Color Generator

Color Generator is a simple utility to generate hex color codes based on the first character of a string or number. It provides an easy-to-use function that accepts a string, number, or an array of strings/numbers as input and returns the corresponding hex color(s). Additionally, the package allows you to specify an opacity level (0-100%) for the generated colors, providing flexibility for styling with transparent colors.

Installation

Install the package via npm:

npm install color-generator-fl

Install the package via yarn:

yarn add color-generator-fl

Usage

Import the Package

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

Function Overview

`getColorForFirstCharacter(arg: string | number | (string | number)[]): string | string[]`

The function returns a hex color based on the first character of a string or number. If an array is provided, it returns an array of hex colors for each element.

Example

Using with String

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

    const color = getColorForFirstCharacter('Alice'); // '#00094CFF'
    console.log(color);

    const colorWithOpacity = getColorForFirstCharacter('Alice', 50); // '#00094C80' (with 50% opacity)
    console.log(colorWithOpacity);

Using with Number

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

    const color = getColorForFirstCharacter(666); // '#A43522FF'
    console.log(color);

    const colorWithOpacity = getColorForFirstCharacter(666, 75); // '#A43522BF' (with 75% opacity)
    console.log(colorWithOpacity);

Using with Array

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

    const colors = getColorForFirstCharacter(['Alice', 123, 'Bob']);
    // ['#00094CFF', '#A44C15FF', '#00376EFF']
    console.log(colors);

    const colorsWithOpacity = getColorForFirstCharacter(['Alice', 123, 'Bob'], 25);
    // ['#00094C40', '#A44C1540', '#00376E40']
    console.log(colorsWithOpacity);

Handling Invalid Character - Returns fallback color

The function handles invalid characters (not alphabet or numbers or array of numbers/strings):

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

    const color = getColorForFirstCharacter('!@#'); // '#010514FF'
    console.log(color);

Handling Invalid Input - Returns fallback color

The function handles invalid input (objects or other types) and empty input - Returns fallback color:

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

    const color = getColorForFirstCharacter({name: 'John Doe'}); // '#010514FF'
    console.log(color);

Color Palettes

This package uses two distinct color palettes:

Alphabet Color Palette: A unique hex color for each alphabet letter (A-Z).
Number Color Palette: A unique hex color for each digit (0-9).

API

`getColorForFirstCharacter`

Parameters

arg: string | number | (string | number)[]: A string, number, or array of strings and numbers.

Returns

string: A single hex color code for a string or number input.
string[]: An array of hex color codes for an array of strings and/or numbers.

Real Life Usage

Here are some real life use cases for your Color Generator package:

1. Tagging System Backgrounds

In a tagging system, you can assign colors dynamically to different tags based on their names, ensuring each tag has a unique color.

Example:

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

    const tags = ['Important', 'Urgent', 'Pending'];
    const tagColors = getColorForFirstCharacter(tags);

    console.log(tagColors);
    // ['#263E0DFF', '#005B00FF', '#43616CFF'] (Colors for 'Important', 'Urgent', 'Pending')

This approach ensures that tags can have consistent colors across the app, making the UI more user-friendly and intuitive.

2. Initials-Based Avatars

For applications displaying user initials (such as team dashboards or comment sections), generate background colors based on the initials of the user's name.

Example:

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

    const userName = 'Sarah Connor';

    const avatarColor = getColorForFirstCharacter(userName);
    console.log(avatarColor); // A consistent color for 'S'

This use case can be helpful in list-based UIs or grids where users are represented with initials instead of profile pictures.

3. Categorizing Projects or Items

When managing a large number of projects or items (such as in a task management tool or project dashboard), you can use the first letter/character of each project or item to assign a unique color, improving the visual distinction between different elements.

Example:

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

    const projects = ['Alpha', 'Beta', 'Gamma'];
    const projectColors = getColorForFirstCharacter(projects);

    console.log(projectColors);
// Colors for 'Alpha', 'Beta', 'Gamma' which can be applied to project cards or labels

4. Chat Message Bubbles

In a chat application, you can assign colors to message bubbles based on the senders name. This can be used to distinguish between different users visually.

Example:

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

    const senderName = 'David';
    const bubbleColor = getColorForFirstCharacter(senderName);

    console.log(bubbleColor); // Generates a consistent color for David's message bubble

5. Color-Coding Notifications

When displaying notifications in a system, you can color-code them based on the type of notification. For example, system notifications could have one color, and user-related notifications another, based on the notification category.

Example:

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

    const notificationTypes = ['System Alert', 'Message', 'Reminder'];
    const notificationColors = getColorForFirstCharacter(notificationTypes);

    console.log(notificationColors);
// Generates different colors for each type of notification

6. Color-Coding Product Categories

If you have an e-commerce platform or any product listing system, you can dynamically generate colors for product categories based on the category name.

Example:

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

    const categories = ['Electronics', 'Clothing', 'Books'];
    const categoryColors = getColorForFirstCharacter(categories);

    console.log(categoryColors);
// Colors for 'Electronics', 'Clothing', and 'Books' categories

7. Dynamic Charts and Graphs

In data visualization, you can generate colors for different data series dynamically based on labels or identifiers.

Example:

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

    const labels = ['Sales', 'Revenue', 'Profit'];
    const chartColors = getColorForFirstCharacter(labels);

    console.log(chartColors);
// Generates distinct colors for 'Sales', 'Revenue', and 'Profit' series in the chart

This ensures consistency and a visually pleasing look for charts that need distinct colors for different datasets.

8. File Management Systems

In file management or file-sharing systems, you can assign colors to folders or files based on the first letter/character of the folder or file name.

Example:

    import { getColorForFirstCharacter } from 'color-generator-fl';

    const folders = ['Annual Report', 'Budget', 'Client List'];
    const folderColors = getColorForFirstCharacter(folders);

    console.log(folderColors);
// Generates distinct colors for each folder, making it easier to visually distinguish them

By leveraging the Color Generator package in these use cases, you can maintain a consistent and vibrant UI while adding a dynamic element to your application. There can be more use cases based on a particular situation.