Question 1

How to use figures to add symbols in my Node.js CLI?

Accepted Answer

Import the default export and access symbols like figures.tick, which automatically shows ✔ or √ based on terminal. For example, console.log(figures.tick) outputs the appropriate character, and you can use replaceSymbols for string manipulation.

Question 2

Figures vs log-symbols: which is better for logging?

Accepted Answer

Figures provides Unicode symbols with fallbacks for cross-platform consistency, while log-symbols adds color to symbols for log levels. Use Figures if you need reliable symbol display, and log-symbols for colored indicators, potentially combining both for a complete solution.

Question 3

How to force fallback symbols in figures on all terminals?

Accepted Answer

Use the replaceSymbols function with the useFallback option set to true, or directly import and use fallbackSymbols. For instance, console.log(replaceSymbols('✔ check', {useFallback: true})) always outputs √ check, regardless of terminal support.

Question 4

Does figures work properly on Windows PowerShell and CMD?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Figures is designed to handle Windows Console Host and CMD by providing fallback characters for limited Unicode support, ensuring symbols like tick and cross render consistently, though some edge cases might require testing.

Question 5

Can I extend figures with custom symbols?

Accepted Answer

No, Figures has a fixed set of predefined symbols without an API for adding custom ones. For custom symbols, you would need to fork the library or use a different approach, as it's not extensible.

Question 6

Is figures compatible with TypeScript and ES modules?

Accepted Answer

While not explicitly stated, Figures is a Node.js library written in JavaScript with ES module exports, so it should work with TypeScript with type definitions if available, but you may need to handle imports carefully in modern setups.

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