Glossary#

Below are definitions of terms used across the API, exception messages and the documentation.

Note

For contributors, some of these terms are also used in the source code, as variable names, in comments, docstrings, etc.

active terminal#

The terminal emulator connected to the first TTY device discovered upon loading the term_image package.

At times, this may also be used to refer to the TTY device itself.

alignment#
horizontal alignment#
vertical alignment#

alpha threshold#

Alpha ratio/value above which a pixel is taken as opaque (applies only to Text-based Render Styles).

See also

Transparency

animated#

Having multiple frames.

The frames of an animated image are generally meant to be displayed in rapid succession, to give the effect of animation.

automatic size#
automatic sizing#

A form of sizing wherein an image’s size is computed based on a combination of a frame size, the image’s original size and a given width or height.

This form of sizing tries to preserve image aspect ratio and can be used with both fixed sizing and dynamic sizing.

cell ratio#

The aspect ratio (i.e the ratio of width to height) of a character cell on a terminal screen.

descendant#

Refers to an attribute, property or setting set on a class which applies to that class and all its subclasses on which the attribute, property or setting is unset.

dynamic size#
dynamic sizing#

A form of sizing wherein the image size is automatically computed at render-time.

This only works with automatic sizing.

See also

fixed sizing and size

fixed size#
fixed sizing#

A form of sizing wherein the image size is set to a specific value which won’t change until it is re-set.

This works with both manual sizing and automatic sizing.

frame height#

The height of the area used in automatic sizing.

frame size#

The dimensions of the area used in automatic sizing.

frame width#

The width of the area used in automatic sizing.

manual size#
manual sizing#

A form of sizing wherein both the width and the height are specified to set the image size.

This form of sizing does not preserve image aspect ratio and can only be used with fixed sizing.

padding#
padding size#
padding width#
padding height#

pixel ratio#

The aspect ratio with which one rendered pixel is drawn/displayed on the terminal screen.

For Graphics-based Render Styles, this is ideally 1.0.

For Text-based Render Styles, this is equivalent to the cell ratio multiplied by 2, since there are technically two times more pixels along the vertical axis than along the horizontal axis in one character cell.

render#
renders#
rendered#
rendering#

The process of encoding visual/textual data into a byte/character string (possibly including terminal control sequences), the result of which is called a render output.

See also

_render_()

render class#
render classes#

Renderable or a subclass of it.

render height#
rendered height#

The amount of lines that’ll be occupied by a render output when drawn (written) onto a terminal screen. Also the vertical component of a render size.

render method#
render methods#

A unique implementation of a render style.

See also

Render Methods

render output#
render outputs#

A string produced by rendering or by padding another render output.

render size#
rendered size#

The amount of space (columns and lines) that’ll be occupied by a render output when drawn (written) onto a terminal screen.

render style#
render styles#
style#
styles#

A specific technique for rendering or displaying pixel data (including images) in a terminal emulator.

A render style (or simply style) is implemented by a class, often referred to as a render style class (or simply style class).

See also

Render Styles

render width#
rendered width#

The amount of columns that’ll be occupied by a render output when drawn (written) onto a terminal screen. Also the horizontal component of a render size.

source#

The resource from which an image instance is initialized.

See also

source and source_type

terminal height#

The amount of lines on a terminal screen at a time i.e without scrolling.

terminal size#

The amount of columns and lines on a terminal screen at a time i.e without scrolling.

terminal width#

The amount of columns on a terminal screen at a time.