cli-columns

library4.0.0jsnpmunverified

cli-columns is a lightweight Node.js utility designed to format arrays of strings into neatly aligned, columnated lists suitable for command-line interfaces. It is particularly noted for its robust handling of both Unicode characters and ANSI escape codes (e.g., for colored text) by accurately calculating visible widths, preventing visual misalignment common in other simpler columnizers. The current stable version is 4.0.0, which notably addressed a ReDoS vulnerability in its upstream dependencies and updated its minimum Node.js requirement to version 10 or higher. While its release cadence may appear measured, the project prioritizes stability and precise rendering for CLI output. Key differentiators include customizable padding characters, column spacing, newline characters, optional sorting, and the ability to set a maximum output width, often defaulting to `process.stdout.columns`.

devops

npm install cli-columns

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · CLI-COLUMNS

cli-columns

devopsjavascriptv4.0.0

Install

—

Import

—

Disk

—

Pass rate

0/ 6

Env Coverage0 / 6

glibc

18–22

musl

18–22

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v? · npm install

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

node 18–226 runs

build_error

glibc

node 18–226 runs

build_error

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

columns

✓ import columns from 'cli-columns';

✗ import { columns } from 'cli-columns';

The 'columns' function is the default export. Using named import 'cli-columns' might result in undefined in some ESM environments.

columns

✓ const columns = require('cli-columns');

✗ const { columns } = require('cli-columns');

In CommonJS, the module exports the 'columns' function directly as its default export.

columns

✓ import columns from 'cli-columns';

✗ import * as cliColumns from 'cli-columns'; const columns = cliColumns.default;

While 'import * as' can work, the direct default import is cleaner and more idiomatic for this module's export style.

Demonstrates basic usage of `cli-columns` to format a list of strings, including those with Unicode and ANSI colors, into columns. It also shows how to customize width, sorting, and padding.

import columns from 'cli-columns'; import chalk from 'chalk'; const values = [ 'blue' + chalk.bgBlue('berry'), '笔菠萝' + chalk.yellow('苹果笔'), chalk.red('apple'), 'pomegranate', 'durian', chalk.green('star fruit'), 'パイナップル', 'apricot', 'banana', 'pineapple', chalk.bgRed.yellow('orange'), 'long-long-item-that-will-wrap-if-width-is-too-small' ]; // Basic usage, uses process.stdout.columns for width console.log('--- Default Columnation ---'); console.log(columns(values)); // Custom width and no sorting console.log('\n--- Custom Width (40) & Unsorted ---'); console.log(columns(values, { width: 40, sort: false })); // Custom padding character console.log('\n--- Custom Padding Character (".") ---'); console.log(columns(values, { character: '.' }));

Debug

Known issues

breakingVersion 4.0.0 of `cli-columns` now requires Node.js version 10 or greater. Projects running on older Node.js versions must upgrade their environment or stick to `cli-columns@3.x`.

fix

Upgrade Node.js to version 10 or higher, or explicitly install `cli-columns@3.x` if older Node.js versions are unavoidable (e.g., `npm install cli-columns@3`).

affects: >=4.0.0

breakingVersion 4.0.0 includes updated dependencies to address an upstream Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) vulnerability. Older versions of `cli-columns` (prior to 4.0.0) may be exposed to this vulnerability through their transitive dependencies.

fix

Upgrade to `cli-columns@4.0.0` or newer to ensure you have the patched dependencies. Run `npm install cli-columns@latest`.

affects: <4.0.0

Errors

Common errors & fixes

ReferenceError: require is not defined

Attempting to use `require()` syntax in an ES Module context (e.g., a file with `"type": "module"` in `package.json` or a `.mjs` file).

fix

Change the import statement to `import columns from 'cli-columns';` in your ES module file.

TypeError: cli_columns is not a function

Incorrectly importing the `columns` function using named import syntax (`import { columns } from 'cli-columns';`) when it's exported as a default.

fix

Use the correct default import syntax: `import columns from 'cli-columns';`.

Error: The 'values' argument must be an Array<String>

Providing a non-array or an array containing non-string elements to the `columns` function. The library expects an array of strings.

fix

Ensure the argument passed to `columns()` is an array where all elements are strings. For example: `columns(['string1', 'string2'])`.

Upgrade

Version history

4.0.0latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

4 hits · last 30 days

node

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/shannonmoeller/cli-columns ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/cli-columns ↗