Contents

= ANSI::Columns

The +Columns+ class makes it easy to create nice looking text columns,
sorted from top to bottom, right to left (as opposed to the other way
around).

  require 'ansi/columns'

  list = %w{a b c d e f g h i j k l}

  columns = ANSI::Columns.new(list)

  columns.to_s(4)

The output will be:

  a d g j
  b e h k
  c f i l

Besides and array of elements, Columns.new can take a string in which
the elements are divided by newlines characters. The default column
size can also be given to the initializer.

  list = "a\nb\nc\nd\ne\nf\ng\nh\ni\nj\nk\nl"

  columns = ANSI::Columns.new(list, :columns=>6)

  columns.to_s

The output will be:

  a c e g i k
  b d f h j l

If the column count is +nil+, then the number of columns will be calculated
as a best fit for the current terminal window.

== Padding

Columns can adjsut the padding between cells.

  list = %w{a b c d e f g h i j k l}

  columns = ANSI::Columns.new(list, :padding=>2)

  columns.to_s(4)

The output will be:

  a  d  g  j
  b  e  h  k
  c  f  i  l

== Alignment

Columns can also be aligned either left or right.

  list = %w{xx xx xx yy y yy z zz z}

  columns = ANSI::Columns.new(list, :align=>:right)

  columns.to_s(3)

The output will be:

  xx yy  z
  xx  y zz
  xx yy  z

== Format

Lastly, columns can be aguamented with ANSI codes. This is done through
a formating block. The block can take upto three parameters, the cell
content, the row and column numbers, or the cell and the row and column
numbers.

  list = %w{a b c d e f g h i j k l}

  columns = ANSI::Columns.new(list){ |r,c| c % 2 == 0 ? :red : :blue }

  out = columns.to_s(4)

  out.assert == (
    "\e[31ma \e[0m\e[31md \e[0m\e[31mg \e[0m\e[31mj \e[0m\n" +
    "\e[34mb \e[0m\e[34me \e[0m\e[34mh \e[0m\e[34mk \e[0m\n" +
    "\e[31mc \e[0m\e[31mf \e[0m\e[31mi \e[0m\e[31ml \e[0m\n"
  )

QED.

Version data entries

1 entries across 1 versions & 1 rubygems

Version	Path
ansi-1.2.4	qed/07_columns.rdoc