box.rb

box.rb

#!/usr/bin/env ruby
lines = ARGF.each_line.to_a.map(&:chomp)
line_max = lines.map(&:length).max

lines = lines.map do |line|
  offset = (line_max + line.length) / 2
  line = line.rjust(offset).ljust(line_max)
  '* ' + line + ' *'
end
line_max = lines.map(&:length).max

puts '*' * line_max
puts lines
puts '*' * line_max

example usage

(1:01) (/Users/fredettej) (ruby-2.1.6)
≈≈≈ ruby box.rb <<HERE
> I met a traveller from an antique land
> Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
> Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
> Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
> And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
> Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
> Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
> The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
> And on the pedestal these words appear:
> 'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
> Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
> Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
> Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
> The lone and level sands stretch far away."
> HERE
********************************************************
*        I met a traveller from an antique land        *
*   Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone    *
*     Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,     *
*   Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,   *
*     And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,     *
*   Tell that its sculptor well those passions read    *
* Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, *
*  The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:   *
*       And on the pedestal these words appear:        *
*        'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:        *
*      Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'      *
*       Nothing beside remains. Round the decay        *
*      Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare      *
*     The lone and level sands stretch far away."      *
********************************************************

I actually tossed this in my ~/bin as box. I made this based on someones question in #neovim, they wanted something in vim to do this on-the-fly. I suggested just writing the external script then wiring it in. I think they found a plugin that does similar (EasyAlign), but I was already half done with the script.

I make no claims as to bug-free-ness.