node-bcat

Pipe to the browser utility, Very useful for log tail fun :)

node-bcat features auto scrolling (with enable/disable), ansi to html coloring (--ansi) and behavior and color customization.

This module uses RC to manage its configuration, so in addition to command line arguments you may save your favorite configuration in .bcatrc.

example

> npm install -g bcat

> cat somefile | bcat

// redirect error stream also
> node index.js 2>&1 | bcat

Want to see something moving too? Clone this repo, npm install, then run the included emitter, which prints an object every second:

> node emitter.js | bcat

usage

Usage: <command> | bcat [options]

Options:

--port                   set a port for this bcat execution              [default: random free port]
--contentType            content type header, must be lower case         [default: "text/html"]
--backgroundColor        (only in text/html)                             [default: "#333"]
--foregroundColor        (only in text/html)                             [default: "#fefefe"]
--tabLength              width of a tab, in spaces                       [default: 4]
--tabReplace             replace tab characters with this string         [default: none, tabs are rendered natively]
--disableTabReplace      disable tab replacement                         [default: false]
--newlineReplace         new line replacement                            [default: "<br />"]
--disableNewlineReplace  disable new line replacement                    [default: false]
--ansi                   show colorful ansi (implies text/html)          [default: true, disable with --no-ansi]
--ansiOptions            override ansi colors (see README)
--scrollDownInterval     interval to execute javascript scroll down      [default: 1000 (ms)]
--serverTimeout          https://nodejs.org/api/http.html#servertimeout  [default: 0 (no timeout)]
--command                the command to launch the browser               [default: $BROWSER, otherwise the os default]

• A random free port is picked if --port is not specified
• ansi feature is on by default, disable it with --no-ansi
• the browser is launched using --command, then $BROWSER, then the os default. If launching fails, open the printed url manually
• every browser tab connected to bcat receives the output from the moment it connects. While no tab is connected, bcat pauses reading its input, so reloading the page does not lose output
• override ansi colors with --ansiOptions.<group>.<code>.style, e.g. --ansiOptions.foregrounds.30.style="color:#fff". groups are foregrounds, backgrounds, bold and underline

older version

Since 3.0.0 the code base was updated and all dependencies too. The older version is at bcat@2.0.0

related

catchart - pipe data into charts in your browser

scat - pipes javascript into your browser

hcat - pipes html into your browser

bpipe - bidirectional piping between unix and the browser

browser-run - The easiest way of running code in a browser environment

Inspired by a ruby bcat implementation