Method and apparatus for customizing the output of a user command

摘要

A method and apparatus for customizing the output of a user command in a UNIX operating system or other operating system having a command shell. A configuration file specifies an output format for each of one or more user command. In response to receiving a user command, the command shell processes the command to generate an output and formats the output in accordance with the configuration file. The configuration file may specify attributes such as color and font either for a command as a whole or for specified fields of the command. The configuration file may be a default configuration file or may be specified in the command line. The command line may also contain a flag indicating that no configuration file is to used and that default attributes are to be applied.