Syntax Highlight Bot for Code

Ten lines of code land in a group chat and all you see is a gray wall of text. Where does the function end, what is a string, what is a comment? Syntax Highlight Bot fixes that. Add it to a group and it colors every multiline code message it sees.

It fits developer chats, study groups and work threads where snippets fly around all day. 💻

Triple backticks, nothing else

The idea is simple. You write code between triple backticks, the same way you would in a README or on a developer forum. The bot spots that block and replies with an image of your code, highlighted.

It guesses the language on its own. If it guesses wrong, put the language name on the first line right after the opening backticks, for example js or python. Most editors use the same notation.

Getting it running in a minute

1. Add the bot to your group. Open its profile and choose to add it to a chat.
2. Post code in triple backticks. One line is not enough, because the bot reacts to multiline blocks.
3. Wait for the image. You get a picture with the colored code.
4. Tune the look. The /theme command shows the available color themes, and /langs lists the supported languages.

If the bot stays silent, check that it was added to a group and can read messages. In groups with tight permissions, make sure it is allowed to post.

Why an image when monospace exists

A monospace block in Telegram keeps indentation but adds no color. For Python, where indentation carries meaning, that already helps. For a long JSON file or a template full of nested brackets, color saves minutes of squinting.

There is a catch too. You cannot copy code out of a picture with one tap, so for long snippets keep the original text in the message and let the bot show the pretty version next to it.

Where it came from

The first version was written by a developer named Cristian Ospina. Later another author, Denis Efremov, rewrote the bot in Node.js. The project source is open, so you can read how it works and run your own copy for a private chat.

For a small community that is a sensible route. Your own instance does not depend on someone else's server and follows your rules.

What to keep in mind

• Privacy. Code posted in the group is processed by whoever runs the bot. Never send secrets, keys or passwords to a chat with a bot.
• Uptime. Small hobby bots sometimes go offline or answer slowly. If no image arrives, wait a bit and try again.
• Built-in highlighting. Some Telegram clients already color code blocks natively. If your friends have that, the bot matters less.
• Chat noise. The bot answers every multiline block, so a busy group can fill up with pictures.

When it beats a plain block

The bot shines when people discuss code line by line: reviewing a test task, helping a beginner, looking at a short patch. A colored version is easier to read on a phone, where long lines are already cramped.

It also works as a quick screenshot maker for a post. Send the code, get the image, save it.