Convert values between RGB hex codes and xterm-256 color codes.

colortrans.py

#! /usr/bin/env python

""" Convert values between RGB hex codes and xterm-256 color codes.

Nice long listing of all 256 colors and their codes. Useful for
developing console color themes, or even script output schemes.

Resources:
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-bit_color
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code
* /usr/share/X11/rgb.txt

I'm not sure where this script was inspired from. I think I must have
written it from scratch, though it's been several years now.
"""

__author__    = 'Micah Elliott http://MicahElliott.com'
__version__   = '0.1'
__copyright__ = 'Copyright (C) 2011 Micah Elliott.  All rights reserved.'
__license__   = 'WTFPL http://sam.zoy.org/wtfpl/'

#---------------------------------------------------------------------

import sys, re

CLUT = [  # color look-up table
#    8-bit, RGB hex

    # Primary 3-bit (8 colors). Unique representation!
    ('00',  '000000'),
    ('01',  '800000'),
    ('02',  '008000'),
    ('03',  '808000'),
    ('04',  '000080'),
    ('05',  '800080'),
    ('06',  '008080'),
    ('07',  'c0c0c0'),

    # Equivalent "bright" versions of original 8 colors.
    ('08',  '808080'),
    ('09',  'ff0000'),
    ('10',  '00ff00'),
    ('11',  'ffff00'),
    ('12',  '0000ff'),
    ('13',  'ff00ff'),
    ('14',  '00ffff'),
    ('15',  'ffffff'),

    # Strictly ascending.
    ('16',  '000000'),
    ('17',  '00005f'),
    ('18',  '000087'),
    ('19',  '0000af'),
    ('20',  '0000d7'),
    ('21',  '0000ff'),
    ('22',  '005f00'),
    ('23',  '005f5f'),
    ('24',  '005f87'),
    ('25',  '005faf'),
    ('26',  '005fd7'),
    ('27',  '005fff'),
    ('28',  '008700'),
    ('29',  '00875f'),
    ('30',  '008787'),
    ('31',  '0087af'),
    ('32',  '0087d7'),
    ('33',  '0087ff'),
    ('34',  '00af00'),
    ('35',  '00af5f'),
    ('36',  '00af87'),
    ('37',  '00afaf'),
    ('38',  '00afd7'),
    ('39',  '00afff'),
    ('40',  '00d700'),
    ('41',  '00d75f'),
    ('42',  '00d787'),
    ('43',  '00d7af'),
    ('44',  '00d7d7'),
    ('45',  '00d7ff'),
    ('46',  '00ff00'),
    ('47',  '00ff5f'),
    ('48',  '00ff87'),
    ('49',  '00ffaf'),
    ('50',  '00ffd7'),
    ('51',  '00ffff'),
    ('52',  '5f0000'),
    ('53',  '5f005f'),
    ('54',  '5f0087'),
    ('55',  '5f00af'),
    ('56',  '5f00d7'),
    ('57',  '5f00ff'),
    ('58',  '5f5f00'),
    ('59',  '5f5f5f'),
    ('60',  '5f5f87'),
    ('61',  '5f5faf'),
    ('62',  '5f5fd7'),
    ('63',  '5f5fff'),
    ('64',  '5f8700'),
    ('65',  '5f875f'),
    ('66',  '5f8787'),
    ('67',  '5f87af'),
    ('68',  '5f87d7'),
    ('69',  '5f87ff'),
    ('70',  '5faf00'),
    ('71',  '5faf5f'),
    ('72',  '5faf87'),
    ('73',  '5fafaf'),
    ('74',  '5fafd7'),
    ('75',  '5fafff'),
    ('76',  '5fd700'),
    ('77',  '5fd75f'),
    ('78',  '5fd787'),
    ('79',  '5fd7af'),
    ('80',  '5fd7d7'),
    ('81',  '5fd7ff'),
    ('82',  '5fff00'),
    ('83',  '5fff5f'),
    ('84',  '5fff87'),
    ('85',  '5fffaf'),
    ('86',  '5fffd7'),
    ('87',  '5fffff'),
    ('88',  '870000'),
    ('89',  '87005f'),
    ('90',  '870087'),
    ('91',  '8700af'),
    ('92',  '8700d7'),
    ('93',  '8700ff'),
    ('94',  '875f00'),
    ('95',  '875f5f'),
    ('96',  '875f87'),
    ('97',  '875faf'),
    ('98',  '875fd7'),
    ('99',  '875fff'),
    ('100', '878700'),
    ('101', '87875f'),
    ('102', '878787'),
    ('103', '8787af'),
    ('104', '8787d7'),
    ('105', '8787ff'),
    ('106', '87af00'),
    ('107', '87af5f'),
    ('108', '87af87'),
    ('109', '87afaf'),
    ('110', '87afd7'),
    ('111', '87afff'),
    ('112', '87d700'),
    ('113', '87d75f'),
    ('114', '87d787'),
    ('115', '87d7af'),
    ('116', '87d7d7'),
    ('117', '87d7ff'),
    ('118', '87ff00'),
    ('119', '87ff5f'),
    ('120', '87ff87'),
    ('121', '87ffaf'),
    ('122', '87ffd7'),
    ('123', '87ffff'),
    ('124', 'af0000'),
    ('125', 'af005f'),
    ('126', 'af0087'),
    ('127', 'af00af'),
    ('128', 'af00d7'),
    ('129', 'af00ff'),
    ('130', 'af5f00'),
    ('131', 'af5f5f'),
    ('132', 'af5f87'),
    ('133', 'af5faf'),
    ('134', 'af5fd7'),
    ('135', 'af5fff'),
    ('136', 'af8700'),
    ('137', 'af875f'),
    ('138', 'af8787'),
    ('139', 'af87af'),
    ('140', 'af87d7'),
    ('141', 'af87ff'),
    ('142', 'afaf00'),
    ('143', 'afaf5f'),
    ('144', 'afaf87'),
    ('145', 'afafaf'),
    ('146', 'afafd7'),
    ('147', 'afafff'),
    ('148', 'afd700'),
    ('149', 'afd75f'),
    ('150', 'afd787'),
    ('151', 'afd7af'),
    ('152', 'afd7d7'),
    ('153', 'afd7ff'),
    ('154', 'afff00'),
    ('155', 'afff5f'),
    ('156', 'afff87'),
    ('157', 'afffaf'),
    ('158', 'afffd7'),
    ('159', 'afffff'),
    ('160', 'd70000'),
    ('161', 'd7005f'),
    ('162', 'd70087'),
    ('163', 'd700af'),
    ('164', 'd700d7'),
    ('165', 'd700ff'),
    ('166', 'd75f00'),
    ('167', 'd75f5f'),
    ('168', 'd75f87'),
    ('169', 'd75faf'),
    ('170', 'd75fd7'),
    ('171', 'd75fff'),
    ('172', 'd78700'),
    ('173', 'd7875f'),
    ('174', 'd78787'),
    ('175', 'd787af'),
    ('176', 'd787d7'),
    ('177', 'd787ff'),
    ('178', 'd7af00'),
    ('179', 'd7af5f'),
    ('180', 'd7af87'),
    ('181', 'd7afaf'),
    ('182', 'd7afd7'),
    ('183', 'd7afff'),
    ('184', 'd7d700'),
    ('185', 'd7d75f'),
    ('186', 'd7d787'),
    ('187', 'd7d7af'),
    ('188', 'd7d7d7'),
    ('189', 'd7d7ff'),
    ('190', 'd7ff00'),
    ('191', 'd7ff5f'),
    ('192', 'd7ff87'),
    ('193', 'd7ffaf'),
    ('194', 'd7ffd7'),
    ('195', 'd7ffff'),
    ('196', 'ff0000'),
    ('197', 'ff005f'),
    ('198', 'ff0087'),
    ('199', 'ff00af'),
    ('200', 'ff00d7'),
    ('201', 'ff00ff'),
    ('202', 'ff5f00'),
    ('203', 'ff5f5f'),
    ('204', 'ff5f87'),
    ('205', 'ff5faf'),
    ('206', 'ff5fd7'),
    ('207', 'ff5fff'),
    ('208', 'ff8700'),
    ('209', 'ff875f'),
    ('210', 'ff8787'),
    ('211', 'ff87af'),
    ('212', 'ff87d7'),
    ('213', 'ff87ff'),
    ('214', 'ffaf00'),
    ('215', 'ffaf5f'),
    ('216', 'ffaf87'),
    ('217', 'ffafaf'),
    ('218', 'ffafd7'),
    ('219', 'ffafff'),
    ('220', 'ffd700'),
    ('221', 'ffd75f'),
    ('222', 'ffd787'),
    ('223', 'ffd7af'),
    ('224', 'ffd7d7'),
    ('225', 'ffd7ff'),
    ('226', 'ffff00'),
    ('227', 'ffff5f'),
    ('228', 'ffff87'),
    ('229', 'ffffaf'),
    ('230', 'ffffd7'),
    ('231', 'ffffff'),

    # Gray-scale range.
    ('232', '080808'),
    ('233', '121212'),
    ('234', '1c1c1c'),
    ('235', '262626'),
    ('236', '303030'),
    ('237', '3a3a3a'),
    ('238', '444444'),
    ('239', '4e4e4e'),
    ('240', '585858'),
    ('241', '626262'),
    ('242', '6c6c6c'),
    ('243', '767676'),
    ('244', '808080'),
    ('245', '8a8a8a'),
    ('246', '949494'),
    ('247', '9e9e9e'),
    ('248', 'a8a8a8'),
    ('249', 'b2b2b2'),
    ('250', 'bcbcbc'),
    ('251', 'c6c6c6'),
    ('252', 'd0d0d0'),
    ('253', 'dadada'),
    ('254', 'e4e4e4'),
    ('255', 'eeeeee'),
]

def _str2hex(hexstr):
    return int(hexstr, 16)

def _strip_hash(rgb):
    # Strip leading `#` if exists.
    if rgb.startswith('#'):
        rgb = rgb.lstrip('#')
    return rgb

def _create_dicts():
    short2rgb_dict = dict(CLUT)
    rgb2short_dict = {}
    for k, v in short2rgb_dict.items():
        rgb2short_dict[v] = k
    return rgb2short_dict, short2rgb_dict

def short2rgb(short):
    return SHORT2RGB_DICT[short]

def print_all():
    """ Print all 256 xterm color codes.
    """
    for short, rgb in CLUT:
        sys.stdout.write('\033[48;5;%sm%s:%s' % (short, short, rgb))
        sys.stdout.write("\033[0m  ")
        sys.stdout.write('\033[38;5;%sm%s:%s' % (short, short, rgb))
        sys.stdout.write("\033[0m\n")
    print "Printed all codes."
    print "You can translate a hex or 0-255 code by providing an argument."

def rgb2short(rgb):
    """ Find the closest xterm-256 approximation to the given RGB value.
    @param rgb: Hex code representing an RGB value, eg, 'abcdef'
    @returns: String between 0 and 255, compatible with xterm.
    >>> rgb2short('123456')
    ('23', '005f5f')
    >>> rgb2short('ffffff')
    ('231', 'ffffff')
    >>> rgb2short('0DADD6') # vimeo logo
    ('38', '00afd7')
    """
    rgb = _strip_hash(rgb)
    incs = (0x00, 0x5f, 0x87, 0xaf, 0xd7, 0xff)
    # Break 6-char RGB code into 3 integer vals.
    parts = [ int(h, 16) for h in re.split(r'(..)(..)(..)', rgb)[1:4] ]
    res = []
    for part in parts:
        i = 0
        while i < len(incs)-1:
            s, b = incs[i], incs[i+1]  # smaller, bigger
            if s <= part <= b:
                s1 = abs(s - part)
                b1 = abs(b - part)
                if s1 < b1: closest = s
                else: closest = b
                res.append(closest)
                break
            i += 1
    #print '***', res
    res = ''.join([ ('%02.x' % i) for i in res ])
    equiv = RGB2SHORT_DICT[ res ]
    #print '***', res, equiv
    return equiv, res

RGB2SHORT_DICT, SHORT2RGB_DICT = _create_dicts()

#---------------------------------------------------------------------

if __name__ == '__main__':
    import doctest
    doctest.testmod()
    if len(sys.argv) == 1:
        print_all()
        raise SystemExit
    arg = sys.argv[1]
    if len(arg) < 4 and int(arg) < 256:
        rgb = short2rgb(arg)
        sys.stdout.write('xterm color \033[38;5;%sm%s\033[0m -> RGB exact \033[38;5;%sm%s\033[0m' % (arg, arg, arg, rgb))
        sys.stdout.write("\033[0m\n")
    else:
        short, rgb = rgb2short(arg)
        sys.stdout.write('RGB %s -> xterm color approx \033[38;5;%sm%s (%s)' % (arg, short, short, rgb))
        sys.stdout.write("\033[0m\n")

Thanks for writing this, I've included it in a project of mine as a utility script. I've credited you in the README and added an annotation to the script itself. If you'd like me to add credit in a different way or to not include it in my package please let me know.

Thanks for writing this :-)

agree, thanks for this

This works for python2 but python3 expects print to be a func call - replace print ".." with print("..").