@@ 1,3 1,9 @@ 
+2019-10-07:
+
+  * add option `-C` (`--force-color`)
+  * bump version to 2.5
+
+
 2019-08-27:
 
   * add option `-r` (`--regex`)

          

@@ 22,6 22,7 @@ On Debian-based systems, the prerequisit
 Usage:
 
     xgrep.py [-c] [--count]
+             [-C] [--force-color]
              [-i] [--indent]
              [-l] [--files-with-matches]
              [-L] [--files-without-match]

          
@@ 42,7 43,11 @@ their filenames and the XPath expression
 used in the XPath expression for matching regular expressions. The option `-m`
 outputs only the matching parts, without filenames or XPath expressions. The
 option `-i` indents the matching parts, and the option `-n` includes namespace
-declarations. The options `-c`, `-l`, `-L`, and `-q` mimic the behaviour of
+declarations. The `-C` option preserves color and formatting codes when piping
+output through [GNU less](http://www.gnu.org/software/less/) and similar
+programs.
+
+The options `-c`, `-l`, `-L`, and `-q` mimic the behaviour of
 [GNU grep](http://www.gnu.org/software/grep/). The latter option suppresses any
 output, but still returns the exit status (`0` if there are matches, `1` if
 there are none, and `2` for errors).

          

@@ 1,6 1,6 @@ 
 #! /usr/bin/python3
 # xgrep.py -- search for elements in XML files, using XPath 1.0 expressions
-# Andreas Nolda 2019-08-27
+# Andreas Nolda 2019-10-07
 
 import sys
 import argparse

          
@@ 8,9 8,7 @@ import re
 from blessings import Terminal
 from lxml import etree
 
-version=2.4
-
-term = Terminal()
+version=2.5
 
 parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
 parser.add_argument("expr",

          
@@ 19,6 17,8 @@ parser.add_argument("files", metavar="fi
                     help="XML file")
 parser.add_argument("-c", "--count", action="store_true",
                     help="count matches")
+parser.add_argument("-C", "--force-color", action="store_true",
+                    help="preserve color and formatting when piping output")
 parser.add_argument("-i", "--indent", action="store_true",
                     help="indent matches")
 parser.add_argument("-l", "--files-with-matches", action="store_true",

          
@@ 37,6 37,8 @@ parser.add_argument("-v", "--version", a
                     version="{0} {1}".format(parser.prog, version))
 args = parser.parse_args()
 
+term = Terminal(force_styling=args.force_color)
+
 def insert_default_ns(expr, nsmap):
     if nsmap:
         list = re.split("("