A library that provides a Python print, stdout, and string wrapper that makes colored terminal (Xterm/VT100 type terminals) text easier to use (e.g. without having to mess around with ANSI escape sequences).

pretty.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

"""pretty.py will color text for Xterm/VT100 type terminals using ANSI Escape Sequences

    A library that provides a Python print, stdout, and string wrapper that makes colored terminal
    text easier to use(e.g. without having to mess around with ANSI escape sequences).

    Referance Materials:
        Colored text in Python using ANSI Escape Sequences
            http://nezzen.net/2008/06/23/colored-text-in-python-using-ansi-escape-sequences/

    Orginally Created By:
        Copyright (C) 2008 Brian Nez <thedude at bri1 dot com>

    Modified By:
        Jeff Irland (jeff.irland@gmail.com) in January 2013
"""

# imported modules
import sys

# authorship information
__author__ = "Jeff Irland"
__copyright__ = "Copyright (C) 2008 Brian Nez"
__credits__ = "Brian Nez"
__license__ = "GNU General Public License"
__version__ = "1.0"
__maintainer__ = "Jeff Irland"
__email__ = "jeff.irland@gmail.com"
__status__ = "Production"
__python__ = "Version 2.7.3"

# Dictionary of ANSI escape sequences for coloring text
colorCodes = {
    'black':     '0;30',    'bright gray':   '0;37',
    'blue':      '0;34',    'white':         '1;37',
    'green':     '0;32',    'bright blue':   '1;34',
    'cyan':      '0;36',    'bright green':  '1;32',
    'red':       '0;31',    'bright cyan':   '1;36',
    'purple':    '0;35',    'bright red':    '1;31',
    'yellow':    '0;33',    'bright purple': '1;35',
    'dark gray': '1;30',    'bright yellow': '1;33',
    'normal':    '0'
}


def printc(text, color):
    """Print in color"""
    print "\033[" + colorCodes[color] + "m" + text + "\033[0m"


def writec(text, color):
    """Write to stdout in color"""
    sys.stdout.write("\033[" + colorCodes[color] + "m" + text + "\033[0m")


def switchColor(color):
    """Switch terminal color"""
    sys.stdout.write("\033[" + colorCodes[color] + "m")


def stringc(text, color):
    """Return a string with ANSI escape sequences to color text"""
    return "\033[" + colorCodes[color] + "m" + text + "\033[0m"


# Simple test routine to validate thing are working correctly
if __name__ == '__main__':
    printc("Welcome to the pretty.py test routine!", 'white')

    printc("I will now try to print a line of text in each color using \"writec()\"", 'white')
    for color in colorCodes.keys():
        writec("Hello, world!", color)
        print "\t", color

    printc("\n\nI will now try to print a line of text in each color using \"switchColor()\"", 'white')
    for color in colorCodes.keys():
        switchColor(color)
        print 'Hello World #2!'

    printc("\n\nI will now try to print a line of text in each color using \"printc()\"", 'white')
    for color in colorCodes.keys():
        printc('Hello World #3!', color)

    printc("\n\nI will now try to print a line of text in each color using \"stringc()\"", 'white')
    for color in colorCodes.keys():
        print stringc('Hello World #4!', color)