMatch.rm_so;
+     regoff_t tmp_endIndex = patternMatch.rm_eo;
+     if (tmp_startIndex == -1 || tmp_endIndex == -1) {
+         continue;
+     }
+     if (res.find == 0 || tmp_startIndex < res.start) {
+       res.start = tmp_startIndex;
+       res.end = tmp_endIndex;
+       res.fg = tmp_highlight->fg;
+     }
+     res.find = 1;
+    }
+  }
+  return res;
+}
diff --git a/input.c b/input.c
index 5c11a61..1abb791 100644
--- a/input.c
+++ b/input.c
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@
  *   be passed to the underlying terminals.
  */
 
+/* To restore the original fg after the highlighting */
+int original_fg = -1;
+
 /* Input parser cell. */
 struct input_cell {
 	struct grid_cell	cell;
@@ -842,6 +845,9 @@ input_parse(struct window_pane *wp)
 	struct evbuffer			*evb = wp->event->input;
 	u_char				*buf;
 	size_t				 len, off;
+	struct highlight_search_result search_res = {.find = 0};
+	size_t startIndex = 0;
+	size_t endIndex = 0;
 
 	if (EVBUFFER_LENGTH(evb) == 0)
 		return;
@@ -871,6 +877,26 @@ input_parse(struct window_pane *wp)
 	while (off < len) {
 		ictx->ch = buf[off++];
 
+		if (off > endIndex) {
+			if (original_fg >= 0) {
+				ictx->cell.cell.fg = original_fg;
+				original_fg = -1;
+			}
+
+			search_res = find_highlight_target((u_char*)((unsigned long)buf+endIndex));
+			if (search_res.find) {
+				startIndex = endIndex + search_res.start;
+				endIndex = endIndex + search_res.end;
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (search_res.find && startIndex < off && off <= endIndex) {
+			if (original_fg == -1) {
+				original_fg = ictx->cell.cell.fg;
+			}
+			ictx->cell.cell.fg = search_res.fg;
+		}
+
 		/* Find the transition. */
 		itr = ictx->state->transitions;
 		while (itr->first != -1 && itr->last != -1) {
diff --git a/options-table.c b/options-table.c
index 4898e55..5e3a93d 100644
--- a/options-table.c
+++ b/options-table.c
@@ -903,6 +903,10 @@ const struct options_table_entry options_table[] = {
 	  .scope = OPTIONS_TABLE_WINDOW,
 	  .default_num = 0
 	},
+	{ .name = "trigger-highlight",
+	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_HIGHLIGHT,
+	  .default_num = -1
+	},
 
 	{ .name = NULL }
 };
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 995e310..7442ade 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <termios.h>
+#include <regex.h>
 #include <wchar.h>
 
 #ifdef HAVE_UTEMPTER
@@ -761,6 +762,22 @@ struct job {
 };
 LIST_HEAD(joblist, job);
 
+struct highlight{
+	char *regstr;
+	regex_t reg;
+	int fg;
+	int ignorecase;
+	LIST_ENTRY(highlight)	 lentry;
+};
+
+struct highlight_search_result{
+	int find;
+	off_t start;
+	off_t end;
+	int fg;
+};
+LIST_HEAD(highlightlist, highlight);
+
 /* Screen selection. */
 struct screen_sel {
 	int		 flag;
@@ -1513,7 +1530,8 @@ enum options_table_type {
 	OPTIONS_TABLE_ATTRIBUTES,
 	OPTIONS_TABLE_FLAG,
 	OPTIONS_TABLE_CHOICE,
-	OPTIONS_TABLE_STYLE
+	OPTIONS_TABLE_STYLE,
+	OPTIONS_TABLE_HIGHLIGHT
 };
 enum options_table_scope {
 	OPTIONS_TABLE_NONE,
@@ -1698,6 +1716,11 @@ struct job *job_run(const char *, struct session *, const char *,
 void	job_free(struct job *);
 void	job_died(struct job *, int);
 
+/* highlight.c */
+extern struct highlightlist all_highlights;
+int add_highlight(const char *, int, int);
+struct highlight_search_result find_highlight_target(const u_char *);
+
 /* environ.c */
 struct environ *environ_create(void);
 void	environ_free(struct environ *);

was this ever implemented?