<markdown> Color commands

   tput setab [1-7] # Set the background colour using ANSI escape
   tput setaf [1-7] # Set the foreground colour using ANSI escape

Num Colour #define RGB

  0 black COLOR_BLACK 0,0,0
  1 red COLOR_RED max,0,0
  2 green COLOR_GREEN 0,max,0
  3 yellow COLOR_YELLOW max,max,0
  4 blue COLOR_BLUE 0,0,max
  5 magenta COLOR_MAGENTA max,0,max
  6 cyan COLOR_CYAN 0,max,max
  7 white COLOR_WHITE max,max,max
  

There are also non-ANSI versions of the colour setting functions

(setb instead of setab, and setf instead of setaf) which use different numbers, not given here.

Text mode commands

  tput bold # Select bold mode
  tput dim # Select dim (half-bright) mode
  tput smul # Enable underline mode
  tput rmul # Disable underline mode
  tput rev # Turn on reverse video mode
  tput smso # Enter standout (bold) mode
  tput rmso # Exit standout mode
  tput sgr 0 # Reset all attributes

Cursor movement commands

  tput cup Y X # Move cursor to screen postion X,Y (top left is 0,0)
  tput cuf N # Move N characters forward (right)
  tput cub N # Move N characters back (left)
  tput cuu N # Move N lines up
  tput ll # Move to last line, first column (if no cup)
  tput sc # Save the cursor position
  tput rc # Restore the cursor position
  tput lines # Output the number of lines of the terminal
  tput cols # Output the number of columns of the terminal

Clear and insert commands

   tput ech N # Erase N characters
   tput clear # Clear screen and move the cursor to 0,0
   tput el 1 # Clear to beginning of line
   tput el # Clear to end of line
   tput ed # Clear to end of screen
   tput ich N # Insert N characters (moves rest of line forward!)
   tput il N # Insert N lines

Other commands

   tput bel # play a bell

With compiz wobbly windows, the bel command makes the terminal wobble for a second to draw the user's attention.

*Example usage*

    echo "$(tput setaf 1)Red text $(tput setab 7)and white background$(tput sgr 0)"

Use command sgr 0 to reset the colour at the end.

Performing multiple operations at once, tput accepts scripts containing one command per line, which are executed in order before tput exits.

Avoid temporary files by echoing a multiline string and piping it:

  echo -e "setf 7\nsetb 1" | tput -S # set fg white and bg red

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