https://github.com/nick2bad4u/ps-color-scripts-enhanced
🎨 PS Color Scripts Enhanced w/ Caching and Cross-Platform PowerShell Support
https://github.com/nick2bad4u/ps-color-scripts-enhanced
ansi art colorscripts cross-platform powershell powershell-colors shell-colors terminal terminal-art terminal-colors
Last synced: 29 days ago
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🎨 PS Color Scripts Enhanced w/ Caching and Cross-Platform PowerShell Support
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/nick2bad4u/ps-color-scripts-enhanced
- Owner: Nick2bad4u
- License: other
- Created: 2025-10-01T04:35:43.000Z (9 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-06-07T06:21:48.000Z (about 1 month ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-06-07T07:13:11.835Z (about 1 month ago)
- Topics: ansi, art, colorscripts, cross-platform, powershell, powershell-colors, shell-colors, terminal, terminal-art, terminal-colors
- Language: PowerShell
- Homepage: https://nick2bad4u.github.io/PS-Color-Scripts-Enhanced/
- Size: 126 MB
- Stars: 11
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 3
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
- Funding: .github/FUNDING.yml
- License: LICENSE
- Code of conduct: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
- Codeowners: .github/CODEOWNERS
- Security: SECURITY.md
- Support: docs/SUPPORT.md
- Roadmap: docs/ROADMAP.md
- Agents: AGENTS.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
## Credits
Based on the PowerShell port [ps-color-scripts](https://github.com/scottmckendry/ps-color-scripts) by Scott McKendry, which is itself based on the excellent [shell-color-scripts](https://gitlab.com/dwt1/shell-color-scripts) by Derek Taylor.
# ColorScripts-Enhanced PowerShell Module
[](https://github.com/Nick2bad4u/ps-color-scripts-enhanced/actions/workflows/test.yml)
[](https://github.com/Nick2bad4u/ps-color-scripts-enhanced/actions/workflows/publish.yml)
A high-performance PowerShell module for displaying beautiful ANSI colorscripts in your terminal with intelligent caching for 6-19x faster load times.
## Features
✨ **195+ Beautiful Colorscripts** - Extensive collection of ANSI art
⚡ **Intelligent Caching** - 6-19x performance improvement (5-20ms load times)
🌐 **OS-Wide Cache** - Consistent caching across all terminal sessions
🎯 **Simple API** - Easy-to-use cmdlets with tab completion
🔄 **Auto-Update** - Cache automatically invalidates when scripts change
📍 **Centralized Storage** - Cache stored in `%APPDATA%\ColorScripts-Enhanced\cache`
## Demo
ColorScripts-Enhanced Demo: https://i.imgur.com/FCjqkxn.mp4
**Open in new tab since video is too large for github**
**+ 170~ more**
## Quick Start (Less Than a Minute)
```powershell
Install-Module -Name ColorScripts-Enhanced -Scope CurrentUser
Import-Module ColorScripts-Enhanced
Add-ColorScriptProfile # Optional: add to profile immediately
Show-ColorScript
```
> Requires PowerShell 5.1 or later. PowerShell 7.4+ recommended for best performance and PSResourceGet support.
## Install a Nerd Font for Custom Glyphs
Several scripts display Nerd Font icons (powerline separators, dev icons, logos). Without a Nerd Font, those glyphs render as blank boxes. Pick one of the patched fonts from [nerdfonts.com](https://www.nerdfonts.com/) and set it as your terminal font:
1. **Download** a font (e.g., _Cascadia Code_, _FiraCode_, _JetBrainsMono_) from the [Nerd Fonts releases](https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts/releases).
2. **Install on Windows**: extract the `.zip`, select the `.ttf` files, right-click → **Install for all users**.
**macOS**: `brew install --cask font-caskaydia-cove-nerd-font` (or double-click in Font Book).
**Linux**: copy the `.ttf` files to `~/.local/share/fonts` (or `/usr/local/share/fonts`), then run `fc-cache -fv`.
3. **Update your terminal** (Windows Terminal, VS Code, Alacritty, etc.) to use the installed Nerd Font for each profile.
4. **Verify** by running:
```powershell
Show-ColorScript -Name nerd-font-test
```
The script will render checkmarks and dev icons when the font is configured correctly.
## Installation
### Option 1: PowerShell Gallery (Recommended)
The module is published to the PowerShell Gallery, making installation a single command:
```powershell
# PowerShellGet (Windows PowerShell 5.1 / PowerShell 7)
Install-Module -Name ColorScripts-Enhanced -Scope CurrentUser
# PSResourceGet (PowerShell 7.4+)
Install-PSResource -Name ColorScripts-Enhanced -Scope CurrentUser
# Update to latest release later
Update-Module ColorScripts-Enhanced
```
> 💡 Tip: Set `Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass` if your environment restricts script execution during installation.
### Option 2: GitHub Packages (Optional)
If you prefer GitHub Packages (for private mirrors or enterprise environments):
```powershell
$owner = 'Nick2bad4u'
$source = "https://nuget.pkg.github.com/$owner/index.json"
Register-PSRepository -Name ColorScriptsEnhanced-GitHub -SourceLocation $source -PublishLocation $source -InstallationPolicy Trusted -PackageManagementProvider NuGet
Install-Module -Name ColorScripts-Enhanced -Repository ColorScriptsEnhanced-GitHub -Scope CurrentUser
```
Authenticate with a GitHub PAT (Package Read scope) if prompted.
### Option 3: Manual Installation
1. Copy the `ColorScripts-Enhanced` folder to one of your PowerShell module paths:
```powershell
# See available module paths
$env:PSModulePath -split ';'
# Recommended location (user-specific)
$modulePath = "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents\PowerShell\Modules\ColorScripts-Enhanced"
# Copy the module folder to the destination
Copy-Item -Path ".\ColorScripts-Enhanced" -Destination $modulePath -Recurse -Force
```
2. Import the module:
```powershell
Import-Module ColorScripts-Enhanced
```
3. (Optional) Add to your PowerShell profile for automatic loading:
```powershell
Add-Content -Path $PROFILE.CurrentUserAllHosts -Value "Import-Module ColorScripts-Enhanced"
```
Alternatively, run `Add-ColorScriptProfile -Scope CurrentUserAllHosts -SkipStartupScript` after importing the module.
### Option 4: Quick Test (Without Installation)
```powershell
Import-Module ".\ColorScripts-Enhanced\ColorScripts-Enhanced.psd1"
```
### (Optional) Add to Your PowerShell Profile
Use the built-in helper to import the module (and optionally display a random colorscript) at shell startup:
```powershell
Add-ColorScriptProfile
```
Key options:
- `Add-ColorScriptProfile -SkipStartupScript` — import the module without showing a script on launch.
- `Add-ColorScriptProfile -Scope CurrentUserCurrentHost` — limit to the current host (e.g., just VS Code).
- `Add-ColorScriptProfile -Path .\MyCustomProfile.ps1` — target an explicit profile file.
## Usage
### Display a Random Colorscript
```powershell
Show-ColorScript
# or use the alias
scs
```
### Display a Specific Colorscript
```powershell
Show-ColorScript -Name "mandelbrot-zoom"
# or
scs mandelbrot-zoom
```
### List All Available Colorscripts
```powershell
Show-ColorScript -List
# or
Get-ColorScriptList
```
### Build Cache for Faster Performance
```powershell
# Cache all colorscripts (recommended)
Build-ColorScriptCache -All
# Cache specific colorscripts
Build-ColorScriptCache -Name "bars","hearts","arch"
# Force rebuild cache
Build-ColorScriptCache -All -Force
```
### Clear Cache
```powershell
# Clear all cache files
Clear-ColorScriptCache -All
# Clear specific cache
Clear-ColorScriptCache -Name "mandelbrot-zoom"
```
### Bypass Cache (Force Fresh Execution)
```powershell
Show-ColorScript -Name "bars" -NoCache
```
## Commands
| Command | Alias | Description |
| ------------------------ | ----- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Show-ColorScript` | `scs` | Display a colorscript |
| `Get-ColorScriptList` | - | List all available colorscripts |
| `Build-ColorScriptCache` | - | Pre-generate cache files |
| `Clear-ColorScriptCache` | - | Remove cache files |
| `Add-ColorScriptProfile` | - | Append module startup snippet to your profile |
| `Install.ps1` | - | Optional local installer with `-AddToProfile`, `-SkipStartupScript`, `-BuildCache` |
## Documentation
- [Quick Start](QUICKSTART.md)
- [Quick Reference](QUICKREFERENCE.md)
- [Module Summary](MODULE_SUMMARY.md)
- [Development Guide](docs/Development.md)
- [Publishing Guide](docs/Publishing.md)
- [Release Checklist](docs/ReleaseChecklist.md)
## Quality & Testing
- Smoke tests (includes ScriptAnalyzer): `pwsh -NoProfile -Command "& .\Test-Module.ps1"`
- Full test suite: `Invoke-Pester -Path ./Tests`
- Linting (module only): `pwsh -NoProfile -Command "& .\Lint-Module.ps1"`
- Linting (treat warnings as errors and include tests): `pwsh -NoProfile -Command "& .\Lint-Module.ps1" -IncludeTests -TreatWarningsAsErrors`
- Lint auto-fix (apply ScriptAnalyzer fixes, then re-run lint): `pwsh -NoProfile -Command "& .\Lint-Module.ps1" -Fix`
- Continuous integration: [`test.yml`](.github/workflows/test.yml) runs on Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7.4 across Windows, Linux, and macOS runners.
## Release & Publishing
- Automated publishing workflow: [`publish.yml`](.github/workflows/publish.yml)
- Local helper script: `build.ps1`
- Optional help generation: `Build-Help.ps1`
- Documentation: [Publishing Guide](docs/Publishing.md) & [Release Checklist](docs/ReleaseChecklist.md)
## Additional Package Feeds
- PowerShell Gallery / NuGet.org (primary distribution)
- GitHub Packages (optional; instructions in [Publishing Guide](docs/Publishing.md))
- Azure Artifacts or other NuGet-compatible feeds for enterprise deployment
## Contributing
Please review [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for development guidelines, coding standards, and how to submit pull requests.
## Performance
### Before Caching
- Simple scripts: 30-50ms
- Complex scripts: 200-400ms
### After Caching
- All scripts: 5-20ms
- **Improvement: 6-19x faster!**
### Example Performance Gains
| Script | Without Cache | With Cache | Speedup |
| --------------- | ------------- | ---------- | ------- |
| bars | 31ms | 5ms | **6x** |
| gradient-bars | 65ms | 8ms | **8x** |
| mandelbrot-zoom | 365ms | 19ms | **19x** |
## Cache System
### How It Works
1. **First Run**: Script executes normally and output is cached
2. **Subsequent Runs**: Cached output is displayed instantly
3. **Auto-Invalidation**: Cache updates when source script changes
4. **OS-Wide**: Single cache location works from any directory
### Cache Location
```
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\ColorScripts-Enhanced\cache\
```
### Cache Files
- One `.cache` file per colorscript
- Contains pre-rendered ANSI output
- Average size: ~20KB per file
- Total size: ~3.9MB for all 195 scripts
## Examples
### Add to PowerShell Profile
Display a random colorscript every time you open PowerShell:
```powershell
# Edit your profile
notepad $PROFILE.CurrentUserAllHosts
# Add this line:
Import-Module ColorScripts-Enhanced
Show-ColorScript
```
### Create Custom Alias
```powershell
# Add to profile
Set-Alias -Name cs -Value Show-ColorScript
```
### Build Cache on Module Import
```powershell
# Add to profile after Import-Module
Import-Module ColorScripts-Enhanced
Build-ColorScriptCache -All
```
## Available Colorscripts
The module includes 195 colorscripts including:
- **Fractals**: mandelbrot-zoom, julia-morphing, barnsley-fern, koch-snowflake
- **Patterns**: kaleidoscope, wave-pattern, rainbow-waves, gradient-bars
- **Characters**: pacman, space-invaders, tux, darthvader
- **Nature**: galaxy-spiral, aurora-storm, crystal-grid, nebula
- **Mathematical**: fibonacci-spiral, penrose-quasicrystal, hilbert-spectrum
- And many more!
Use `Show-ColorScript -List` to see all available scripts.
## Troubleshooting
### Cache Not Working
```powershell
# Rebuild cache
Build-ColorScriptCache -All -Force
# Check cache location
explorer "$env:APPDATA\ColorScripts-Enhanced\cache"
```
### Module Not Found
```powershell
# Verify module path
Get-Module ColorScripts-Enhanced -ListAvailable
# Check PSModulePath
$env:PSModulePath -split ';'
```
### Colorscript Not Displaying
```powershell
# Try without cache
Show-ColorScript -Name "scriptname" -NoCache
# Check if script exists
Get-ColorScriptList
```
### Icons or glyphs show as squares
```powershell
# Confirm Nerd Font installation
Show-ColorScript -Name nerd-font-test
# If icons are missing:
# 1. Install a Nerd Font from https://www.nerdfonts.com/
# 2. Set your terminal profile to use the installed font
# 3. Restart the terminal session
```
## Requirements
- PowerShell 5.1 or higher
- Windows (tested on Windows 10/11)
- ANSI-capable terminal (Windows Terminal, VS Code, etc.)
- Nerd Font (optional but recommended for glyph-heavy scripts like `nerd-font-test`)
## Architecture
```
ColorScripts-Enhanced/
├── ColorScripts-Enhanced.psd1 # Module manifest
├── ColorScripts-Enhanced.psm1 # Main module file
├── Scripts/ # Colorscript files
│ ├── bars.ps1
│ ├── hearts.ps1
│ ├── mandelbrot-zoom.ps1
│ └── ... (192 more)
└── README.md # This file
%APPDATA%/ColorScripts-Enhanced/
└── cache/ # Cache files
├── bars.cache
├── hearts.cache
└── ... (195 total)
```
## Contributing
Contributions welcome! When adding new colorscripts:
1. Place `.ps1` file in `Scripts/` directory
2. Use ANSI escape codes for colors
3. Keep output concise (fits in standard terminal)
4. Test with `Show-ColorScript -Name "yourscript" -NoCache`
5. Build cache with `Build-ColorScriptCache -Name "yourscript"`
## License
MIT License - See LICENSE file for details
## Version History
### 1.0.0 (2025-09-30)
- Initial release
- 195 colorscripts included
- High-performance caching system
- OS-wide cache in AppData
- Complete PowerShell module structure
- 6-19x performance improvement
## Support
For issues, questions, or contributions, please visit the GitHub repository.
---
**Enjoy your colorful terminal! 🌈**