Scott Hanselman

So, first, I'm having entirely too much fun with the new open source Windows Terminal. If you've got the latest version of Windows (go run Windows Update and do whatever it takes) then you can download the Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store! This is a preview release (think v0.2) but it'll automatically update, often, from the Windows Store if you have Windows 10 version 18362.0 or higher.

One of the most fun things is that you can have background images. Even animated gifs! You can add those images in your Settings/profile.json like this.

"backgroundImage": "c:/users/scott/desktop/doug.gif",
"backgroundImageOpacity": 0.7,
"backgroundImageStretchMode": "uniformToFill

The profile.json is just JSON and you can update it. I could even update it programmatically if I wanted to parse it and mess about.

BUT. Enterprising developer Chris Duck created a lovely PowerShell Module called MSTerminalSettings that lets you very easily make Profile changes with script.

For example, Mac developers who use iTerm often go to https://iterm2colorschemes.com/ and get new color schemes for their consoles. Now Windows folks can as well!

From his docs, this example downloads the Pandora color scheme from https://iterm2colorschemes.com/ and sets it as the color scheme for the PowerShell Core terminal profile.

Invoke-RestMethod -Uri 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mbadolato/iTerm2-Color-Schemes/master/schemes/Pandora.itermcolors' -OutFile .\Pandora.itermcolors
Import-Iterm2ColorScheme -Path .\Pandora.itermcolors -Name Pandora
Get-MSTerminalProfile -Name "PowerShell Core" | Set-MSTerminalProfile -ColorScheme Pandora

That's easy! Then I was talking to Tyler Leonhardt and suggested that we programmatically change the background using a folder full of Animated Gifs. I happen to have such a folder (with 2000 categorized gif classics) so we started coding and streamed the whole debacle on Tyler's Twitch!

The result is Windows Terminal Attract Mode and it's a hot mess and it is up on GitHub and all set up for PowerShell Core.

Remember that "Attract mode" is the mode an idle arcade cabinet goes into in order to attract passersby to play, so clearly the Terminal needs this also.

./AttractMode.ps1 -name "profile name" -path "c:\temp\trouble" -secs 5

It's a proof of concept for now, and it's missing background/runspace support, being wrapped up in a proper module, etc but the idea is solid, building on a solid base, with improvements to idiomatic PowerShell Core already incoming. Right now it'll run forever. Wrap it in Start-Job if you like as well and can stand it.

The next idea was to have reactions gifs to different developer situations. Break the build? Reaction Gif. Passing tests? Reaction Gif.

Here's a silly proof (not refactored) that aliases "dotnet build" to "db" with reactions.

#messing around with build reaction gifs

Function DotNetAlias {
    dotnet build
    if ($?) {
        Start-job -ScriptBlock {
            d:\github\TerminalAttractMode\SetMoodGif.ps1 "PowerShell Core" "D:\Dropbox\Reference\Animated Gifs\chrispratt.gif"                            
            Start-Sleep 1.5
            d:\github\TerminalAttractMode\SetMoodGif.ps1 "PowerShell Core" "D:\Dropbox\Reference\Animated Gifs\4003cn5.gif"                            
        } | Out-Null
    }
    else {
        Start-job -ScriptBlock {
            d:\github\TerminalAttractMode\SetMoodGif.ps1 "PowerShell Core" "D:\Dropbox\Reference\Animated Gifs\idk-girl.gif"                            
            Start-Sleep 1.5
            d:\github\TerminalAttractMode\SetMoodGif.ps1 "PowerShell Core" "D:\Dropbox\Reference\Animated Gifs\4003cn5.gif"                            
        } | Out-Null

    }
}

Set-Alias -Name db -value DotNetAlias

I added the Start-job stuff so that the build finishes and the Terminal returns control to you while the gifs still are updating. Runspace support would be smart as well.

Some other ideas? Giphy support. Random mood gifs. Pick me ups. You get the idea.

Later, Brandon Olin jumped in with this gem. Why not get a reaction gif if anything goes wrong in your last command? ERRORLEVEL 1? Explode.

Why are we doing this? Because it sparks joy, y'all.

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About Scott

Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.

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