How do I color output text from Perl script on Windows?

Question

I would like to color format the text printed to the console using the Perl print command.

In my case the script will only be run under WinXP-DOS Command Line but it wou

Answer 1

building off of mphuie's Example, making it more cross-platform:

    use Term::ANSIColor;
    use Win32::Console;

    if ($^O =~ /win/) {
        our $FG_BLUE;
        our $FG_YELLOW;
        our $FG_RED;
        our $BG_GREEN;
        my $CONSOLE = Win32::Console->new(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
        my $attr = $CONSOLE->Attr(); # Get current console colors
        $blue   = sub {$CONSOLE->Attr($FG_BLUE);return};
        $reset  = sub {$CONSOLE->Attr($attr);return};
        $yellow = sub {$CONSOLE->Attr($FG_YELLOW);return};
        $red    = sub {$CONSOLE->Attr($FG_RED);return};
    } else {
        $blue   = sub {return color('bold blue')};
        $reset  = sub {return color('reset')};
        $yellow = sub {return color('yellow')};
        $red    = sub {return color('red')};
    }

Quick note though: The Terminal colors do not change immediately when the functions are called from inside strings, thus:

    print "${\$blue->()} this is blue\n";
    print "${\$blue->()}This is... not blue${\$reset->()}\n";
    print "this is Blue ${\$blue->()}\n";
    print "this is reset${\$reset->()}\n";