> `jq '.' -C` and it took a few tries for me to remember that syntax.

I don't think you really need neither `.` nor `-C`. Just `jq` seems to do the same colored output of the input by default.

It does look like neither are needed if you pipe a file in jq, but `jq . file.json` requires the `.` and if you're pipeing into a pager, like less, you need both `.` and `-C` to get colored output (that was the case with the alias I had pulled up). I am using 1.5 and haven't looked to see if 1.6 changes this.

I see. I doubt that behavior has changed, then.

`-C` would be required when piping because most of the time (with the exception of piping into less) when stdout is not a terminal, it doesn't make sense to include terminal color escape sequences. You'd end up with those codes in your files, and grep would be looking at them for matches, for example.

`.` would be required when passing the file as an argument instead of stdin, because jq interprets the first argument as jq-code. If you don't include `.` it would interpret the filename as jq-code.

`.` is still needed if I'm pipeing in json--but only when I'm piping out. Otherwise help goes to stderr and nothing goes to stdout.

I do honestly think jq is a cool and powerful tool. I also appreciate little things like auto-color when appropriate--git also does this. Git also uses your pager, which might trivialize my personal use case.