#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

/*
* click_link() - Michael Sanders 2025
*
* returns a pointer to a clickable character array if the user's
* terminal supports it & heads up: you must free() the pointer
*
* enjoy!
*
*/

char *click_link(const char *txt, const char *url) {
const char *GREEN = "\033[92m";
const char *RESET = "\033[0m";
const char *fmt_url = "\033]8;;%s\033\\\033[92m%s\033[0m\033]8;;\033\\";
const char *fmt_fallback = "\033[92m%s\033[0m (%s)";

const char *term_program = getenv("TERM_PROGRAM");
const char *vte_version = getenv("VTE_VERSION");
const char *term = getenv("TERM");
const char *wt_session = getenv("WT_SESSION");

int supported =
(term_program && strcmp(term_program, "iTerm.app") == 0) ||
vte_version || (term && strcmp(term, "xterm-kitty") == 0) ||
wt_session;

/* pick format string & estimate required length */
size_t len = snprintf(NULL, 0, supported ?
fmt_url : fmt_fallback, url, txt);

char *out = malloc(len + 1); if (!out) return NULL;

snprintf(out, len + 1, supported ? fmt_url : fmt_fallback, url, txt);
return out;
}

int main(void) {
char *url = click_link("click here", "https://gitlab.com/");
if (url) printf("For updates %s\n", url);
free(url);
return 0;
}

--
:wq
Mike Sanders

--- PyGate Linux v1.5
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:23:24 -0000 (UTC), Michael Sanders wrote:

[...]

Better handling for colors & non-supported terminals...

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

/*
* click_link() - Michael Sanders 2025
*
* returns a pointer to a clickable character array if the user's
* terminal supports it & heads up: you must free() the pointer
*
* test for terminals lacking url support: env -i TERM=dumb ./click_link
*
* enjoy!
*/

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

char *click_link(const char *txt, const char *url) {
const char *COLOR = "\033[92m"; // green
const char *RESET = "\033[0m";
const char *fmt_url = "\033]8;;%s\033\\%s%s%s\033]8;;\033\\";
const char *fmt_fallback = "%s";
const char *term_program = getenv("TERM_PROGRAM");
const char *vte_version = getenv("VTE_VERSION");
const char *term = getenv("TERM");
const char *wt_session = getenv("WT_SESSION");

int supported =
(term_program && strcmp(term_program, "iTerm.app") == 0) ||
vte_version || (term && strcmp(term, "xterm-kitty") == 0) ||
wt_session;

const char *fmt = supported ? fmt_url : fmt_fallback;

size_t len = snprintf(NULL, 0, fmt, url,
supported ? COLOR : NULL,
supported ? txt : NULL,
supported ? RESET : NULL
);

char *out = malloc(len + 1); if (!out) return NULL; // <--

snprintf(out, len + 1, fmt, url,
supported ? COLOR : "",
supported ? txt : "",
supported ? RESET : ""
);

return out;
}

int main(void) {
char *url = click_link("click here", "https://gitlab.com/");
if (url) printf("For updates %s\n", url);
free(url);
return 0;
}

--
:wq
Mike Sanders

--- PyGate Linux v1.5
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Wed, 12 Nov 2025 15:45:51 -0000 (UTC), Michael Sanders wrote:

[...]

size_t len = snprintf(NULL, 0, fmt, url,
supported ? COLOR : NULL,
supported ? txt : NULL,
supported ? RESET : NULL

[...]

snprintf(out, len + 1, fmt, url,
supported ? COLOR : "",
supported ? txt : "",
supported ? RESET : ""
);

Love ternary, but above, its mighty heavy-handed...

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

/*
* click_link() - Michael Sanders 2025
*
* returns a pointer to a clickable character array if the user's
* terminal supports it & heads up: you must free() the pointer
*
* test for unsupported terminals: env -i TERM=dumb ./click_link
*
* enjoy!
*/

char *click_link(const char *txt, const char *url) {
const char *COLOR = "\033[92m"; // green
const char *RESET = "\033[0m";
const char *FMT_URL = "\033]8;;%s\033\\%s%s%s\033]8;;\033\\";
const char *FMT_FALLBACK = "%s";
const char *term_program = getenv("TERM_PROGRAM");
const char *vte_version = getenv("VTE_VERSION");
const char *term = getenv("TERM");
const char *wt_session = getenv("WT_SESSION");
const char *fmt, *color, *text, *reset;

if ((term_program && strcmp(term_program, "iTerm.app") == 0) ||
vte_version || (term && strcmp(term, "xterm-kitty") == 0) ||
wt_session) {
fmt = FMT_URL;
color = COLOR;
text = txt;
reset = RESET;
} else {
fmt = FMT_FALLBACK;
color = text = reset = "";
}

size_t len = snprintf(NULL, 0, fmt, url, color, text, reset);
char *out = malloc(len + 1); if (!out) return NULL; // <--
snprintf(out, len + 1, fmt, url, color, text, reset);
return out;
}

int main(void) {
char *url = click_link("click here", "https://gitlab.com/");
if (url) printf("For updates %s\n", url);
free(url);
return 0;
}

--
:wq
Mike Sanders

--- PyGate Linux v1.5
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)