ASCII Keyboard

A macOS menu bar app that transforms your typing into ASCII art.

Installation

Option 1: Homebrew (Recommended)

brew tap levz0r/asciikeyboard
brew install --cask ascii-keyboard

Option 2: Direct Download

1. Download the DMG from Releases
2. Open the DMG and drag ASCII Keyboard to Applications
3. If you see "app is damaged" error, run in Terminal:

   xattr -cr /Applications/ASCII\ Keyboard.app

4. Open ASCII Keyboard and grant Accessibility permissions when prompted

Features

• Menu Bar App: Lives in your menu bar, always accessible
• Multiple Fonts: Includes Standard, Banner, Big, and Slant FIGlet fonts
• Direct Typing: ASCII art is typed directly into the focused application
• Preview Mode: See your ASCII art before typing it

Requirements

• macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later
• Accessibility permissions (required for typing into other apps)

Building

Option 1: Using Swift Package Manager

cd ASCIIKeyboard
swift build -c release

The executable will be at .build/release/ASCIIKeyboard

Option 2: Create Xcode Project

1. Open Xcode
2. File → New → Project
3. Select "App" under macOS
4. Name it "ASCIIKeyboard"
5. Delete the default ContentView.swift
6. Drag all files from ASCIIKeyboard/Sources/ into the project
7. Set these build settings:
   • Deployment Target: macOS 13.0
   • Info.plist: Set LSUIElement to YES (makes it a menu bar app)
   • Disable App Sandbox (required for accessibility)

Usage

1. Launch the app - it will appear in your menu bar as a keyboard icon
2. Click the icon to open the keyboard
3. Grant Accessibility permissions when prompted
4. Select a font from the dropdown
5. Click on a key to type the ASCII art version into your currently focused app

Permissions

This app requires Accessibility permissions to type into other applications.

When you first use the keyboard:

1. A dialog will appear asking for Accessibility access
2. Click "Open System Preferences"
3. Enable ASCIIKeyboard in Privacy & Security → Accessibility

How It Works

The app uses:

• FIGlet fonts: Industry-standard ASCII art fonts
• CGEvent API: To simulate keyboard input (via clipboard paste)
• SwiftUI MenuBarExtra: Native macOS menu bar integration

Adding More Fonts

You can add more FIGlet fonts (.flf files):

1. Download fonts from figlet.org
2. Add them to the app's Fonts directory
3. Or embed them in EmbeddedFonts.swift

License

MIT