B4P Reference

Introduction

B4P is also supporting a set of dedicated UNICODE characters for formatting text contents before outputting the with standard functions such as echo(), format print() and print(). Typical examples are changing text and background color, enabling underscore and some cursor navigation symbols.

These characters ensure cross-platform compatibility.
See Special console output characters.

Note: You may have considered Escape sequences (which date back to Digital Equipment VT100 terminals in the late 1970's , e.g. ESC [A for cursor movements) but these symbols do typically contain multiple characters and B4P will not guarantee cross platform portability.

Tab Features

The tab character( B4P: reserved keyword tab ) provides fixed tab positions in steps of eight characters. In addition to this, B4P provides a set of reserved characters and entitites to advance to a specific position.

This feature is also suitable for batch or redirected output because it converts these characters variable number of spaces.

Functionality	UNICODE (hex)	Character Entity Name
Tab position 1	103001	&tab1;
Tab position 2	103002	&tab2;
...	...	...
Tab position 300	10312c	&tab300;

Formatting Features

Some functions, especially blinking text, are not supported on all terminals.

Functionality	UNICODE (hex)	Character Entity Name
Reset console	100000	&reset;
Underscore toggle/off/on	100010-100012	&underscore; &underscore off; &underscore on;
Boldface toggle/off/on	100014-100016	&boldface; &boldface off; &boldface on;
Blinking toggle/off/on	100018-10001a	&blinking; &blinking off; &blinking on;
Reverse toggle/off/on	10001c-10001e	&reverse; &reverse off; &reverse on;

Console Colors

Following text and background colors are supported on the console: Inside the entities, color names in lower-case letters refer to text color, and color names in upper-case letters refer to background color. The color names on the left hand column are also valid names for the functions text color() and background color().

Color name	UNICODE (hex)	Character Entity Names	RBG Color Code
previous	101120, 102120	&previous; &PREVIOUS;	Previous color
default	101121, 102121	&default; &DEFAULT;	Default console color

black	101000, 102000	&black; &BLACK;	0, 0, 0
very dark gray	101001, 102001	&very dark gray; &VERY DARK GRAY;	64, 64, 64
dark gray	101002, 102002	&dark gray; &DARK GRAY;	85, 85, 85
gray	101003, 102003	&gray; &GRAY;	128, 128, 128
light gray	101004, 102004	&light gray; &LIGHT GRAY;	192, 192, 192
very light gray	101005, 102005	&very light gray; &VERY LIGHT GRAY;	224, 224, 224
white	101006, 102006	&white; &WHITE;	255, 255, 255

dark red	101010, 102010	&dark red; &DARK RED;	170, 0, 0
red	101011, 102011	&red; &RED;	255, 0, 0
light red	101012, 102012	&light red; &LIGHT RED;	255, 128, 128

dark scarlet	101014, 102014	&dark scarlet; &DARK SCARLET;	170, 43, 0
scarlet	101015, 102015	&scarlet; &SCARLET;	255, 64, 0
light scarlet	101016, 102016	&light scarlet; &LIGHT SCARLET;	255, 160, 128

dark mandarin	101018, 102018	&dark mandarin; &DARK MANDARIN;	170, 86, 0
mandarin	101019, 102019	&mandarin; &MANDARIN;	255, 128, 0
light mandarin	10101a, 10201a	&light mandarin; &LIGHT MANDARIN;	255, 192, 128

dark orange	10101c, 10201c	&dark orange; &DARK ORANGE;	170, 128, 0
orange	10101d, 10201d	&orange; &ORANGE;	255, 192, 0
light orange	10101e, 10201e	&light orange; &LIGHT ORANGE;	255, 224, 128

dark mango	101020, 102020	&dark mango; &DARK MANGO;	170, 150, 0
mango	101021, 102021	&mango; &MANGO;	255, 224, 0
light mango	101022, 102022	&light mango; &LIGHT MANGO;	255, 240, 128

dark chrome	101024, 102024	&dark chrome; &DARK CHROME;	170, 160, 0
chrome	101025, 102025	&chrome; &CHROME;	255, 240, 0
light chrome	101026, 102026	&light chrome; &LIGHT CHROME;	255, 248, 128

dark yellow	101028, 102028	&dark yellow; &DARK YELLOW;	170, 170, 0
yellow	101029, 102029	&yellow; &YELLOW;	255, 255, 0
light yellow	10102a, 10202a	&light yellow; &LIGHT YELLOW;	255, 255, 128

dark lemon	10102c, 10202c	&dark lemon; &DARK LEMON;	150, 170, 0
lemon	10102d, 10202d	&lemon; &LEMON;	224, 255, 0
light lemon	10102e, 10202e	&light lemon; &LIGHT LEMON;	240, 255, 128

dark granny	101030, 102030	&dark granny; &DARK GRANNY;	127, 170, 0
granny	101031, 102031	&granny; &GRANNY;	192, 255, 0
light granny	101032, 102032	&light granny; &LIGHT GRANNY;	224, 255, 128

dark chartreuse	101034, 102034	&dark chartreuse; &DARK CHARTREUSE;	86, 170, 0
chartreuse	101035, 102035	&chartreuse; &CHARTREUSE;	128, 255, 0
light chartreuse	101036, 102036	&light chartreuse; &LIGHT CHARTREUSE;	192, 255, 128

dark green	101038, 102038	&dark green; &DARK GREEN;	0, 170, 0
green	101039, 102039	&green; &GREEN;	0, 255, 0
light green	10103a, 10203a	&light green; &LIGHT GREEN;	128, 255, 128

dark spring green	10103c, 10203c	&dark spring green; &DARK SPRING GREEN;	0, 170, 86
spring green	10103d, 10203d	&spring green; &SPRING GREEN;	0, 255, 128
light spring green	10103e, 10203e	&light spring green; &LIGHT SPRING GREEN;	128, 255, 192

dark turquoise	101040, 102040	&dark turquoise; &DARK TURQUOISE;	0, 170, 128
turquoise	101041, 102041	&turquoise; &TURQUOISE;	0, 255, 192
light turquoise	101042, 102042	&light turquoise; &LIGHT TURQUOISE;	128, 255, 224

dark cyan	101044, 102044	&dark cyan; &DARK CYAN;	0, 170, 170
cyan	101045, 102045	&cyan; &CYAN;	0, 255, 255
light cyan	101046, 102046	&light cyan; &LIGHT CYAN;	128, 255, 255

dark sky blue	101048, 102048	&dark sky blue; &DARK SKY BLUE;	0, 150, 170
sky blue	101049, 102049	&sky blue; &SKY BLUE;	0, 224, 255
light sky blue	10104a, 10204a	&light sky blue; &LIGHT SKY BLUE;	128, 241, 255

dark aquamarine	10104c, 10204c	&dark aquamarine; &DARK AQUAMARINE;	0, 128, 170
aquamarine	10104d, 10204d	&aquamarine; &AQUAMARINE;	0, 192, 255
light aquamarine	10104e, 10204e	&light aquamarine; &LIGHT AQUAMARINE;	128, 224, 255

dark azur	101050, 102050	&dark azur; &DARK AZUR;	0, 107, 170
azur	101051, 102051	&azur; &AZUR;	0, 160, 255
light azur	101052, 102052	&light azur; &LIGHT AZUR;	128, 208, 255

dark ocean	101054, 102054	&dark ocean; &DARK OCEAN;	0, 86, 170
ocean	101055, 102055	&ocean; &OCEAN;	0, 128, 255
light ocean	101056, 102056	&light ocean; &LIGHT OCEAN;	128, 192, 255

dark sapphire	101058, 102058	&dark sapphire; &DARK SAPPHIRE;	0, 64, 170
sapphire	101059, 102059	&sapphire; &SAPPHIRE;	0, 96, 255
light sapphire	10105a, 10205a	&light sapphire; &LIGHT SAPPHIRE;	128, 176, 255

dark lapis	10105c, 10205c	&dark lapis; &DARK LAPIS;	0, 43, 170
lapis	10105d, 10205d	&lapis; &LAPIS;	0, 64, 255
light lapis	10105e, 10205e	&light lapis; &LIGHT LAPIS;	128, 160, 255

dark royal blue	101060, 102060	&dark royal blue; &DARK ROYAL BLUE;	0, 22, 170
royal blue	101061, 102061	&royal blue; &ROYAL BLUE;	0, 32, 255
light royal blue	101062, 102062	&light royal blue; &LIGHT ROYAL BLUE;	128, 144, 255

dark blue	101064, 102064	&dark blue; &DARK BLUE;	0, 0, 170
blue	101065, 102065	&blue; &BLUE;	0, 0, 255
light blue	101066, 102066	&light blue; &LIGHT BLUE;	128, 128, 255

dark admiral	101068, 102068	&dark admiral; &DARK ADMIRAL;	43, 0, 170
admiral	101069, 102069	&admiral; &ADMIRAL;	64, 0, 255
light admiral	10106a, 10206a	&light admiral; &LIGHT ADMIRAL;	160, 128, 255

dark ultramarine	10106c, 10206c	&dark ultramarine; &DARK ULTRAMARINE;	64, 0, 170
ultramarine	10106d, 10206d	&ultramarine; &ULTRAMARINE;	96, 0, 255
light ultramarine	10106e, 10206e	&light ultramarine; &LIGHT ULTRAMARINE;	176, 128, 255

dark violet	101070, 102070	&dark violet; &DARK VIOLET;	86, 0, 170
violet	101071, 102071	&violet; &VIOLET;	128, 0, 255
light violet	101072, 102072	&light violet; &LIGHT VIOLET;	192, 128, 255

dark purple	101074, 102074	&dark purple; &DARK PURPLE;	107, 0, 170
purple	101075, 102075	&purple; &PURPLE;	160, 0, 255
light purple	101076, 102076	&light purple; &LIGHT PURPLE;	208, 128, 255

dark electric	101078, 102078	&dark electric; &DARK ELECTRIC;	128, 0, 170
electric	101079, 102079	&electric; &ELECTRIC;	192, 0, 255
light electric	10107a, 10207a	&light electric; &LIGHT ELECTRIC;	224, 128, 255

dark phlox	10107c, 10207c	&dark phlox; &DARK PHLOX;	150, 0, 170
phlox	10107d, 10207d	&phlox; &PHLOX;	224, 0, 255
light phlox	10107e, 10207e	&light phlox; &LIGHT PHLOX;	240, 128, 255

dark magenta	101080, 102080	&dark magenta; &DARK MAGENTA;	170, 0, 170
magenta	101081, 102081	&magenta; &MAGENTA;	255, 0, 255
light magenta	101082, 102082	&light magenta; &LIGHT MAGENTA;	255, 128, 255

dark pink	101084, 102084	&dark pink; &DARK PINK;	170, 0, 128
pink	101085, 102085	&pink; &PINK;	255, 0, 192
light pink	101086, 102086	&light pink; &LIGHT PINK;	255, 128, 224

dark carmine	101088, 102088	&dark carmine; &DARK CARMINE;	170, 0, 86
carmine	101089, 102089	&carmine; &CARMINE;	255, 0, 128
light carmine	10108a, 10208a	&light carmine; &LIGHT CARMINE;	255, 128, 192

dark cold red	10108c, 10208c	&dark cold red; &DARK COLD RED;	170, 0, 43
cold red	10108d, 10208d	&cold red; &COLD RED;	255, 0, 64
light cold red	10108e, 10208e	&light cold red; &LIGHT COLD RED;	255, 128, 160

dark brown	101090, 102090	&dark brown; &DARK BROWN;	100, 50, 0
brown	101091, 102091	&brown; &BROWN;	150, 75, 0
light brown	101092, 102092	&light brown; &LIGHT BROWN;	203, 166, 128

dark beige	101094, 102094	&dark beige; &DARK BEIGE;	164, 164, 147
beige	101095, 102095	&beige; &BEIGE;	245, 245, 220
light beige	101096, 102096	&light beige; &LIGHT BEIGE;	251, 251, 238

dark tan	101098, 102098	&dark tan; &DARK TAN;	140, 120, 94
tan	101099, 102099	&tan; &TAN;	210, 180, 140
light tan	10109a, 10209a	&light tan; &LIGHT TAN;	233, 218, 198

dark salmon	101098, 102098	&dark salmon; &DARK SALMON;	170, 97, 110
salmon	101099, 102099	&salmon; &SALMON;	255, 145, 164
light salmon	10109a, 10209a	&light salmon; &LIGHT SALMON;	255, 201, 210

Console Theme Colors

In addition to static colors, theme colors can be chosen. When B4P starts, some initial colors are assigned, however they can be reassigned to different colors by changing the color names or hexadecimal RGB values (#RRGGBB format) in console[theme colors,theme color name] = New color name;

The theme colors listed in the 1st column below can also be used with the functions text color() and background color().

Theme color name	UNICODE (hex)	Character Entity Names
neutral	101100, 102100	&neutral; &NEUTRAL;
high	101101, 102101	&high; &HIGH;
medium	101102, 102102	&medium; &MEDIUM;
low	101103, 102103	&low; &LOW;

bad	101104, 102104	&bad; &BAD;
warning	101105, 102105	&warning; &WARNING;
info	101106, 102106	&info; &INFO;
ok	101107, 102107	&ok; &OK;

start	101108, 102108	&start; &START;
active	101109, 102109	&active; &ACTIVE;
pause	10110a, 10210a	&pause; &PAUSE;
done	10110b, 10210b	&done; &DONE;

accent 1	10110c, 10210c	&accent 1; &ACCENT 1;
accent 2	10110d, 10210d	&accent 2; &ACCENT 2;
accent 3	10110e, 10210e	&accent 3; &ACCENT 3;
accent 4	10110f, 10210f	&accent 4; &ACCENT 4;

deco 1	101110, 102110	&deco 1; &DECO 1;
deco 2	101111, 102111	&deco 2; &DECO 2;
deco 3	101112, 102112	&deco 3; &DECO 3;
deco 4	101113, 102113	&deco 4; &DECO 4;

Other Special Output Characters

A limted number of navigation key characters can also be used as output characters in roder to move the cursor: