added convenince args and comments

ascii.py

@@ -83,10 +83,10 @@ def char_color(pixel, code="irc"):
 		"light blue": (65,105,225), "pink":(255,192,203), "grey": (128,128,128),
 		"silver": (192,192,192)}
 
-	colors_irc = {"white": "0", "black": "1", "blue": "2", "green": "3", "red": "4",
-		"brown": "5", "purple": "6", "orange": "7", "yellow": "8", "light green": "9",
-		"teal": "10", "cyan": "11", "light blue": "12", "pink": "13", "grey": "14",
-		"silver": "15"}
+	colors_irc = {"white": "0", "black": "1", "blue": "2", "green": "3",
+		"red": "4", "brown": "5", "purple": "6", "orange": "7", "yellow": "8",
+		"light green": "9", "teal": "10", "cyan": "11", "light blue": "12",
+		"pink": "13", "grey": "14", "silver": "15"}
 
 	colors_ansi = {"white": "[1;37m", "black": "[0;30m", "blue": "[0;34m",
 		"green": "[0;32m", "red": "[0;31m", "brown": "[0;33m",
@@ -118,11 +118,13 @@ def open_image(imagePath):
 		if imagePath.startswith("http"):
 			res = requests.get(imagePath, headers=HEADERS, verify=True,
 				timeout=20)
+			if res.status_code == 404:
+				return "404: file not found."
 			res.raise_for_status()
 			image = Image.open(BytesIO(res.content))
 		else:
 			image = Image.open(imagePath)
-	except FileNotFoundError as e:
+	except FileNotFoundError:
 		return f"File not found: {imagePath}"
 	except Exception as e:
 		return(f"Error opening image: {imagePath}\n{e}")
@@ -132,20 +134,24 @@ def open_image(imagePath):
 
 def colorize(chars, image, code):
 	"""
-	Colorizes the ascii matrix.
+	Colorizes the ascii matrix. Moves iteratively through the matrix and
+	calls char_color on each pixel/character. Spaces are skipped to save
+	time and CPU cycles.
 	"""
 	prefix = {"irc": "\03", "ansi":"\033"}
 	chars = chars.split("\n")
 	for j in range(0, image.size[1]):
 		new_row = ""
 		for k in range(0, image.size[0]):
+			if chars[j][k] == " ":
+				continue
 			new_row += prefix[code] + char_color(image.getpixel((k,j)), code)
 			new_row += chars[j][k]
 		chars[j] = new_row
 
 	chars = "\n".join(chars)
 	if code == "ansi":
-		chars += "\033[0m"
+		chars += "\033[0m" # to avoid lingering effects in terminals
 	return chars
 
 
@@ -173,7 +179,7 @@ def ascii_to_image(image_ascii):
 	"""
 	Creates a plain image and draws text on it.
 	"""
-	# TODO: make font type and size non-fixed
+	# TODO: make font type, size and color non-fixed
 	width = len(image_ascii[:image_ascii.index("\n")]) * 8
 	height = (image_ascii.count("\n")+1) * 12 + 4
 
@@ -200,7 +206,7 @@ def handle_gif(image, output, reverse=False):
 		except EOFError:
 			break # end of sequence
 
-	#new_image.save(output, save_all=True, append_images=ascii_seq,
+	# new_image.save(output, save_all=True, append_images=ascii_seq,
 		# duration=60, loop=0, optimize=True)
 	ascii_seq = [new_image] + ascii_seq
 	np_ascii_seq = [np.array(im) for im in ascii_seq]
@@ -215,7 +221,8 @@ if __name__=='__main__':
 		description="Converts an image file to ascii art.")
 	parser.add_argument(
 		"imagePath",
-		help="The full path to the image file.")
+		help="The path to the image file. May be a local path or internet \
+		internet URL.")
 	parser.add_argument(
 		"-r",
 		"--reverse",
@@ -229,8 +236,8 @@ if __name__=='__main__':
 		"-i",
 		"--image",
 		action="store_true",
-		help="Outputs the ascii art as an image rather than plain text. \
-		Requires --output.")
+		help="Outputs the ascii art as an image rather than text. Requires \
+		--output.")
 	parser.add_argument(
 		"-a",
 		"--animated",
@@ -240,8 +247,20 @@ if __name__=='__main__':
 		"-c",
 		"--color",
 		type=str,
-		help="Colorizes the ascii matrix.")
-	parser.set_defaults(reverse=False, image=False, animated=False)
+		help="Colorizes the ascii matrix. Currently supported modes are 'irc' \
+		and 'ansi'.")
+	parser.add_argument(
+		"--ansi",
+		dest="color",
+		action="store_const",
+		const="ansi",
+		help="Shortcut for '--color ansi'.")
+	parser.add_argument(
+		"--irc",
+		dest="color",
+		action="store_const",
+		const="irc",
+		help="Shortcut for '--color irc'.")
 	args = parser.parse_args()
 
 	if args.animated:	# --animated includes --image