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Console Programming - System Color Command

Hi all.

I'm creating a console program using Visual c++ 6.0
I remember there being a system command that allowed
you to change the color of the background. Anyone know
the exact syntax? (I was unable to find it on msdn)

I believe it goes something like:

system("color 15");

although every combination I try gives an error.

-Chris

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

jkr

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jkr

Ooops, forgot the API reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/fileio/hh/winbase/conchar_2tid.asp

See also the sample at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/fileio/hh/winbase/conchar_2tid.asp ('Using the High-Level Input and Output Functions'):

#include <windows.h>

void NewLine(void);
void ScrollScreenBuffer(HANDLE, INT);

HANDLE hStdout, hStdin;
CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO csbiInfo;

void main(void)
{
LPSTR lpszPrompt1 = "Type something and press Enter:\n";
LPSTR lpszPrompt2 = "Type any key: ";
CHAR chBuffer[256];
DWORD cRead, cWritten, fdwMode, fdwOldMode;
WORD wOldColorAttrs;

// Get handles to STDIN and STDOUT.

hStdin = GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE);
hStdout = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
if (hStdin == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE ||
hStdout == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
{
MyErrorExit("GetStdHandle");
}

// Save the current text colors.

if (! GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(hStdout, &csbiInfo))
MyErrorExit("GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo");

wOldColorAttrs = csbiInfo.wAttributes;

// Set the text attr. to draw red text on black background.

if (! SetConsoleTextAttribute(hStdout, FOREGROUND_RED))
MyErrorExit("SetConsoleTextAttribute");

// Write to STDOUT and read from STDIN by using the default
// modes. Input is echoed automatically, and ReadFile
// does not return until a carriage return is typed.
//
// The default input modes are line, processed, and echo.
// The default output modes are processed and wrap at EOL.

while (1)
{
if (! WriteFile(
hStdout, // output handle
lpszPrompt1, // prompt string
lstrlen(lpszPrompt1), // string length
&cWritten, // bytes written
NULL) ) // not overlapped
break;
if (! ReadFile(
hStdin, // input handle
chBuffer, // buffer to read into
255, // size of buffer
&cRead, // actual bytes read
NULL) ) // not overlapped
break;
if (chBuffer[0] == 'q') break;
}

// Turn off the line input mode, and echo the input mode.

if (! GetConsoleMode(hStdin, &fdwOldMode))
MyErrorExit("GetConsoleMode");

fdwMode = fdwOldMode &
~(ENABLE_LINE_INPUT | ENABLE_ECHO_INPUT);
if (! SetConsoleMode(hStdin, fdwMode))
MyErrorExit("SetConsoleMode");

// Prompt for input.

if (! WriteFile(
hStdout, // output handle
lpszPrompt2, // prompt string
lstrlen(lpszPrompt2), // string length
&cWritten, // bytes written
NULL) ) // not overlapped
MyErrorExit("WriteFile");

// Without line and echo input modes, ReadFile returns
// when any input is available. Carriage returns must
// be handled, and WriteFile is used to echo input.

while (1)
{
if (! ReadFile(hStdin, chBuffer, 1, &cRead, NULL))
break;
if (chBuffer[0] == '\r')
NewLine();
else if (! WriteFile(hStdout, chBuffer, cRead,
&cWritten, NULL)) break;
if (chBuffer[0] == 'q') break;
}

// Restore the original console mode.

if (! SetConsoleMode(hStdin, fdwOldMode))
MyErrorExit("SetConsoleMode");

// Restore the original text colors.

if (! SetConsoleTextAttribute(hStdout, wOldColorAttrs))
MyErrorExit("SetConsoleTextAttribute");
}

// The NewLine function handles carriage returns when the processed
// input mode is disabled. It gets the current cursor position
// and resets it to the first cell of the next row.

void NewLine(void)
{
if (! GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(hStdout, &csbiInfo))
MyErrorExit("GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo");
csbiInfo.dwCursorPosition.X = 0;

// If it is the last line in the screen buffer, scroll
// the buffer up.

if ((csbiInfo.dwSize.Y-1) == csbiInfo.dwCursorPosition.Y)
{
ScrollScreenBuffer(hStdout, 1);
}

// Otherwise, advance the cursor to the next line.

else csbiInfo.dwCursorPosition.Y += 1;

if (! SetConsoleCursorPosition(hStdout,
csbiInfo.dwCursorPosition))
{
MyErrorExit("SetConsoleCursorPosition");
}
}

CPOsosky

ASKER

That worked, Thanks!

-Chris