CLI    Prompt   Builder

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CLI    Prompt   Builder

Make yourself a snazzy new CLI prompt and be the envy of your fellow programmers! 2024 Contest!

Choose Template
Editor
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About

Choose a template. NOTE: This will DELETE and REPLACE anything you currently have in the editor!

First time? It's recommended that you load a few templates and look at how they're made in the editor, just to get an idea of how things work.

Coming back? You can load your .cliprompt file in the Editor tab above (Project → Upload file). Or, you can start from scratch!

Official Templates
Community Gallery

Very Simple (no colors)

A very simple template. Hopefully you're here to make something fancier than this 😉

Ubuntu default style

The default style in Ubuntu's terminal.

Curved Arrow

A template with a curved arrow design — no Powerline or Nerd Fonts required.

Simple Powerline

A simple Powerline template.

Chips

A template made of round "chips".

"Hey there!"

An example of how to recreate this editor's introduction preview message.

Complex Powerline

A complex Powerline template with segments of multiple colors.

More Complex Powerline

An even more complex Powerline template with different-colored segments, right-aligned time, and exit code. (This most closely resembles my current terminal prompt!)

Colors Example

Several examples of colored text, for tutorial purposes.

Rainbow Stripe

A rainbow stripe Powerline template. Demonstrates multi-colored striping.

Flamethrower

A flamethrower template — 'nuff said. Demonstrates two-color striping (caution strip) and multi-color striping (flame).

Flamethrower II

Alternative design of Flamethrower that uses the character to create a 3D effect.

The Logo

The CLI Prompt Builder logo recreated in CLI Prompt Builder!

Your own prompt!

Achieve fame™ by submitting your prompt and having it featured here!

2 hidden submissions
All submissions will be shown when the contest ends!

Quick usage help for first-time users
  • A format chip affects all text after it. For example, a "red text color" chip will make all text red until the text color changes or format is cleared.
  • If a chip is selected, new chips will be inserted before it. Otherwise, new chips will be inserted at the very end.
  • Hovering over any chip will tell you its exact configuration.
  • Use arrow keys (/) to select the previous/next chip, or use Ctrl + / to move a chip left/right.
  • Use Delete to delete a chip.
  • You can save your project as a file by clicking Project → Download file.
  • Your current project is automatically saved in your browser storage.
  • Need help? Ask me on Discord!
(click the above arrow to hide)

Only Bash PS1 and PowerShell are supported at the moment. (PowerShell export does not support all chips yet.)

Scroll down for instructions.

Export as:
Other actions:
(No export yet, choose an export option above!)

Export Instructions

Nerd Fonts

The vast majority of prompts will require Nerd Fonts. Nerd Fonts is a project that takes existing fonts and patches them to add over 10,000 icons from various icon packs.

Download a Nerd Font from this page. If you have an existing monospace font you use in your terminal, press Ctrl + F and search for a patched version of it on the page (or any other font you like). The Builder uses a version of JetBrains Mono Nerd Font.

Search online for instructions to install the font and set your terminal to use it. For example, on VS Code on Windows, right-click the downloaded font and click Install. Then, change the integrated terminal font in VS Code's settings to the font name.

If you need any assistance, feel free to ask me in the Discord!

Setting your CLI Prompt

(No export yet, choose an export option above!)

For Bash (including in WSL):

  1. Open a terminal.
  2. Paste in the export result.
    This sets your prompt temporarily so you can make sure it displays properly.
  3. Run nano ~/.bashrc.
  4. Scroll down to the end of the file.
  5. Paste in the export result.
  6. Press Ctrl + S, then Ctrl + X to save and exit.
  7. Open a new terminal and your new CLI prompt should show up!

For Zsh (including in macOS):

  1. Open a terminal.
  2. Paste in the export result.
    This sets your prompt temporarily so you can make sure it displays properly.
  3. Run nano ~/.zshrc.
  4. At the top of the file, ensure any lines containing prompt or promptinit are commented out by typing a # character at the beginning of each of those line(s).
  5. Scroll down to the end of the file.
  6. Paste in the export result.
  7. Press Ctrl + S, then Ctrl + X to save and exit.
  8. Open a new terminal and your new CLI prompt should show up!

For PowerShell:

  1. Open a terminal as administrator.
  2. Paste in the export result.
    This sets your prompt temporarily so you can make sure it displays properly.
  3. Run Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned.
  4. Run New-Item -ItemType File -Path $PROFILE -Force.
    If it fails saying it already exists, that's fine.
  5. Run notepad $PROFILE.
    If you are not on Windows, run Write-Output $PROFILE, find that file in your file manager, and edit it.
  6. Scroll down to the end of the file if it isn't empty.
  7. Paste in the export result.
  8. Press Ctrl + S to save, then close Notepad (or the editor that you used).
  9. Open a new terminal and your new CLI prompt should show up!

For Windows Command Prompt:

  1. Open the Start menu.
  2. Start typing "edit envir" and click on the "Edit environment variables for your account" result.
  3. In the "User variables for <your_username>" section, click the "New…" button.
  4. In the "Variable name" field, type PROMPT.
  5. In the "Variable value" field, paste in the export result. (This will include missing character boxes; this is normal.)
  6. Click "OK" on both windows to close them.
  7. Open a new terminal and your new CLI prompt should show up!

For C/C++ String:

  1. Copy the export result and use it in a cout << "..." or printf("..."); statement.
    You can also use this with some other languages, like JavaScript (console.log("...");) and Python (print("...");).
Made with <3 by CerebralDatabank :)
Website (you're on it!) │ GitHub │ LinkedIn

Last updated 2024‒11‒01

Upcoming features:

Liked it? Thoughts? Suggestions? Let me know on Discord!

Liked it a lot? This is a one-person project done in my free time; consider sending a donation to support future development!

Debug: Reload │ Force Reload (clears cache) │ Delete Browser Autosave File

Delete all chips?

This will DELETE all of your work and cannot be undone!

It is highly recommended to download a copy of your project if you haven't already. (Project → Download file)

String

A plain old string, simple as that.

Unicode

Any Unicode character. It's recommended you take advantage of all the icons in Powerline Extended, Box Drawing Characters, and Nerd Fonts! (You can easily find them using the Search button below.)

U+ {}  ← Try me!

Quick select: 

Variation selector: 

This character isn't available in Unicode or Nerd Fonts. Only use it if you are sure that your system supports it.

Working Directory

This shows the current working directory of the terminal.

Separator: 

{~/Repos/my-project}

Git Status

This shows the status of the current git repo (__git_ps1 in Bash). This may not work on your system if your copy of git doesn't have the necessary script.

Exit Code Indicator

This shows a colored check or cross mark depending on the exit code of the previous command.

Indicator: 

NPC Sequence Delimiter

This delimits non-printable character sequences for Bash.

Separator: 

{~/Repos/my-project}

Time

“Time, Dr. Freeman? Is it really that time again? It seems as if you only just arrived.” — The G-Man, Half-Life 2 (2004)

Color

“Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.” — Oscar Wilde, The Critic as Artist (1891)

Apply color to: 

Color type: 

␛[91m │ rgb(255 85 85)

Move Cursor

WARNING: This can cause issues with line-wrapping long commands in Bash.

Direction: 

Amount:  

Erase from Cursor

Remove characters from (clear a certain part of) the terminal screen.

WARNING: This can cause issues with line-wrapping long commands in Bash.

Erase 

Note that none of these options actually move the cursor itself; you must use a Move Cursor chip for that.

Download File

This is a project file that allows you to restore your project in this web app. To get the actual prompt string code you can use in your terminal, go to the Export section.

It is highly recommended to download this regularly to save your work.

File name: .cliprompt

Upload File

Restore a .cliprompt project file you previously downloaded.

This will DELETE and REPLACE anything you currently have in the editor!

File:

  2024 CLI Prompt Contest! 🎉

The 2024 CLI Prompt Contest has started! Submit your best CLI prompt to the gallery for a chance to adorn it with a special badge! Winning entries will be prominently displayed in a special section of the gallery.

When you're ready, you can upload your file via the form, which you can find at:

Choose Template → Community Gallery → Submit your cool prompt :D

Full contest rules are in the submission form.