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Win32 Console Application Tools

Posted by Roger McElfresh on May 23rd, 2002



Click here for larger image

Environment: VC6, SP5, WinXP; should also work on Win9x

I decided to make these routines public after looking for a long time to find them.

  • void clrscr();
  • void gotoxy(x,y);
  • void setrgb(color);

The code to accomplish this follows.

// console.cpp
//
#include "console.h"

using namespace std;

//
// Clears the screen
//
void clrscr()
{
  COORD coordScreen = { 0, 0 }; 
  DWORD cCharsWritten; 
  CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO csbi; 
  DWORD dwConSize; 
  HANDLE hConsole = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE); 
  
  GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(hConsole, &csbi); 
  dwConSize = csbi.dwSize.X * csbi.dwSize.Y; 
  FillConsoleOutputCharacter(hConsole, TEXT(' '),
                             dwConSize, 
                             coordScreen,
                             &cCharsWritten); 
  GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(hConsole, &csbi;); 
  FillConsoleOutputAttribute(hConsole,
                             csbi.wAttributes,
                             dwConSize,
                             coordScreen,
                             &cCharsWritten); 
  SetConsoleCursorPosition(hConsole, coordScreen); 
}

//
// Moves the cursor to x, y in console window
// ie x=left\right y=top\bottom
//
void gotoxy(int x, int y)
{
  COORD point;
  point.X = x; point.Y = y;
  SetConsoleCursorPosition(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                           point);
}

//
// Set text and background colors
//
void setrgb(int color)
{
  switch (color)
  {
  case 0:    // White on Black
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                        FOREGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_RED |
                        FOREGROUND_GREEN | FOREGROUND_BLUE);
    break;
  case 1:    // Red on Black
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                         FOREGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_RED);
    break;
  case 2:    // Green on Black
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                      FOREGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_GREEN);
    break;
  case 3:    // Yellow on Black
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                      FOREGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_RED |
                      FOREGROUND_GREEN);
    break;
  case 4:    // Blue on Black
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                      FOREGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_BLUE);
    break;
  case 5:    // Magenta on Black
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                     FOREGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_RED |
                     FOREGROUND_BLUE);
    break;
  case 6:    // Cyan on Black
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                    FOREGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_GREEN |
                    FOREGROUND_BLUE);
    break;
  case 7:    // Black on Gray
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                  BACKGROUND_INTENSITY | BACKGROUND_INTENSITY);
    break;
  case 8:    // Black on White
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                  BACKGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_INTENSITY |
                  BACKGROUND_RED | BACKGROUND_GREEN |
                  BACKGROUND_BLUE);
    break;
  case 9:    // Red on White
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                  BACKGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_INTENSITY |
                  BACKGROUND_RED | BACKGROUND_GREEN |
                  BACKGROUND_BLUE |
      FOREGROUND_RED);
    break;
  case 10:    // Green on White
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                 BACKGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_INTENSITY |
                 BACKGROUND_RED | BACKGROUND_GREEN |
                 BACKGROUND_BLUE | FOREGROUND_GREEN);
    break;
  case 11:    // Yellow on White
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                 BACKGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_INTENSITY |
                 BACKGROUND_RED | BACKGROUND_GREEN |
                 BACKGROUND_BLUE | FOREGROUND_RED |
                 FOREGROUND_GREEN);
    break;
  case 12:    // Blue on White
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                 BACKGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_INTENSITY |
                 BACKGROUND_RED | BACKGROUND_GREEN |
                 BACKGROUND_BLUE | FOREGROUND_BLUE);
    break;
  case 13:    // Magenta on White
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                 BACKGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_INTENSITY |
                 BACKGROUND_RED | BACKGROUND_GREEN |
                 BACKGROUND_BLUE | FOREGROUND_RED |
                 FOREGROUND_BLUE);
    break;
  case 14:    // Cyan on White
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                 BACKGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_INTENSITY |
                 BACKGROUND_RED | BACKGROUND_GREEN |
                 BACKGROUND_BLUE | FOREGROUND_GREEN |
                 FOREGROUND_BLUE);
    break;
  case 15:    // White on White
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                BACKGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_INTENSITY |
                BACKGROUND_RED | BACKGROUND_GREEN |
                BACKGROUND_BLUE | FOREGROUND_RED |
                FOREGROUND_GREEN | FOREGROUND_BLUE);
    break;
  default :    // White on Black
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),
                FOREGROUND_INTENSITY | FOREGROUND_RED |
                FOREGROUND_GREEN | FOREGROUND_BLUE);
    break;
  }
}

Downloads

Download demo project - 110 Kb
Download source - 7 Kb


Comments

  • is possible this method??

    Posted by Legacy on 02/11/2004 12:00am

    Originally posted by: pegas

    i know console api.
    i wanna execute the ConsoleApp and send the data.
    flow chart is below..

    main program is windows application.
    in main program, createprocess ConsoleApp(exe)
    then, i wanna control the consoleapp in main program.
    But i cant get the handle of ConsoleApp..

    How Method can i...

    Reply

  • Troubles !

    Posted by Legacy on 01/20/2004 12:00am

    Originally posted by: MTJ 

    I'm using Visual Basic 5.0, I'm trying to write a console

    application in it. I translated the VC++ code into Visual

    Basic format, added "Types" and API Declarations and then

    compiled and changed the App mode to Console User

    Interface. Text printing was all right, text inputing

    worked, but gotoxy() and clrscr() didn't work! What can I

    do now?


    The code below was the code I used:


    Public Type COORD

            x As Integer

            y As Integer

    End Type


    Public Type SMALL_RECT

            Left As Integer

            Top As Integer

            Right As Integer

            Bottom As Integer

    End Type


    Public Type CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO

            dwSize As COORD

            dwCursorPosition As COORD

            wAttributes As Integer

            srWindow As SMALL_RECT

            dwMaximumWindowSize As COORD

    End Type


    Public Declare Function GetStdHandle Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetStdHandle" _

        (ByVal nStdHandle As Long) As Long


    Private Declare Function WriteFile Lib "kernel32" Alias "WriteFile" _

       (ByVal hFile As Long, ByVal lpBuffer As Any, _

        ByVal nNumberOfBytesToWrite As Long, _

        lpNumberOfBytesWritten As Long, _

        ByVal lpOverlapped As Any) As Long


    Private Declare Function ReadFile Lib "kernel32" Alias "ReadFile" _

        (ByVal hFile As Long, ByVal lpBuffer As Any, _

        ByVal nNumberOfBytesToRead As Long, _

        lpNumberOfBytesRead As Long, _

        ByVal lpOverlapped As Any) As Long


    Public Declare Function GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo Lib "kernel32" _

        (ByVal hConsoleOutput As Long, _

        lpConsoleScreenBufferInfo As CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO) As Long


    Public Declare Function SetConsoleCursorPosition Lib "kernel32" _

        (ByVal hConsoleOutput As Long, _

        dwCursorPosition As COORD) As Long


    Public Declare Function FillConsoleOutputCharacter Lib "kernel32" _

        Alias "FillConsoleOutputCharacterA" _

        (ByVal hConsoleOutput As Long, _

        ByVal cCharacter As Byte, _

        ByVal nLength As Long, _

        dwWriteCoord As COORD, _

        lpNumberOfCharsWritten As Long) As Long


    Public Declare Function FillConsoleOutputAttribute Lib "kernel32" _

        (ByVal hConsoleOutput As Long, _

        ByVal wAttribute As Long, _

        ByVal nLength As Long, _

        dwWriteCoord As COORD, _

        lpNumberOfAttrsWritten As Long) As Long


    Public Const STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE = -11&

    Public Const STD_INPUT_HANDLE = -10&


    Public Sub clrscr()


        Dim coordScreen As COORD

        coordScreen.x = 0: coordScreen.y = 0

        Dim cCharsWritten As Long

        Dim csbi As CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO

        Dim dwConSize As Long

        Dim hConsole As Long: hConsole = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE)


        Call GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(hConsole, csbi)

        dwConSize = csbi.dwSize.x * csbi.dwSize.y

        Call FillConsoleOutputCharacter(hConsole, CByte(Asc(" ")), dwConSize, coordScreen, cCharsWritten)

        Call GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(hConsole, csbi)

        Call FillConsoleOutputAttribute(hConsole, csbi.wAttributes, dwConSize, coordScreen, cCharsWritten)

        Call SetConsoleCursorPosition(hConsole, coordScreen)


    

    End Sub


    '

    ' Moves the cursor to x, y in console window

    ' ie x=left\right y=top\bottom

    '

    Public Sub gotoxy(ByVal x As Integer, ByVal y As Integer)


        Dim point As COORD

        point.x = x: point.y = y

        Call SetConsoleCursorPosition(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), point)


    End Sub

    Reply

  • DOS-Appearance

    Posted by Legacy on 12/12/2003 12:00am

    Originally posted by: Alon Weiss 

    I wanted my app to resemble to an old 80x25 DOS program.

    Here is how i did it:


    void SetScrnSize(int W, int H)

    {

    SMALL_RECT SR;

    SR.Top = 0;

    SR.Left = 0;

    SR.Bottom = H-1;

    SR.Right = W-1;


    SetConsoleWindowInfo(

    	GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),

    	TRUE, 

    	&SR;);


    COORD Sz;

    Sz.X = W;

    Sz.Y = H;


    SetConsoleScreenBufferSize(

      GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE),

      Sz

    );


    you can call it with 80,25 and it works!

    in console.cpp example, add these lines after the clrscr() call:


    	SetScrnSize(80,25);

    	for (i=0; i<8;i++)

    	{

    		for (int j=0;j<9;j++)

    			cout<<"-";

    		cout<<"|";

    	}

    	for (i=2;i<=25;i++)

    	{

    		cout <<i;

    		if (i<25) cout <<endl;

    	};


    hope it will help someone..

    Alon Weiss.

    Reply

  • may i ask something??

    Posted by Legacy on 11/14/2003 12:00am

    Originally posted by: blue-bon

    i had try the code n it's work...thx
    but somthing bothering me that i dont know what does its statement mean. esp. -SetConsoleTextAtribute-. any one can help me to find out the description for this syntax....


    thx

    Reply

  • Example on Drawing w/the gotoxy function

    Posted by Legacy on 09/01/2003 12:00am

    Originally posted by: Wes Baldwin 

    // drawing.cpp : A simple set of drawing functions by Wes Baldwin

    //Code date 09.01.03


    #include "stdafx.h"

    #include <iostream>

    #include <windows.h>


    const unsigned char horiz_line = '�';

    const unsigned char vert_line  = '�';

    const unsigned char ul_corner  = '�';

    const unsigned char ur_corner  = '�';

    const unsigned char ll_corner  = '�';

    const unsigned char lr_corner  = '�';


    using namespace std;


    void draw_hLine(int length, int x = 0, int y = 0);

    void draw_vLine(int length, int x = 0, int y = 0);

    void draw_Rect(int x, int y, int l, int w);

    void set_Cursor(int x, int y);


    int main(int argc, char* argv[])

    {

    	SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), 

    	FOREGROUND_INTENSITY | 

    	FOREGROUND_RED); //contributed by Roger McElfresh


    	draw_Rect(1, 1, 15, 75);

    	draw_Rect(2, 2, 15, 75);

    	set_Cursor(15,9);

    	cout << "Line and Rectangle Drawing Code by: Wes Baldwin";


    	SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), 

    	FOREGROUND_INTENSITY | 

    	FOREGROUND_RED | 

    	FOREGROUND_GREEN | 

    	FOREGROUND_BLUE); //contributed by Roger McElfresh


    	cout << "\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n";

    	return 0;

    }


    void set_Cursor(int x, int y) //contributed by Roger McElfresh

    {

    	COORD point;

    	point.X = x; point.Y = y;

    	SetConsoleCursorPosition(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), point);

      return;

    }


    

    void draw_hLine(int length, int x, int y)

    {

    	int i = 0;


    	if(x > 0 || y > 0)

    	set_Cursor(x, y);


    	for(i = 0; i < length; i++)

    	{

    		cout << horiz_line;

    	}

    	return;

    }


    void draw_vLine(int length, int x, int y)

    {

    	int i = 0;


    	if(x > 0 || y > 0)

    	set_Cursor(x, y);


    	for(i = 0; i < length; i++)

    	{

    		set_Cursor(x, y + i);

    			cout << vert_line;

    	}

    	return;

    }


    void draw_Rect(int x, int y, int l, int w)

    {

    	set_Cursor(x, y);

    	cout << ul_corner;

    	draw_hLine(w - 2);

    	cout << ur_corner;

    	set_Cursor(x, y + 1);

    	draw_vLine(l - 2, x, y + 1);

    	set_Cursor(x, y + (l - 1));

    	cout << ll_corner;

    	draw_hLine(w - 2, x + 1, y + (l - 1));

    	cout << lr_corner;

    	draw_vLine(l - 2, x + w - 1, y + 1);

    	return;

    }

    Reply

  • sizing the console window other than default 80X30

    Posted by Legacy on 08/11/2003 12:00am

    Originally posted by: Adam

    What's the most straighforward way to size the console window programmatically so the code determines the console size when the program is launched.

    Reply

  • Your DEFAULT gray isn't the real DOS-gray

    Posted by Legacy on 08/11/2003 12:00am

    Originally posted by: Lord of the Things

    How can i get back that fine DOS-Gray after using these funcs?
    (Cause your default isn't exactly the same)

    Reply

  • Very Kewl

    Posted by Legacy on 06/07/2003 12:00am

    Originally posted by: Retief

    I just poped in your function for font color into my program..added the windows.h and pow! works great

    thanks a lot

    Reply

  • Can I minimize or hide a console programmatically as well?

    Posted by Legacy on 03/11/2003 12:00am

    Originally posted by: SGL

    I would like to minimize (at least) my console app, but don't see a function which allows this. Any ideas?

    Thanks,
    Steve

    Reply

  • If you want to use this in VC++ 5.0...

    Posted by Legacy on 03/11/2003 12:00am

    Originally posted by: Dan

    A friend and I are sitting here in class and he wanted to use your color thing to create a line of characters in his program that flickers different colors. The problem is, whatever was the last color he chose, the compiler made the entire thing that color. We found though that this problem is solved - so far as we can tell - by using 'printf' instead of 'cout'. I am posting here to let any other VC++ 5.0 users know this, but also to see if anyone has an answer as to why the compiler did this.

    Reply

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