App::highlight is a bit like grep, except that it doesn't filter out lines. In exchange for seeing all the output you get a lot more fun highlighting options to play with, and full Perl regex support of course. I gave this talk at the London.pm technical meeting in July 2013. App::highlight is available on Github and CPAN.

1. App::highlight
a simple grep-like highlighter app
Alex Balhatchet @ London.pm Technical Meeting, July 2013

2. Intro
alex@masaki:~$ cat words.txt
fred
barney
betty
wilma
dino
pebbles
bamm-bamm

3. Intro
alex@masaki:~$ cat words.txt
| grep a
barney
wilma
bamm-bamm

4. Intro
alex@masaki:~$ cat words.txt
| highlight a
fred
barney
betty
wilma
dino
pebbles
bamm-bamm

5. Why?

6. Real World Example 1
alex@masaki:~$ servicectl status
servicectl status: checking arbyte-job-buffer-probe... running.
servicectl status: checking arbyte-job-runner-cleanup-cron... running.
servicectl status: checking arbyte-job-runners... running.
servicectl status: checking arbyte-manager... running.
servicectl status: checking arbyte-status-accepter... running.
servicectl status: checking imagesys-managerd... running.
servicectl status: checking launch-target-cron... running.
servicectl status: checking listings-db... running.
servicectl status: checking ops-cron... not running.
servicectl status: checking search-db... running.
servicectl status: checking searchindex-cron... running.
servicectl status: checking updatesem-cron... running.

7. Real World Example 1
alex@masaki:~$ servicectl status
| highlight -l 'not running'
servicectl status: checking arbyte-job-buffer-probe... running.
servicectl status: checking arbyte-job-runner-cleanup-cron... running.
servicectl status: checking arbyte-job-runners... running.
servicectl status: checking arbyte-manager... running.
servicectl status: checking arbyte-status-accepter... running.
servicectl status: checking imagesys-managerd... running.
servicectl status: checking launch-target-cron... running.
servicectl status: checking listings-db... running.
servicectl status: checking ops-cron... not running.
servicectl status: checking search-db... running.
servicectl status: checking searchindex-cron... running.
servicectl status: checking updatesem-cron... running.

8. Real World Example 2
alex@masaki:~$ zcat listings.txt.gz | grep
"'id' => '8244118'"
$VAR1 = {'debug' => {'remote_used' => 1},'etl' => {'agent_database_key' => undef,'feed_version' => '1.7','feed_timestamp' => '20130717100846','id' => '8244118','feed_segment' => undef,'feed_name' =>
'domain','partner_database_key' => undef},'listing_attributes' => {'agent_description' => undef,'gross_size' => undef,'floor' => '1','num_baths' => 1,'gross_size_unit' => undef,'construction_year' =>
undef,'num_rooms' => undef,'num_beds' => 3,'commission' => undef,'property_type' => 'house','datasource_custom_two' => undef,'land_size' => undef,'datasource_custom_five' => undef,'net_size_unit' =>
undef,'energyrating' => '0','net_size' => undef,'agent_logo_url' => undef,'rental_deposit' => undef,'energyindex' => '0','car_spaces' => '1','land_size_unit' => undef,'datasource_custom_three' =>
undef,'auction_date' => undef,'datasource_custom_four' => undef,'datasource_custom_one' => undef},'listers' => {'name' => 'Private Advertiser','type' => undef,'company' => 'Private Advertiser'},'listings' =>
{'price_currency' => 'AUD','full_description' => 'Alarm System, Balcony, Garden, Internal Laundry, Polished Timber Floors, Built-In Wardrobes, Fireplaces, Renovated - 6 metres wide, grand and spacious, light-
filled terrace Restoration by award-winning architect 5 minute stroll to Woollahra village, Centennial Park and Oxford Street Enormous family/dining/kitchen area opening to rear courtyard garden Double Living
area with marble fireplaces and mirrors 3 large bedrooms - two with marble fireplaces, all with quality built-ins and plantation shutters Rear lane car access via remote control roll-a-door Luxury marble
bathroom with bath and separate frameless glass shower Built-in laundry Downstairs powder room Large, private rear courtyard with established garden Entrance courtyard garden Garden maintenance included Foxtel
connections to living areas and two bedrooms Alarm system Telephone 0412 758 772 to arrange an appointment for inspection','placenames' => '{"street":"Windsor Street","building":"157","province":"NSW","town":"
Paddington"}','listing_type' => 'rent','title_keywords' => 'paddington,windsor street','keywords' => ['backyard','balcony','garden','kitchen','terrace'],'actually_the_original_address' => '157 Windsor Street,
Paddington, NSW, 2021','latitude' => '-33.886527','display_address' => undef,'raw_content_digest' => 'c9080b2827fbf612aec4369dd6af1931','debug' => undef,'address' => '157 Windsor Street, Paddington, NSW,
2021','price_type' => 'weekly','longitude' => '151.235183','teaser' => 'Alarm System, Balcony, Garden, Internal Laundry, Polished Timber Floors, Built-In Wardrobes, Fireplaces, Renovated 6 metres wide, grand and
light-filled terrace Restoration by award-winning architect 5 minute stroll to Woollahra village, Centennial Park and Oxford Street Enormous...','geocode_method' => 'remote','geocode_accuracy' => 9,'photo_url'
=> 'http://images.domain.com.au/img/2013320/0/158ffe47-3469-466b-9727-a51c4def7e1b_FS.jpg','datasource_dbkey' => '8244118','site_url' => 'http://www.domain.com.au/Public/PropertyDetails.aspx?
adid=8244118','photo_count' => '8','ext_categories' => '','price' => 1850,'coldrent' => undef,'title' => 'Windsor Street, Paddington - Balcony','datasource_name' => 'domain','price_low' => 1850,'photos' =>
{'urls' => ['http://images.domain.com.au/img/2013320/0/158ffe47-3469-466b-9727-a51c4def7e1b_FS.jpg'],'total' => '8'},'monetized' => '0','status_type' => 'active','datasource_campaign_id' =>
undef,'site_mobile_url' => undef,'display_brand' => undef,'attribute_hash' => '8244118','postcode' => '2021','country' => undef,'orig_address' => '157 Windsor Street, Paddington, NSW, 2021','geocode_matched' =>
'2021, 157 Windsor Street, Paddington, New South Wales, Australia','price_high' => 1850,'display_price' => '$1,850'}};

9. Real World Example 2
alex@masaki:~$ zcat listings.txt.gz | grep
"'id' => '8244118'"
| highlight 'postcode'
$VAR1 = {'debug' => {'remote_used' => 1},'etl' => {'agent_database_key' => undef,'feed_version' => '1.7','feed_timestamp' => '20130717100846','id' => '8244118','feed_segment' => undef,'feed_name' =>
'domain','partner_database_key' => undef},'listing_attributes' => {'agent_description' => undef,'gross_size' => undef,'floor' => '1','num_baths' => 1,'gross_size_unit' => undef,'construction_year' =>
undef,'num_rooms' => undef,'num_beds' => 3,'commission' => undef,'property_type' => 'house','datasource_custom_two' => undef,'land_size' => undef,'datasource_custom_five' => undef,'net_size_unit' =>
undef,'energyrating' => '0','net_size' => undef,'agent_logo_url' => undef,'rental_deposit' => undef,'energyindex' => '0','car_spaces' => '1','land_size_unit' => undef,'datasource_custom_three' =>
undef,'auction_date' => undef,'datasource_custom_four' => undef,'datasource_custom_one' => undef},'listers' => {'name' => 'Private Advertiser','type' => undef,'company' => 'Private Advertiser'},'listings' =>
{'price_currency' => 'AUD','full_description' => 'Alarm System, Balcony, Garden, Internal Laundry, Polished Timber Floors, Built-In Wardrobes, Fireplaces, Renovated - 6 metres wide, grand and spacious, light-
filled terrace Restoration by award-winning architect 5 minute stroll to Woollahra village, Centennial Park and Oxford Street Enormous family/dining/kitchen area opening to rear courtyard garden Double Living
area with marble fireplaces and mirrors 3 large bedrooms - two with marble fireplaces, all with quality built-ins and plantation shutters Rear lane car access via remote control roll-a-door Luxury marble
bathroom with bath and separate frameless glass shower Built-in laundry Downstairs powder room Large, private rear courtyard with established garden Entrance courtyard garden Garden maintenance included Foxtel
connections to living areas and two bedrooms Alarm system Telephone 0412 758 772 to arrange an appointment for inspection','placenames' => '{"street":"Windsor Street","building":"157","province":"NSW","town":"
Paddington"}','listing_type' => 'rent','title_keywords' => 'paddington,windsor street','keywords' => ['backyard','balcony','garden','kitchen','terrace'],'actually_the_original_address' => '157 Windsor Street,
Paddington, NSW, 2021','latitude' => '-33.886527','display_address' => undef,'raw_content_digest' => 'c9080b2827fbf612aec4369dd6af1931','debug' => undef,'address' => '157 Windsor Street, Paddington, NSW,
2021','price_type' => 'weekly','longitude' => '151.235183','teaser' => 'Alarm System, Balcony, Garden, Internal Laundry, Polished Timber Floors, Built-In Wardrobes, Fireplaces, Renovated 6 metres wide, grand and
light-filled terrace Restoration by award-winning architect 5 minute stroll to Woollahra village, Centennial Park and Oxford Street Enormous...','geocode_method' => 'remote','geocode_accuracy' => 9,'photo_url'
=> 'http://images.domain.com.au/img/2013320/0/158ffe47-3469-466b-9727-a51c4def7e1b_FS.jpg','datasource_dbkey' => '8244118','site_url' => 'http://www.domain.com.au/Public/PropertyDetails.aspx?
adid=8244118','photo_count' => '8','ext_categories' => '','price' => 1850,'coldrent' => undef,'title' => 'Windsor Street, Paddington - Balcony','datasource_name' => 'domain','price_low' => 1850,'photos' =>
{'urls' => ['http://images.domain.com.au/img/2013320/0/158ffe47-3469-466b-9727-a51c4def7e1b_FS.jpg'],'total' => '8'},'monetized' => '0','status_type' => 'active','datasource_campaign_id' =>
undef,'site_mobile_url' => undef,'display_brand' => undef,'attribute_hash' => '8244118','postcode' => '2021','country' => undef,'orig_address' => '157 Windsor Street, Paddington, NSW, 2021','geocode_matched' =>
'2021, 157 Windsor Street, Paddington, New South Wales, Australia','price_high' => 1850,'display_price' => '$1,850'}};

10. Features

11. Features
alex@masaki:~$ highlight --help
highlight [-bCcehlnor] [long options...]
-c --color use terminal color for highlighting
-C --no-color don't use terminal color
-e --escape auto-escape input (default)
-r -n --regex --no-escape don't auto-escape input (regex mode)
-i --ignore-case ignore case for matches
-l --full-line highlight the whole matched line
-o --one-color use only one color for all matches
-b --show-bad-spaces highlight spaces at the end of lines
-v --version show version number
-h --help display a usage message

12. Color
alex@masaki:~$ cat words.txt | highlight
fred barney betty wilma dino pebbles bamm-
bamm
fred
barney
betty
wilma
dino
pebbles
bamm-bamm

13. No Color
alex@masaki:~$ cat words.txt | highlight
fred barney betty wilma dino pebbles bamm-
bamm --no-color
<<fred>>
[[barney]]
((betty))
{{wilma}}
**dino**
__pebbles__
<<bamm-bamm>>

14. Escape
alex@masaki:~$ cat words.txt | highlight
'b[ea]t{2}.'
fred
barney
betty
wilma
dino
pebbles
bamm-bamm

15. No Escape (aka regex mode)
alex@masaki:~$ cat words.txt | highlight
--regex 'b[ea]t{2}.'
fred
barney
betty
wilma
dino
pebbles
bamm-bamm

16. Ignore Case
alex@masaki:~$ cat words.txt | highlight
--ignore-case 'MM'
fred
barney
betty
wilma
dino
pebbles
bamm-bamm

17. Full Line
alex@masaki:~$ cat words.txt | highlight
--full-line 'a'
fred
barney
betty
wilma
dino
pebbles
bamm-bamm

18. One Color
alex@masaki:~$ cat words.txt | highlight
--one-color 'f' 'r' 'e' 'b'
fred
barney
betty
wilma
dino
pebbles
bamm-bamm

19. Bad Spaces (inspired by git diff)
alex@masaki:~$ cat words.txt | highlight
--show-bad-spaces
fred
barney
bettyxxxx
wilma
dino
pebblesx
bamm-bamm

20. Cool Tricks

21. SVN Diff
alias svndiff="
svn diff
| highlight --show-bad-spaces
| highlight --regex --full-line
'^-[^-]' '^[+][^+]' '^[+-]{2}'
| less -R"

22. SVN Diff
alex@masaki:~$ svndiff
===================================================================
--- SERP.pm (revision 62240)
+++ SERP.pm (working copy)
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
+use utf8;
+xxxx
package Lokku::URL::SERP;
use base 'Lokku::URL';
-use Clone 'clone';
-use List::MoreUtils 'uniq';
+use Clone qw(clone);
+use List::MoreUtils qw(uniq);
use Lokku::Base::Config;

23. Tailing Access Logs
alex@masaki:~$ tail -f ~/common/logs/apache/frontend/access_log.2013-
07-17-00_00_00 | highlight -l -r 'HTTP/1.1" 50d ' 'HTTP/1.1" 200
' 'HTTP/1.1" 30d ' 'HTTP/1.1" 40d '
x.x.x.x - - [17/Jul/2013:14:13:51 +0000] "GET /abode-sale-house-in-friday-hill HTTP/1.1" 200 9549 "-"
"Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; bingbot/2.0; +http://www.bing.com/bingbot.htm)" 125669 www
x.x.x.x - - [17/Jul/2013:14:13:51 +0000] "GET /paige-petrook-rent-flat-in-the-avenue-ha5 HTTP/1.1" 200
9586 "-" "Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; bingbot/2.0; +http://www.bing.com/bingbot.htm)" 97016 www
x.x.x.x - - [17/Jul/2013:14:13:51 +0000] "GET /gunness/property/buy HTTP/1.1" 200 16501 "-" "Mozilla/5.0
(compatible; Googlebot/2.1; +http://www.google.com/bot.html)" 109951 www
x.x.x.x - - [17/Jul/2013:14:13:52 +0000] "GET /rd?l=UbeTFSQlTSlUJUMFlk&url=2-
ePz73aTBU4LVGFByDI484Ner8aIMqOimmnO-vZos3KDcnfaeeMPe4rGzMAHEMEMIx5MZsli8WOfUu6sPU8-oGyl-
oBxFgBrDY1PNVVZlNerg11bkCYzKZwBlYrKuUnoqgEDyvQYT0AWjNiAXvEvzby0n8wKI_4SYr67NnK50C3WeiSB3ATzAdHRuPx89ZkLfV
7zVXG2QDbeS6DmC6o17lS3zg4TQbgURP9KPebQfsYvRw-
KZZSJe5bz67v9wC0YOb6G85BbGUnJzoOHf6gadGwCRAqFSnkZv4Fqu84Vq_WqIfy_oPVJlWQ%3D%
3D&v=2&s=Vbelwusrlloqtlnpusmosplslplu&itype=1 HTTP/1.1" 302 - "http://www.nestoria.co.uk/victoria-road-
ct14/house/sale" "Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 4.1.2; GT-P3100 Build/JZO54K) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML,
like Gecko) Chrome/28.0.1500.64 Safari/537.36" 10465 rd
x.x.x.x - - [17/Jul/2013:14:13:52 +0000] "GET /help/unknown-location HTTP/1.1" 404 9279 "-" "Mozilla/5.0
(Linux; U; en-gb; KFOT Build/IML74K) AppleWebKit/535.19 (KHTML, like Gecko) Silk/3.1 Safari/535.19 Silk-
Accelerated=true" 5932 www
x.x.x.x - - [17/Jul/2013:14:13:53 +0000] "GET /api?
action=search_listings&encoding=json&sort=price_lowhigh&price_min=150001&price_max=200000&page=1&radius=5
2.360992,-2.039034,1mi HTTP/1.1" 200 23729 "-" "-" 65233 api

24. Using /usr/bin/watch with highlight
alex@masaki:~$ watch --color 'du -hsc * |
highlight -l G K M'
1.1G alex
32M davidl
16K savio
1.3G total

25. Tech Details

26. Perl Modules Used
For the app
App::Cmd::Simple
Term::ANSIColor
Getopt::Long::Descriptive
For testing
App::Cmd::Tester
Test::Without::Module

27. Bug Reports / Contributions
https://metacpan.org/module/App::highlight
Version 0.13 released July 18th 2013 :-)
https://github.com/kaoru/App-highlight
https://travis-ci.org/kaoru/App-highlight

28. N
estoria
is
H
iring!
http://lokku.com
/jobs
Thanks!