canonical · jonathan-conder · Jul 9, 2026 · Jul 9, 2026
diff --git a/cmd/internal/cmdutil/util_test.go b/cmd/internal/cmdutil/util_test.go
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
-	"text/tabwriter"
 	"unicode/utf8"
 
+	"github.com/juju/ansiterm/tabwriter"
 	"gopkg.in/check.v1"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )

diff --git a/cmd/sdk/find.go b/cmd/sdk/find.go
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
-	"text/tabwriter"
 
+	"github.com/juju/ansiterm/tabwriter"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/canonical/workshop/client"
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func (c *CmdFind) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, av []string) error {
 	esc := c.GetEscapes()
 	w := tabwriter.NewWriter(Stdout, 4, 3, 2, ' ', tabwriter.StripEscape)
 	if !c.noHeaders {
-		fmt.Fprintln(w, "NAME\tVERSION\tPUBLISHER\tSUMMARY")
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, "%sNAME\tVERSION\tPUBLISHER\tSUMMARY%s\n", esc.Bold, esc.End)
 	}
 	for _, sdk := range sdks {
 		version := cmdutil.EmptyDash(sdk.Version)

diff --git a/cmd/sdk/info.go b/cmd/sdk/info.go
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
-	"text/tabwriter"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/canonical/lxd/shared/units"
+	"github.com/juju/ansiterm/tabwriter"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/canonical/workshop/client"
@@ -146,19 +146,19 @@ func (c *CmdInfo) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, av []string) error {
 	if c.Arch != "all" {
 		archTpl = "%.0s"
 	}
-	tpl := "  %s\t%s\t%s\t" + baseTpl + archTpl + "%*s\t%*s\n"
+	tpl := "  %s%s\t%s\t%s\t" + baseTpl + archTpl + "%*s\t%*s%s\n"
 	if len(tracks) > 0 {
 		fmt.Fprintln(w)
 		fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s%s%s\n", esc.Bold, "CHANNELS", esc.End)
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, tpl, "CHANNEL", "VERSION", "BUILD", "BASE", "ARCH", maxRev, "REV", maxSize, "SIZE")
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, tpl, esc.Bold, "CHANNEL", "VERSION", "BUILD", "BASE", "ARCH", maxRev, "REV", maxSize, "SIZE", esc.End)
 	}
 	for _, track := range tracks {
 		closedSign := "-"
 		for _, risk := range channelRisks {
 			channel := track + "/" + risk
 			revs := revsByChannel[channel]
 			if len(revs) == 0 {
-				fmt.Fprintf(w, tpl, channel, closedSign, "", "", "", 0, "", 0, "")
+				fmt.Fprintf(w, tpl, "", channel, closedSign, "", "", "", 0, "", 0, "", "")
 				continue
 			}
 			closedSign = esc.UpArrow
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ func (c *CmdInfo) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, av []string) error {
 				prev = rev
 
 				size := units.GetByteSizeString(rev.DownloadSize, 2)
-				fmt.Fprintf(w, tpl, channel, version, build, base, rev.Arch, maxRev, rev.Revision, maxSize, size)
+				fmt.Fprintf(w, tpl, "", channel, version, build, base, rev.Arch, maxRev, rev.Revision, maxSize, size, "")
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -178,11 +178,11 @@ func (c *CmdInfo) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, av []string) error {
 	for _, it := range installed {
 		maxRev = max(maxRev, len(it.Revision))
 	}
-	tpl = "  %s\t%s\t%s\t%s\t" + baseTpl + archTpl + "%*s\n"
+	tpl = "  %s%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\t" + baseTpl + archTpl + "%*s%s\n"
 	if len(installed) > 0 {
 		fmt.Fprintln(w)
 		fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s%s%s\n", esc.Bold, "INSTALLED", esc.End)
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, tpl, "PROJECT", "WORKSHOP", "CHANNEL", "VERSION", "BASE", "ARCH", maxRev, "REV")
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, tpl, esc.Bold, "PROJECT", "WORKSHOP", "CHANNEL", "VERSION", "BASE", "ARCH", maxRev, "REV", esc.End)
 	}
 	for _, it := range installed {
 		project := cmdutil.ContractHome(it.ProjectPath)
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ func (c *CmdInfo) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, av []string) error {
 		if base == "" {
 			base = "all"
 		}
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, tpl, project, it.Workshop, channel, it.Version, base, it.Arch, maxRev, it.Revision)
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, tpl, "", project, it.Workshop, channel, it.Version, base, it.Arch, maxRev, it.Revision, "")
 	}
 	w.Flush()
 

diff --git a/cmd/sdk/list.go b/cmd/sdk/list.go
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ import (
 	"cmp"
 	"fmt"
 	"slices"
-	"text/tabwriter"
 
 	"github.com/canonical/lxd/shared/units"
+	"github.com/juju/ansiterm/tabwriter"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/canonical/workshop/client"
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 type CmdList struct {
+	cmdutil.ColorMixin
 	root      *CmdRoot
 	noHeaders bool
 }
@@ -105,7 +106,8 @@ func (c *CmdList) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 		maxSize = max(maxSize, len(units.GetByteSizeString(sdk.Size, 2)))
 	}
 	if !c.noHeaders {
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, "NAME\tVERSION\t%*s\t%*s\n", maxRev, "REV", maxSize, "SIZE")
+		esc := c.GetEscapes()
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, "%sNAME\tVERSION\t%*s\t%*s%s\n", esc.Bold, maxRev, "REV", maxSize, "SIZE", esc.End)
 	}
 	for _, sdk := range sdks {
 		version := cmdutil.EmptyDash(sdk.Version)

diff --git a/cmd/workshop/changes.go b/cmd/workshop/changes.go
@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/canonical/workshop/client"
+	"github.com/canonical/workshop/cmd/internal/cmdutil"
 	"github.com/canonical/workshop/internal/timeutil"
 )
 
 type CmdChanges struct {
+	cmdutil.ColorMixin
 	root      *CmdRoot
 	noHeaders bool
 }
@@ -89,7 +91,8 @@ func (c *CmdChanges) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, av []string) error {
 
 	w := tabWriter()
 	if !c.noHeaders {
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, "ID\tSTATUS\tSPAWN\tREADY\tSUMMARY\n")
+		esc := c.GetEscapes()
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, "%sID\tSTATUS\tSPAWN\tREADY\tSUMMARY%s\n", esc.Bold, esc.End)
 	}
 	for _, chg := range chngs {
 		spawnTime := timeutil.Human(chg.SpawnTime)

diff --git a/cmd/workshop/connections.go b/cmd/workshop/connections.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 type CmdConnections struct {
+	cmdutil.ColorMixin
 	root      *CmdRoot
 	all       bool
 	noHeaders bool
@@ -220,7 +221,8 @@ func (c *CmdConnections) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, av []string) error {
 
 	w := tabWriter()
 	if !c.noHeaders {
-		fmt.Fprintln(w, i18n.G("INTERFACE\tPLUG\tSLOT\tNOTES"))
+		esc := c.GetEscapes()
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, esc.Bold+i18n.G("INTERFACE\tPLUG\tSLOT\tNOTES")+esc.End)
 	}
 	for _, note := range annotatedConns {
 		// find the plug that the current connection is bound to

diff --git a/cmd/workshop/info.go b/cmd/workshop/info.go
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ import (
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
-	"text/tabwriter"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/juju/ansiterm/tabwriter"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/canonical/workshop/client"

diff --git a/cmd/workshop/list.go b/cmd/workshop/list.go
@@ -19,15 +19,16 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
-	"text/tabwriter"
 
+	"github.com/juju/ansiterm/tabwriter"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/canonical/workshop/client"
 	"github.com/canonical/workshop/cmd/internal/cmdutil"
 )
 
 type CmdList struct {
+	cmdutil.ColorMixin
 	root      *CmdRoot
 	global    bool
 	noHeaders bool
@@ -112,7 +113,8 @@ func (c *CmdList) listProject() error {
 
 	w := tabWriter()
 	if !c.noHeaders {
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, "WORKSHOP\tSTATUS\tNOTES\n")
+		esc := c.GetEscapes()
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, "%sWORKSHOP\tSTATUS\tNOTES%s\n", esc.Bold, esc.End)
 	}
 	for _, wp := range merged {
 		fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s\t%s\t%s\n", wp.name, wp.status, wp.notes)
@@ -151,7 +153,8 @@ func (c *CmdList) listGlobal() error {
 		}
 
 		if printHeaders {
-			fmt.Fprintf(w, "PROJECT\tWORKSHOP\tSTATUS\tNOTES\n")
+			esc := c.GetEscapes()
+			fmt.Fprintf(w, "%sPROJECT\tWORKSHOP\tSTATUS\tNOTES%s\n", esc.Bold, esc.End)
 			printHeaders = false
 		}
 		project := cmdutil.ContractHome(p.Path)

diff --git a/cmd/workshop/sketch.go b/cmd/workshop/sketch.go
@@ -630,6 +630,7 @@ func writeHooks(sdkdir string, file sdk.SketchSDKYaml) error {
 }
 
 type CmdSketches struct {
+	cmdutil.ColorMixin
 	root      *CmdRoot
 	noHeaders bool
 }
@@ -702,7 +703,8 @@ func (c *CmdSketches) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 		maxRev = max(maxRev, len(entry.rev))
 	}
 	if !c.noHeaders && len(entries) > 0 {
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, "WORKSHOP\t%*s\tNOTES\n", maxRev, "REV")
+		esc := c.GetEscapes()
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, "%sWORKSHOP\t%*s\tNOTES%s\n", esc.Bold, maxRev, "REV", esc.End)
 	}
 	for _, entry := range entries {
 		fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s\t%*s\t%s\n", entry.workshop, maxRev, entry.rev, entry.notes)

diff --git a/cmd/workshop/tasks.go b/cmd/workshop/tasks.go
@@ -24,9 +24,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/canonical/workshop/client"
+	"github.com/canonical/workshop/cmd/internal/cmdutil"
 )
 
 type CmdTasks struct {
+	cmdutil.ColorMixin
 	root      *CmdRoot
 	noHeaders bool
 }
@@ -126,7 +128,8 @@ func (c *CmdTasks) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, av []string) error {
 	}
 	w := tabWriter()
 	if !c.noHeaders {
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, "STATUS\t%*s\tSUMMARY\n", maxDur, "DURATION")
+		esc := c.GetEscapes()
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, "%sSTATUS\t%*s\tSUMMARY%s\n", esc.Bold, maxDur, "DURATION", esc.End)
 	}
 	for _, tsk := range tasks {
 		duration := tsk.DoingTime.Round(time.Millisecond).String()

diff --git a/docs/coding-style-guide.md b/docs/coding-style-guide.md
@@ -801,7 +801,7 @@ Long: `This command will launch a new workshop. It will create the workshop base
 
 ```go
 // Good: Use tabwriter for consistent table formatting
-import "text/tabwriter"
+import "github.com/juju/ansiterm/tabwriter"
 
 func tabWriter() *tabwriter.Writer {
     return tabwriter.NewWriter(Stdout, 4, 3, 2, ' ', tabwriter.StripEscape)

diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/gorilla/mux v1.8.1
 	github.com/gorilla/websocket v1.5.3
 	github.com/jessevdk/go-flags v1.6.1
+	github.com/juju/ansiterm v1.0.0
 	github.com/juju/clock v1.1.1
 	github.com/juju/retry v1.0.1
 	github.com/pkg/sftp v1.13.10
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ require (
 
 require (
 	github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2 v2.3.0 // indirect
+	github.com/clipperhouse/uax29/v2 v2.7.0 // indirect
 	github.com/flosch/pongo2 v0.0.0-20200913210552-0d938eb266f3 // indirect
 	github.com/go-jose/go-jose/v4 v4.1.4 // indirect
 	github.com/go-logr/logr v1.4.3 // indirect
@@ -46,6 +48,8 @@ require (
 	github.com/kr/fs v0.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/kr/pretty v0.3.1 // indirect
 	github.com/kr/text v0.2.0 // indirect
+	github.com/lunixbochs/vtclean v1.0.0 // indirect
+	github.com/mattn/go-runewidth v0.0.24 // indirect
 	github.com/muhlemmer/gu v0.3.1 // indirect
 	github.com/pkg/xattr v0.4.12 // indirect
 	github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.14.1 // indirect
@@ -64,3 +68,5 @@ require (
 )
 
 tool github.com/canonical/workshop/tools/try
+
+replace github.com/juju/ansiterm => github.com/jonathan-conder/ansiterm v0.0.0-20260709033836-7b24c91012ac
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ github.com/canonical/x-go v0.0.0-20230522092633-7947a7587f5b h1:Da2fardddn+JDlVE
 github.com/canonical/x-go v0.0.0-20230522092633-7947a7587f5b/go.mod h1:upTK9n6rlqITN9rCN69hdreI37dRDFUk2thlGGD5Cg8=
 github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2 v2.3.0 h1:UL815xU9SqsFlibzuggzjXhog7bL6oX9BbNZnL2UFvs=
 github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2 v2.3.0/go.mod h1:VGX0DQ3Q6kWi7AoAeZDth3/j3BFtOZR5XLFGgcrjCOs=
+github.com/clipperhouse/uax29/v2 v2.2.0/go.mod h1:EFJ2TJMRUaplDxHKj1qAEhCtQPW2tJSwu5BF98AuoVM=
+github.com/clipperhouse/uax29/v2 v2.7.0 h1:+gs4oBZ2gPfVrKPthwbMzWZDaAFPGYK72F0NJv2v7Vk=
+github.com/clipperhouse/uax29/v2 v2.7.0/go.mod h1:EFJ2TJMRUaplDxHKj1qAEhCtQPW2tJSwu5BF98AuoVM=
 github.com/coreos/go-systemd v0.0.0-20191104093116-d3cd4ed1dbcf h1:iW4rZ826su+pqaw19uhpSCzhj44qo35pNgKFGqzDKkU=
 github.com/coreos/go-systemd v0.0.0-20191104093116-d3cd4ed1dbcf/go.mod h1:F5haX7vjVVG0kc13fIWeqUViNPyEJxv/OmvnBo0Yme4=
 github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 v2.0.6/go.mod h1:oOW0eioCTA6cOiMLiUPZOpcVxMig6NIQQ7OS05n1F4g=
@@ -54,6 +57,8 @@ github.com/jeremija/gosubmit v0.2.8 h1:mmSITBz9JxVtu8eqbN+zmmwX7Ij2RidQxhcwRVI4w
 github.com/jeremija/gosubmit v0.2.8/go.mod h1:Ui+HS073lCFREXBbdfrJzMB57OI/bdxTiLtrDHHhFPI=
 github.com/jessevdk/go-flags v1.6.1 h1:Cvu5U8UGrLay1rZfv/zP7iLpSHGUZ/Ou68T0iX1bBK4=
 github.com/jessevdk/go-flags v1.6.1/go.mod h1:Mk8T1hIAWpOiJiHa9rJASDK2UGWji0EuPGBnNLMooyc=
+github.com/jonathan-conder/ansiterm v0.0.0-20260709033836-7b24c91012ac h1:1YpK/tD7/L/3EwYLeOhD2t+k4IlDmqjrilOTs8KEwm0=
+github.com/jonathan-conder/ansiterm v0.0.0-20260709033836-7b24c91012ac/go.mod h1:eU3/6wzyK7n7padpmWMNAKlw7C18Buln+ofDLVPgSMM=
 github.com/juju/clock v1.1.1 h1:NvgHG9DQmOpBevgt6gzkyimdWBooLXDy1cQn89qJzBI=
 github.com/juju/clock v1.1.1/go.mod h1:HIBvJ8kiV/n7UHwKuCkdYL4l/MDECztHR2sAvWDxxf0=
 github.com/juju/collections v0.0.0-20220203020748-febd7cad8a7a h1:d7eZO8OS/ZXxdP0uq3E8CdoA1qNFaecAv90UxrxaY2k=
@@ -87,6 +92,13 @@ github.com/kr/pty v1.1.1/go.mod h1:pFQYn66WHrOpPYNljwOMqo10TkYh1fy3cYio2l3bCsQ=
 github.com/kr/text v0.1.0/go.mod h1:4Jbv+DJW3UT/LiOwJeYQe1efqtUx/iVham/4vfdArNI=
 github.com/kr/text v0.2.0 h1:5Nx0Ya0ZqY2ygV366QzturHI13Jq95ApcVaJBhpS+AY=
 github.com/kr/text v0.2.0/go.mod h1:eLer722TekiGuMkidMxC/pM04lWEeraHUUmBw8l2grE=
+github.com/lunixbochs/vtclean v1.0.0 h1:xu2sLAri4lGiovBDQKxl5mrXyESr3gUr5m5SM5+LVb8=
+github.com/lunixbochs/vtclean v1.0.0/go.mod h1:pHhQNgMf3btfWnGBVipUOjRYhoOsdGqdm/+2c2E2WMI=
+github.com/mattn/go-colorable v0.1.10/go.mod h1:u6P/XSegPjTcexA+o6vUJrdnUu04hMope9wVRipJSqc=
+github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.12/go.mod h1:cbi8OIDigv2wuxKPP5vlRcQ1OAZbq2CE4Kysco4FUpU=
+github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.14/go.mod h1:7GGIvUiUoEMVVmxf/4nioHXj79iQHKdU27kJ6hsGG94=
+github.com/mattn/go-runewidth v0.0.24 h1:cpokDiIn0MGnhdHwuWnJBITySJ20QyNGnY2kR/ay2DU=
+github.com/mattn/go-runewidth v0.0.24/go.mod h1:XBkDxAl56ILZc9knddidhrOlY5R/pDhgLpndooCuJAs=
 github.com/muhlemmer/gu v0.3.1 h1:7EAqmFrW7n3hETvuAdmFmn4hS8W+z3LgKtrnow+YzNM=
 github.com/muhlemmer/gu v0.3.1/go.mod h1:YHtHR+gxM+bKEIIs7Hmi9sPT3ZDUvTN/i88wQpZkrdM=
 github.com/muhlemmer/httpforwarded v0.1.0 h1:x4DLrzXdliq8mprgUMR0olDvHGkou5BJsK/vWUetyzY=
@@ -157,8 +169,11 @@ golang.org/x/sync v0.21.0 h1:HLII4xRRTtCRkxYp4HNFF0Js/Og6q2i++KXbg0gHCwM=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.21.0/go.mod h1:9xrNwdLfx4jkKbNva9FpL6vEN7evnE43NNNJQ2LF3+0=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190215142949-d0b11bdaac8a/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190412213103-97732733099d/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20200116001909-b77594299b42/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20200223170610-d5e6a3e2c0ae/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20200323222414-85ca7c5b95cd/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20200909081042-eff7692f9009/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20210630005230-0f9fa26af87c/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220408201424-a24fb2fb8a0f/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.46.0 h1:noSf2Fq6F8DBgS+LysIkx7rIExoNHJsxOAtPp4rthXw=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.46.0/go.mod h1:4GL1E5IUh+htKOUEOaiffhrAeqysfVGipDYzABqnCmw=