# Install highlight with Homebrew, apk, chocolatey, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, zypper Convert source code to formatted text with syntax highlighting. Version 4.20 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-24. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:highlight ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install highlight ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install highlight ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: textproc/highlight/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add highlight ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: highlight from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install highlight ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: highlight from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install highlight ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: highlight from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#highlight ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: highlight from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S highlight ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: highlight from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install highlight ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: highlight from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ### Windows - Chocolatey (92%): ```sh choco install highlight ``` Evidence: Chocolatey community package catalog: highlight from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='6.8399997','dnscrypt-proxy' - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install main/highlight ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/highlight.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:highlight - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 4.20 - **Source summary:** Convert source code to formatted text with syntax highlighting - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-05-24T11:59:53Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - highlight (cli) - highlight (alias) ## Dependencies - lua ## Build dependencies - boost - pkgconf ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 4.20 - Package-manager updated: 2026-05-24 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: http://andre-simon.de/doku/highlight/en/highlight.php - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage highlight, by André Simon, converts source code into syntax-highlighted output for formats such as HTML, XHTML, RTF, ODT, TeX, LaTeX, SVG, BBCode, Pango markup, and terminal color escape sequences. Its long-running appeal is that language definitions, themes, and plug-ins are data-driven Lua scripts rather than hardcoded syntax tables, making it useful both as a CLI converter and as a document-generation component. ### Project history The changelog traces the project back to `src2css` 0.1 in April 2002, followed by `highlight` 0.1 in July 2002 and `highlight` 1.0 in August 2002. Early releases added batch conversion, XHTML, RTF, TeX/LaTeX output, and more language definitions. The 2.x line expanded output formats, language coverage, shared-library targets, filetype mapping, compatibility options for GNU source-highlight, and a rewritten Qt GUI. In 2009, the changelog records a license move from GPLv2 to GPLv3. The 3.0 beta in June 2010 was a structural change: language definitions, themes, and filetype configuration were converted to Lua scripts, and a plug-in option was added. The 4.x line continued the Lua-script model while adding service-mode, LSP-related improvements, more languages, CMake/Meson work, and C++17 refactoring. ### Adoption history highlight spread through Unix package managers because it is useful in documentation pipelines, static-site generation, editor/tool integrations, and terminal workflows. The input package map lists Alpine, Homebrew, Chocolatey, Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, Scoop, and openSUSE-style packages. Official extras also show integration beyond one-off CLI use. The Pandoc example demonstrates using highlight as an external highlighter inside document preprocessing, including importing external source files and inline themes. ### How it is used Common use is `highlight -i main.cpp -o main.cpp.html` for HTML, `highlight < main.cpp > main.cpp.html --syntax cpp` for standard-input workflows, or `highlight -O latex` for TeX/LaTeX output. Batch and recursive options let it process trees of source files. Users customize behavior through language definitions, themes, plug-ins, file mappings, and output-format flags. The manual documents terminal truecolor and xterm256 output as well as document formats, making the tool relevant both on the command line and in generated artifacts. ### Why package nerds care highlight is package-nerd material because it is old-school Unix plumbing that still tracks new languages and output targets. It can sit behind manpage/documentation generation, static websites, code samples, and terminal previews without forcing a runtime-heavy web stack. Its Lua-definition architecture is also useful for downstreams: language and theme behavior can be patched or extended as data files, which fits distribution packaging better than editing core parser code for every syntax tweak. ### Timeline - 2002: src2css 0.1 appears, followed by highlight 0.1 and highlight 1.0. - 2008: 2.6-14 adds GNU source-highlight compatibility options. - 2009: 2.10 changes the project license from GPLv2 to GPLv3. - 2010: 3.0 beta converts language definitions, themes, and filetype data to Lua scripts. - 2021: 4.0 starts the 4.x line. - 2023: 4.6 adds service-mode support. - 2026: 4.20 records C++17 refactoring and more language/build-system updates. ### Related projects - GNU source-highlight is a related converter; highlight explicitly added compatibility options for some of its CLI behavior. - Artistic Style is bundled or updated through the changelog for source-code reformatting features. - Pandoc is a documented integration target via highlight's extras, where highlight can provide external code highlighting in document workflows. ### Sources - Changelog: https://gitlab.com/saalen/highlight/-/blob/master/ChangeLog.adoc - Language list: https://gitlab.com/saalen/highlight/-/blob/master/README_LANGLIST.adoc - Manual: http://andre-simon.de/doku/highlight/en/highlight.php - Pandoc extra: https://gitlab.com/saalen/highlight/-/blob/master/extras/pandoc/README.html - README: https://gitlab.com/saalen/highlight#readme ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** highlight - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - highlight - 4.10-1+b2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: highlight from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Universal source code to formatted text converter | http://www.andre-simon.de - Debian apt - highlight-common - 4.10-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: highlight-common from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | source code to formatted text converter (architecture independent files) | http://www.andre-simon.de - Debian apt - libhighlight-perl - 4.10-1+b2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libhighlight-perl from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | perl bindings for highlight source code to formatted text converter | http://www.andre-simon.de - Nix - highlight: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: highlight from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix - Ubuntu apt - highlight - 4.10-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: highlight from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Universal source code to formatted text converter | http://www.andre-simon.de - Ubuntu apt - highlight-common - 4.10-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: highlight-common from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | source code to formatted text converter (architecture independent files) | http://www.andre-simon.de - Ubuntu apt - libhighlight-perl - 4.10-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libhighlight-perl from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | perl bindings for highlight source code to formatted text converter | http://www.andre-simon.de - apk - highlight - 4.19-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: highlight from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Fast and flexible source code highlighter | http://www.andre-simon.de/doku/highlight/highlight.html - apk - highlight-bash-completion - 4.19-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: highlight-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Bash completions for highlight | http://www.andre-simon.de/doku/highlight/highlight.html - apk - highlight-doc - 4.19-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: highlight-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Fast and flexible source code highlighter (documentation) | http://www.andre-simon.de/doku/highlight/highlight.html - apk - highlight-fish-completion - 4.19-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: highlight-fish-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Fish completions for highlight | http://www.andre-simon.de/doku/highlight/highlight.html - apk - highlight-zsh-completion - 4.19-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: highlight-zsh-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Zsh completions for highlight | http://www.andre-simon.de/doku/highlight/highlight.html - dnf - highlight - 4.20-4.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: highlight from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Universal source code to formatted text converter | http://www.andre-simon.de/ - dnf - highlight-gui - 4.20-4.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: highlight-gui from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | GUI for the highlight source code formatter | http://www.andre-simon.de/ - pacman - highlight - 4.20-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: highlight from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Fast and flexible source code highlighter - CLI version | http://www.andre-simon.de/doku/highlight/highlight.html - zypper - highlight - 4.18-1.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: highlight from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Universal Source Code to Formatted Text Converter | http://www.andre-simon.de/ ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [lua](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lua/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [source-highlight](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/source-highlight/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, source-code, syntax-highlighting. - [ccat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ccat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, syntax-highlighting. - [chroma](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/chroma/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, syntax-highlighting. - [pygments](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pygments/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, syntax-highlighting. - [shiki](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/shiki/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, syntax-highlighting. - [skylighting](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/skylighting/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, syntax-highlighting. - [enscript](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/enscript/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, html, syntax-highlighting. - [latexml](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/latexml/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, html, latex. - [ansifilter](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ansifilter/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: cli, convert, developer, developer-tools, html. - [html2text](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/html2text/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, html, text. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/highlight.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/highlight.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph