@adrianlynch/clingon

Generate tiny deterministic terminal characters.

100% created by AI. Use at your own risk. Obviously.

Each clingon is created from a readable name. Save the name and you can render the same character again later, or keep the same shape and generate a new set of colors.

      ##      
  [][][]    
[][]. []. [][]
[][][][][][][]
  []# [] #[]  
  . .    . .  

Screenshots

Sizes

Terminal dimensions are large 22x8, normal 14x6, small 10x5, and tiny 8x4.

Option Examples

Install

npm install @adrianlynch/clingon

Run it without installing:

npx @adrianlynch/clingon --small

Use In zsh

Install it globally so shell startup does not need to run npx:

npm install -g @adrianlynch/clingon

Add this to ~/.zshrc to show a random tiny clingon in each terminal:

clingon --tiny --pad=1

Use a saved name for the same startup clingon every time:

clingon --with-name orlando-reginald-morris-junior --tiny --pad=1

Show welcome text and local context beside it:

clingon --with-name orlando-reginald-morris-junior --tiny --welcome --date --cwd --git --pad=1

--welcome picks a time-aware greeting from English, Spanish, or romanized Japanese. Clingon names are hidden by default. Add --name where you want the name to appear beside it. --pad=1 adds a blank line above and below the character plus one space of left padding.

CLI

Generate a random clingon:

clingon

Generate a compact clingon:

clingon --small

Generate a tiny four-line clingon:

clingon --tiny

Regenerate a specific clingon:

clingon --with-name orlando-reginald-morris-junior

Show the clingon name beside the art:

clingon --name
clingon --with-name orlando-reginald-morris-junior --name

Keep the same shape, but choose a new random palette:

clingon --with-name orlando-reginald-morris-junior --recolor

Print the JavaScript needed to recreate the same clingon:

clingon --with-name orlando-reginald-morris-junior --small --script

Print structured output:

clingon --small --json

Print only the character art, useful in shell startup files:

clingon --tiny

Show up to five lines of text beside the clingon:

clingon --tiny --name
clingon --tiny --welcome
clingon --tiny --message "Ready"
clingon --tiny --date --cwd --git
clingon --tiny --git --message "Ready" --name

--cwd is shown as ~ directory-name, and --git is shown as * branch-name. Label flags are shown in the order you pass them.

Add space around terminal output:

clingon --tiny --pad=1
clingon --tiny --pad-h=2 --pad-v=1

Options

clingon [options]

Options:
      --with-name <name>
                    Regenerate a specific clingon name
  -n, --name          Show the clingon name beside the art
  -r, --recolor       Keep the shape from --with-name but choose new colors
      --large         Render the largest clingon
      --small         Render a smaller clingon
      --tiny          Render the tiniest clingon
      --size <size>   Render size: tiny, small, normal, or large
  -s, --script        Print the JavaScript needed to recreate the clingon
  -j, --json          Print JSON data instead of terminal art
      --welcome       Show a time-aware greeting beside the clingon
      --message <msg> Show a custom message beside the clingon
      --date          Show today's date beside the clingon
      --cwd           Show the current directory beside the clingon
      --git           Show the current git branch beside the clingon
      --pad <n>       Add padding around terminal output
      --pad-h <n>     Add spaces before each terminal output line
      --pad-v <n>     Add blank lines before and after terminal output
      --no-color      Render without ANSI color
  -h, --help          Show help
  -v, --version       Show version

JavaScript API

import { generateClingon } from '@adrianlynch/clingon';

const clingon = generateClingon({
  name: 'orlando-reginald-morris-junior',
  size: 'tiny'
});

console.log(clingon.ansi);
console.log(clingon.name);

Random clingon:

import { generateClingon } from '@adrianlynch/clingon';

const clingon = generateClingon();
console.log(clingon.ansi);

Render-only helper:

import { renderClingon } from '@adrianlynch/clingon';

console.log(renderClingon({
  name: 'orlando-reginald-morris-junior',
  size: 'tiny'
}));

Returned Data

generateClingon() returns:

{
  name: 'orlando-reginald-morris-junior',
  code: 'orlando-reginald-morris-junior',
  size: 'tiny',
  shapeSeed: 0,
  paletteSeed: 0,
  palette: {
    body: '#f06a0d',
    accent: '#2bce67',
    dark: '#7c2d12'
  },
  pixels: [[0, 0, 0]],
  ansi: '...',
  text: '...'
}

The first and third words control the shape. The second and fourth words control the palette.

Older clg-... seed codes are still accepted through --with-name:

clingon --with-name clg-00000rs-00000rt

Development

npm test
npm start -- --small
npm run docs:assets
npm pack --dry-run