diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7b3aaa8..c5da54b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 set(headers
     src/cleanuphelper.h
+    src/color_utils.h
     src/cppbitmask.h
-    src/crc32builder.h
     src/cppflags.h
     src/cppmacros.h
     src/cppoverloadutils.h
     src/cppsignal.h
     src/cpptypesafeenum.h
     src/cpputils.h
+    src/crc32builder.h
     src/delayedconstruction.h
     src/numberparsing.h
     src/refwhenneeded.h
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ set(headers
 )
 
 set(sources
+    src/color_utils.cpp
     src/strutils.cpp
 )
 
diff --git a/src/color_utils.cpp b/src/color_utils.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f266a4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/color_utils.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#include "color_utils.h"
+
+// 3rdparty lib includes
+#include <fmt/core.h>
+
+namespace cpputils {
+std::string toString(ColorHelper color)
+{
+    return fmt::format("#{:02X}{:02X}{:02X}", color.r, color.g, color.b);
+}
+
+tl::expected<ColorHelper, std::string> parseColor(std::string_view str)
+{
+    // input may be "#FFF" or "#FFFFFF" or "#FFFFFFFF"
+
+    if (ColorHelper helper; std::sscanf(str.data(), "#%2hhx%2hhx%2hhx", &helper.r, &helper.g, &helper.b) == 3)
+        return helper;
+
+    if (ColorHelper helper; std::sscanf(str.data(), "#%1hhx%1hhx%1hhx", &helper.r, &helper.g, &helper.b) == 3)
+    {
+        helper.r <<= 4;
+        helper.g <<= 4;
+        helper.b <<= 4;
+        return helper;
+    }
+
+    return tl::make_unexpected(fmt::format("invalid color {}", str));
+}
+
+} // namespace cpputils
diff --git a/src/color_utils.h b/src/color_utils.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..75457ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/color_utils.h
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+#pragma once
+
+// system includes
+#include <string>
+#include <string_view>
+#include <array>
+
+// 3rdparty lib includes
+#include <tl/expected.hpp>
+
+namespace cpputils {
+struct ColorHelper
+{
+    constexpr ColorHelper() = default;
+    constexpr ColorHelper(uint8_t _r, uint8_t _g, uint8_t _b) : r{_r}, g{_g}, b{_b} {}
+    constexpr ColorHelper(const ColorHelper &other) = default;
+
+    constexpr ColorHelper &operator=(const ColorHelper &other) = default;
+
+    constexpr bool operator==(const ColorHelper &other) const { return r == other.r && g == other.g && b == other.b; }
+    constexpr bool operator!=(const ColorHelper &other) const { return r != other.r || g != other.g || b != other.b; }
+
+    uint8_t r{};
+    uint8_t g{};
+    uint8_t b{};
+};
+
+namespace {
+constexpr ColorHelper black{};
+constexpr ColorHelper red{255, 0, 0};
+constexpr ColorHelper blue{0, 0, 255};
+constexpr ColorHelper yellow{255, 255, 0};
+constexpr ColorHelper cyan{0, 255, 255};
+constexpr ColorHelper green{0, 255, 0};
+constexpr ColorHelper white{255, 255, 255};
+constexpr ColorHelper pink{255, 0, 255};
+} // namespace
+
+struct HsvColor
+{
+    constexpr HsvColor() = default;
+    constexpr HsvColor(uint8_t _h, uint8_t _s, uint8_t _v) : h{_h}, s{_s}, v{_v}  {}
+    constexpr HsvColor(const HsvColor &other) = default;
+
+    constexpr HsvColor &operator=(const HsvColor &other) = default;
+
+    constexpr bool operator==(const HsvColor &other) const { return h == other.h && s == other.s && v == other.v; }
+    constexpr bool operator!=(const HsvColor &other) const { return h != other.h || s != other.s || v != other.v; }
+
+    uint8_t h{};
+    uint8_t s{};
+    uint8_t v{};
+};
+
+std::string toString(ColorHelper color);
+tl::expected<ColorHelper, std::string> parseColor(std::string_view str);
+
+inline uint32_t colorToNumber(ColorHelper color)
+{
+    union {
+        uint32_t temp;
+        struct {
+            // reverse order to be reverse compatible with existing configs
+            uint8_t b;
+            uint8_t g;
+            uint8_t r;
+            uint8_t x;
+        };
+    } helper;
+    helper.b = color.b;
+    helper.g = color.g;
+    helper.r = color.r;
+    helper.x = 0;
+    return helper.temp;
+}
+
+inline ColorHelper numberToColor(uint32_t number)
+{
+    union {
+        uint32_t temp;
+        struct {
+            // reverse order to be reverse compatible with existing configs
+            uint8_t b;
+            uint8_t g;
+            uint8_t r;
+            uint8_t x;
+        };
+    } helper;
+    helper.temp = number;
+    return ColorHelper{helper.r, helper.g, helper.b};
+}
+
+constexpr inline ColorHelper interpolateColor(ColorHelper left, ColorHelper right, uint8_t pos)
+{
+    int16_t leftAmount = pos;
+    int16_t rightAmount = 255 - pos;
+
+    return ColorHelper (
+        (left.r * leftAmount / 255) + (right.r * rightAmount / 255),
+        (left.g * leftAmount / 255) + (right.g * rightAmount / 255),
+        (left.b * leftAmount / 255) + (right.b * rightAmount / 255)
+    );
+}
+
+constexpr inline ColorHelper HsvToRgb(HsvColor hsv)
+{
+    if (hsv.s == 0)
+        return ColorHelper{hsv.v, hsv.v, hsv.v};
+
+    const uint8_t region = hsv.h / 43;
+    const uint8_t remainder = (hsv.h - (region * 43)) * 6;
+
+    const uint8_t p = (hsv.v * (255 - hsv.s)) >> 8;
+    const uint8_t q = (hsv.v * (255 - ((hsv.s * remainder) >> 8))) >> 8;
+    const uint8_t t = (hsv.v * (255 - ((hsv.s * (255 - remainder)) >> 8))) >> 8;
+
+    switch (region)
+    {
+    case 0:  return ColorHelper{hsv.v, t,     p    };
+    case 1:  return ColorHelper{q,     hsv.v, p    };
+    case 2:  return ColorHelper{p,     hsv.v, t    };
+    case 3:  return ColorHelper{p,     q,     hsv.v};
+    case 4:  return ColorHelper{t,     p,     hsv.v};
+    default: return ColorHelper{hsv.v, p,     q    };
+    }
+}
+
+template<size_t COUNT>
+constexpr inline std::array<ColorHelper, COUNT> generateRainbowColors()
+{
+    std::array<ColorHelper, COUNT> colors;
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < COUNT; i++)
+    {
+        HsvColor hsvColor{uint8_t(i * 256.f / COUNT), 240, 255};
+        ColorHelper rgbColor = HsvToRgb(hsvColor);
+        colors[i] = rgbColor;
+    }
+
+    return colors;
+}
+
+} // namespace cpputils
diff --git a/src/strutils.cpp b/src/strutils.cpp
index 0ccee4e..6e4c4e1 100644
--- a/src/strutils.cpp
+++ b/src/strutils.cpp
@@ -5,20 +5,6 @@
 #include <cctype>
 
 namespace cpputils {
-std::string toString(bool val) { return val ? "true" : "false"; }
-std::string toString(int8_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
-std::string toString(uint8_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
-std::string toString(int16_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
-std::string toString(uint16_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
-std::string toString(int32_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
-std::string toString(uint32_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
-std::string toString(int64_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
-std::string toString(uint64_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
-std::string toString(float val) { return std::to_string(val); }
-std::string toString(double val) { return std::to_string(val); }
-std::string toString(const std::string &val) { return val; }
-std::string toString(std::optional<uint8_t> val) { if (val) return toString(*val); else return {}; }
-
 bool stringEqualsIgnoreCase(std::string_view a, std::string_view b)
 {
     return a == b; // HACK for now...
diff --git a/src/strutils.h b/src/strutils.h
index ee840ce..3d0546f 100644
--- a/src/strutils.h
+++ b/src/strutils.h
@@ -6,19 +6,30 @@
 #include <string_view>
 
 namespace cpputils {
-std::string toString(bool val);
-std::string toString(int8_t val);
-std::string toString(uint8_t val);
-std::string toString(int16_t val);
-std::string toString(uint16_t val);
-std::string toString(int32_t val);
-std::string toString(uint32_t val);
-std::string toString(int64_t val);
-std::string toString(uint64_t val);
-std::string toString(float val);
-std::string toString(double val);
-std::string toString(const std::string &val);
-std::string toString(std::optional<uint8_t> val);
+inline std::string toString(bool val) { return val ? "true" : "false"; }
+inline std::string toString(int8_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
+inline std::string toString(uint8_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
+inline std::string toString(int16_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
+inline std::string toString(uint16_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
+inline std::string toString(int32_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
+inline std::string toString(uint32_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
+inline std::string toString(int64_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
+inline std::string toString(uint64_t val) { return std::to_string(val); }
+inline std::string toString(float val) { return std::to_string(val); }
+inline std::string toString(double val) { return std::to_string(val); }
+inline std::string toString(const std::string &val) { return val; }
+inline std::string toString(std::optional<bool> val) { if (val) return toString(*val); else return {}; }
+inline std::string toString(std::optional<int8_t> val) { if (val) return toString(*val); else return {}; }
+inline std::string toString(std::optional<uint8_t> val) { if (val) return toString(*val); else return {}; }
+inline std::string toString(std::optional<int16_t> val) { if (val) return toString(*val); else return {}; }
+inline std::string toString(std::optional<uint16_t> val) { if (val) return toString(*val); else return {}; }
+inline std::string toString(std::optional<int32_t> val) { if (val) return toString(*val); else return {}; }
+inline std::string toString(std::optional<uint32_t> val) { if (val) return toString(*val); else return {}; }
+inline std::string toString(std::optional<int64_t> val) { if (val) return toString(*val); else return {}; }
+inline std::string toString(std::optional<uint64_t> val) { if (val) return toString(*val); else return {}; }
+inline std::string toString(std::optional<float> val) { if (val) return toString(*val); else return {}; }
+inline std::string toString(std::optional<double> val) { if (val) return toString(*val); else return {}; }
+inline std::string toString(const std::optional<std::string> &val) { if (val) return toString(*val); else return {}; }
 
 bool stringEqualsIgnoreCase(std::string_view a, std::string_view b);
 bool stringStartsWith(std::string_view fullString, std::string_view begin);