+++
title = "Karakter"
description = "Add a little character to your text"
date = 2021-04-06

[taxonomies]
technologies = ["Bash", "Fortran", "Nim", "V", "Zig"]
categories = ["Work in Progress"]

[extra]
repo = "https://github.com/spitlo/karakter"
first_commit_time = 2021-04-01
first_commit_message = "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
+++

Karakter is a Bash script that takes text input (either from a pipe, as plain text arguments or as a file) and adds a little character to the text by substituting visually similar glyphs for letters a-z and A-Z. I wrote it because I wanted to come up with a pretty basic cli that I could then convert to other languages that I’ve been wanting to try out, like [Ada](https://www.adaic.org/) and [Fortran](https://fortran-lang.org/). I encourage everyone to not hold their breath for that though -- at the moment there is a working (I think) version in [V](https://vlang.io) and work-in-progress versions in [Inko](https://inko-lang.org/), [Nim](https://nim-lang.org/), [Odin](https://odin-lang.org/), [Vale](https://vale.dev/) and [Zig](https://ziglang.org/)

There is a default style that’s sort of a kitchen sink mix of very different looking glyphs, and then there’s five less eclectic styles, `¢џБ≡┎pμ∩κ`, `ƒάїгψłάľє`, `LŌŪĐMŌŪṪH`, `₥0₦€¥₸₳£₭` and `num83r5`.

Most glyphs are chosen from [this list](https://github.com/ehmicky/cross-platform-terminal-characters) of "All the characters that work on most terminals" so they should work on most terminals -- the exception being the set "Moneytalk" which is made up entirely of currency symbols (plus `1` and `0`, of course) and is not guaranteed to work everywhere.

There are some other flags, but the project readme has more information.

## Usage examples

Generate a mildly elvish version of your name for an email signature using the Bash version:

```bash
bash/karakter --md --ft John Doe
```

Turn A Tale of Two Cities into a cyberpunk novel using the V version and read it comfortably in your terminal:

```bash
curl https://www.gutenberg.org/files/98/98-0.txt | sed 's/one thousand seven/two thousand seven/g' | tr a-z A-Z | v/karakter -o md -s cp | less
```

## Output examples

### Input text

```txt
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
```

### Output text, obfuscation level low, default style

```txt
It ŵas thє beșt оf timєs, їt was thє worst of times, it waș the αge of wisdom, it was the ąge of foolїshness, it was the epoch of belief, iț ώas łhe epо¢ђ of incredulity, it шas the seąson of Light, it was the seasфη of Đarkness, it was the șpring of hope, it waș țhe winter of despair, we ђαd everything beforє us, we haď nothing before us, ŵe werє a11 going dire¢t to Heaven, we werє all going dїrёct tћe other way – in shoѓt, the pєriod was so fаr 1ike the present period, that some of its nфisiest authoгiłies iηsisted оn ițs bєing recёived, for gooď оr for evїl, in țhe șuperlative degгeё of comparison only.
```

### Output text, obfuscation level medium, cyberpunk style

```txt
It ш@s the bєsŁ of tim≡$, it w@s tHe шоrst of Łim≡$, it шas ŁH≡ аg≡ o⌠ w¡$ďøm, ī┪ ш@s thє ag≡ оf fo●lishπes$, iŁ шas Łhe ≡pø¢H ●f belıef, iŁ ша$ tHє ep●ch о⌠ :nc┍єďulity, īŁ wα$ ┪h≡ $ea$o∩ оf Ľi9ht, īŁ w@$ ŁHe sє@$■Π of Daяκπє$$, :Ł wα$ tHє $p┎īn9 о⌠ høp≡, iŁ ш@s tHe wint≡r of ďєsp@ıя, шє Hαd e▼eгy┪h¡∩g bє⌠оre u$, we Hαď ∩o┪H¡Πg 6єfoгє u$, шe шe┎e αll go¡π9 ďi┎≡ct ┪o He@▼en, we шє┍e a1l 9■iΠg ďir≡ct ŁHe o┪her ш@џ – ¡n $Hort, thє p≡г¡●ď was $o fаr lıke the p┎≡$e∩t pe┍ioď, tHat s●mє ■f it$ πoisie$┪ aμ┪Hor:t:≡s ins:steď ●n its b≡ın9 гec≡ived, fø┎ 9ø●d оr ⌠●r ≡▼ı1, in Łh≡ sup≡гlα┪īvє ďegr≡є о⌠ ¢ompaгıson o∩1y.
```

### Output text, obfuscation level high, fairytale style

```txt
Ϊṫ шάș ṫђё вєșṫ ºḟ łΐṁєș, ΐł шάș łћё ώºѓșṫ фƒ țΐṁēș, ΐț ώάș ṫђё ąġē σƒ шΐșδσṁ, ΐṫ шάș ṫђє ąġё σƒ ƒооļїșћηєșș, їł шąș łђё єpºςђ ºƒ Бēļїēƒ, їṫ шąș ṫћё єpоςђ фḟ їņςѓєδΰľїłψ, їł ŵąș łђē șєąșфņ фḟ Ļїġђț, ΐł ŵąș łђё șёąșфņ ºḟ Ďąѓkņēșș, їł ώάș țђē șpгїηġ фḟ ђºpē, їṫ ŵąș ṫђє ŵїņțєѓ σḟ ďєșpαΐг, ώё ћαḋ ēνёѓџłћΐñġ вēƒσгє ΰș, шё ђάđ ησṫђΐηġ ḃёƒºѓё υș, ώё ŵєгē αļľ ġºїņġ ďΐѓєςł țф нєάνєη, ώє шєѓē άľļ ġфїņġ ďΐѓєςț ṫћē фṫћёг шąψ – ΐņ șћσѓṫ, ṫђē pёѓΐºđ ŵάș șº ƒάѓ ľΐkē țђё pгёșєñṫ pёѓїоδ, ṫћάł șºṁє оḟ ΐțș ñºΐșїєșł ąΰțћфѓїṫΐєș ΐñșїșłēď ºņ ΐłș Бєїņġ ѓēςёΐνēđ, ḟог ġºфđ σѓ ƒºг ēνΐľ, їη ṫђє șΰpєѓľάṫΐνē δєġѓєё ºḟ ςºṁpαгΐșоñ оņľψ.
```

### Output text, obfuscation level high, loudmouth style

```txt
ĪṪ ШĀȘ ṪHĒ ḂĒȘṪ ŌF ṪIMĒȘ, IṪ ШĀȘ ṪHĒ ШŌŔȘṪ ŌF ṪIMĒȘ, IṪ ШĀȘ ṪHĒ ĀGĒ ŌF ШIȘĐŌM, IṪ ШĀȘ ṪHĒ ĀGĒ ŌF FŌŌLIȘHПĒȘȘ, IṪ ШĀȘ ṪHĒ ĒРŌČH ŌF ḂĒLIĒF, IṪ ШĀȘ ṪHĒ ĒРŌČH ŌF IПČŔĒĐŪLIṪЏ, IṪ ШĀȘ ṪHĒ ȘĒĀȘŌП ŌF LIGHṪ, IṪ ШĀȘ ṪHĒ ȘĒĀȘŌП ŌF ĐĀŔЌПĒȘȘ, IṪ ШĀȘ ṪHĒ ȘРŔIПG ŌF HŌРĒ, IṪ ШĀȘ ṪHĒ ШIПṪĒŔ ŌF ĐĒȘРĀIŔ, ШĒ HĀĐ ĒVĒŔЏṪHIПG ḂĒFŌŔĒ ŪȘ, ШĒ HĀĐ ПŌṪHIПG ḂĒFŌŔĒ ŪȘ, ШĒ ШĒŔĒ ĀLL GŌIПG ĐIŔĒČṪ ṪŌ ĦĒĀVĒП, ШĒ ШĒŔĒ ĀLL GŌIПG ĐIŔĒČṪ ṪHĒ ŌṪHĒŔ ШĀЏ – IП ȘHŌŔṪ, ṪHĒ РĒŔIŌĐ ШĀȘ ȘŌ FĀŔ LIЌĒ ṪHĒ РŔĒȘĒПṪ РĒŔIŌĐ, ṪHĀṪ ȘŌMĒ ŌF IṪȘ ПŌIȘIĒȘṪ ĀŪṪHŌŔIṪIĒȘ IПȘIȘṪĒĐ ŌП IṪȘ ḂĒIПG ŔĒČĒIVĒĐ, FŌŔ GŌŌĐ ŌŔ FŌŔ ĒVIL, IП ṪHĒ ȘŪРĒŔLĀṪIVĒ ĐĒGŔĒĒ ŌF ČŌMРĀŔIȘŌП ŌПLЏ. 
```

### Output text, obfuscation level high, moneytalk style

```txt
1₮ ₩₳$ ₺₶€ ฿€$₸ 0₣ ₮1₥€₷, 1₸ ₩₳$ ₺₶€ ₩0₹₷₺ 0₣ ₸1₥€$, 1₺ ₩₳$ ₸₶€ ₳₲€ 0₣ ₩1$₫0₥, 1₺ ₩₳$ ₺₶€ ₳₲€ 0₣ ₣00£1₷₶₪€₷$, 1₮ ₩₳$ ₸₶€ €₱0₵₶ 0₣ ৳€£1€₣, 1₸ ₩₳$ ₺₶€ €₱0₵₶ 0₣ 1₪₵₹€₫U£1₮¥, 1₺ ₩₳$ ₮₶€ ₷€₳₷0₪ 0₣ £1₲₶₸, 1₮ ₩₳₷ ₸₶€ ₷€₳₷0₪ 0₣ ₫₳₹₭₪€$$, 1₮ ₩₳$ ₮₶€ $₽₹1₦₲ 0₣ ₶0₱€, 1₮ ₩₳$ ₸₶€ ₩1₦₸€₹ 0₣ ₫€$₱₳1₹, ₩€ ₶₳₫ €V€₹¥₸₶1₦₲ ฿€₣0₹€ U$, ₩€ ₶₳₫ ₪0₺₶1₦₲ ৳€₣0₹€ U$, ₩€ ₩€₹€ ₳££ ₲01₪₲ ₫1₹€₵₺ ₸0 ₶€₳V€₦, ₩€ ₩€₹€ ₳££ ₲01₪₲ ₫1₹€₡₸ ₮₶€ 0₸₶€₹ ₩₳¥ – 1₪ $₶0₹₸, ₸₶€ ₽€₹10₫ ₩₳₷ ₷0 ₣₳₹ £1₭€ ₺₶€ ₽₹€₷€₪₮ ₱€₹10₫, ₸₳₮ $0₥€ 0₣ 1₸$ ₦01$1€$₮ ₳U₸₶0₹1₸1€$ 1₦₷1$₮€₫ 0₦ 1₸₷ ৳€1₦₲ ₹€₵€1V€₫, ₣0₹ ₲00₫ 0₹ ₣0₹ €V1£, 1₪ ₮₶€ ₷U₽€₹£₳₸1V€ ₫€₲₹€€ 0₣ ₡0₥₱₳₹1$0₦ 0₪£¥.
```

### Output text, obfuscation level medium, numbers style

```txt
It w4s th3 b35t 0f 71m35, 17 wa5 7he w0rst 0f time5, 1t w45 the 4ge of w1sdom, 17 wa5 7he 463 of f0olishness, 1t wa5 the 3poch 0f 83li3f, it w4s 7h3 3poch of incredulity, i7 w45 th3 s3450n of L1gh7, 1t w4s 7he s3450n 0f D4rkne55, i7 was 7he 5pring of hop3, i7 wa5 7h3 wint3r of desp4ir, w3 had 3very7h1n6 bef0re u5, we h4d noth1n6 8ef0r3 us, w3 w3r3 all g01ng direct t0 H34v3n, we w3re all 6o1n6 d1r3c7 7h3 0ther w4y – 1n 5h0rt, 7h3 per10d wa5 5o f4r l1ke the pre53nt per10d, 7h47 5om3 0f 1t5 n0i5ie5t 4uth0ri7ies 1nsis7ed 0n 175 8e1n6 r3ce1ved, for g00d 0r for 3v1l, 1n the sup3rl4tiv3 degre3 of comp4r15on only.
```