curs_border - Linux

Overview

curs_border creates syntax-highlighting borders around the cursor in a terminal emulator. It enhances the visibility and contextual awareness of the cursor position, particularly useful when editing text.

Syntax

curs_border [options] [argument]

Options/Flags

  • -c, –color COLOR: Specify the border color in hex format (e.g., #FF0000 for red). Default: #FFFFFF (white)
  • -t, –thickness THICKNESS: Set the border thickness in pixels. Default: 1
  • -p, –padding PADDING: Add padding around the cursor in pixels. Default: 0
  • -f, –font FONT: Specify the font used for the border. Default: "URxvt.font"
  • -d, –dim DIM: Enable border dimming when not focused. Default: true

Examples

  • Create a simple white border around the cursor:
curs_border
  • Set a red border with 2px thickness and 5px padding:
curs_border --color #FF0000 --thickness 2 --padding 5
  • Use a custom font and disable border dimming:
curs_border --font Menlo-Bold.font --dim false

Common Issues

  • No visible border: Ensure the terminal emulator supports custom cursor shapes.
  • Border cutting off text: Adjust the padding to ensure the border doesn’t overlap with text.
  • Border flickering: Disable dimming or adjust the padding to minimize flicker.

Integration

  • Shell scripts: Use curs_border to highlight specific areas of the prompt or during command execution.
  • Text editors: Integrate curs_border into custom keybindings to enhance cursor visibility while editing.

Related Commands

  • cursorline: Adds a highlighted line below the cursor.
  • cursorcolumn: Adds a highlighted column to the right of the cursor.