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Feb 22, 2011 (last update: Feb 22, 2011)

Powerful Console in Windows/VC++ (Color, Cursor, ...)

Score: 3.9/5 (82 votes)
*****
Powerful Console in Windows/VC++ (Color, Cursor, ...)

Console.h
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//
// Console for Windows, Tested in Visual C++ 6
//

#ifndef __Console__
#define __Console__
#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>

const char el = '\n';

class Console
{
public:
    Console(const char *title = "", int x = 0, int y = 0, int w = 100, int h = 100);
    virtual ~Console();

    inline Console & operator<<(bool);
    inline Console & operator<<(const char *);
    inline Console & operator<<(const unsigned char *);
    inline Console & operator<<(const signed char *);
    inline Console & operator<<(char);
    inline Console & operator<<(unsigned char);
    inline Console & operator<<(signed char);
    inline Console & operator<<(short);
    inline Console & operator<<(unsigned short);
    inline Console & operator<<(int);
    inline Console & operator<<(unsigned int);
    inline Console & operator<<(long);
    inline Console & operator<<(unsigned long);
    inline Console & operator<<(float);
    inline Console & operator<<(double);
    inline Console & operator<<(long double);
    inline Console & operator<<(const void *);

    void setCursor(int x, int y);
    void setColor(int textcolor, int backcolor);
    void clear(char ch = ' ');
    bool flush();
    bool allocate();
    bool setTitle(const char *title);
    bool free();
    void fillColor(int x, int y, int w, int h, char ch = 0);
    void box(int x, int y, int w, int h);
    void setCursorSize(unsigned size, bool visible);
    CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO getInfo();
    bool writeActive;

private:
    inline void write(const char *buffer, int size, bool flushW = false);
    inline void write(const unsigned char ch, bool flushW = false);
    inline void write(const char *str, bool flushW = false);
    inline void writeln(const char *str, bool flushW = false);

    static HANDLE cConsole;
    CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO cCSBI;
    bool busy;
    int cTextColor, cBackColor;
};

inline Console& Console::operator<<(const char *x)
{
    write(x);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(const unsigned char *x)
{
    write((const char *) x);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(const signed char *x)
{
    write((const char *) x);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(bool x)
{
    write(x ? "True" : "False");
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(char x)
{
    write(x);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(unsigned char x)
{
    write(x);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(signed char x)
{
    write(x);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(short x)
{
    char a[20];
    itoa(x, a, 10);
    write(a);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(unsigned short x)
{
    char a[20];
    itoa(x, a, 10);
    write(a);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(int x)
{
    char a[50];
    itoa(x, a, 10);
    write(a);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(unsigned int x)
{
    char a[50];
    itoa(x, a, 10);
    write(a);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(long x)
{
    char a[50];
    ltoa(x, a, 10);
    write(a);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(unsigned long x)
{
    char a[50];
    _ultoa(x, a, 10);
    write(a);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(float x)
{
    char a[50];
    sprintf(a, "%f", x);
    write(a);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(double x)
{
    char a[70];
    sprintf(a, "%f", x);
    write(a);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(long double x)
{
    char a[70];
    sprintf(a, "%f", x);
    write(a);
    return *this;
}

inline Console& Console::operator<<(const void *x)
{
    return *this;
}

inline void Console::write(const char *buffer, int size, bool flushW)
{
    if (!writeActive)
        return;

    unsigned long int wr;
    WriteConsole(cConsole, buffer, size, &wr, NULL);

    if (flushW)
        flush();
}

inline void Console::writeln(const char *str, bool flushW)
{
    if (!writeActive)
        return;

    unsigned long int wr;
    WriteConsole(cConsole, str, strlen(str), &wr, NULL);
    WriteConsole(cConsole, "\n", 1, &wr, NULL);

    if (flushW)
        flush();
}

inline void Console::write(const unsigned char ch, bool flushW)
{
    if (!writeActive)
        return;

    unsigned long int wr;
    WriteConsole(cConsole, &ch, 1, &wr, NULL);

    if (flushW)
        flush();
}

inline void Console::write(const char *str, bool flushW)
{
    if (!writeActive)
        return;

    unsigned long int wr;
    WriteConsole(cConsole, str, strlen(str), &wr, NULL);

    if (flushW)
        flush();
}
#endif 



Console.cpp
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#include "Console.h"

HANDLE Console::cConsole = NULL;

BOOL WINAPI consoleHandler(DWORD dwCtrlType)
{
    return true;
}

Console::Console(const char *title, int x, int y, int w, int h)
{
    allocate();
    if (!cConsole)
    {
        cConsole =
            CreateConsoleScreenBuffer(GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE,
                                      FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_READ,
                                      NULL, CONSOLE_TEXTMODE_BUFFER, 0);
    }
    COORD coord = {w, h};
    SetConsoleScreenBufferSize(cConsole, coord);
    SMALL_RECT conWin = {x, y, w, h};
    SetConsoleWindowInfo(cConsole, true, &conWin);
    SetConsoleCtrlHandler(consoleHandler, true);
    getInfo();
    setTitle(title);
    SetConsoleActiveScreenBuffer(cConsole);
    writeActive = true;
    busy = false;
}

Console::~Console()
{
    free();
    CloseHandle(cConsole);
}

void Console::setCursor(int x, int y)
{
    COORD coord = {x, y};
    SetConsoleCursorPosition(cConsole, coord);
}

void Console::setColor(int textcolor, int backcolor)
{
    WORD wAttributes = ((unsigned int) backcolor << 4) | (unsigned int) textcolor;
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(cConsole, wAttributes);
}

void Console::clear(char ch)
{
    DWORD cCharsWritten;
    DWORD size = cCSBI.dwSize.X * cCSBI.dwSize.Y;
    COORD coord = {0, 0};
    FillConsoleOutputCharacter(cConsole, ch, size, coord, &cCharsWritten),
            FillConsoleOutputAttribute(cConsole, cCSBI.wAttributes, size, coord, &cCharsWritten),
            SetConsoleCursorPosition(cConsole, coord);
}

bool Console::flush()
{
    SetConsoleActiveScreenBuffer(cConsole);
    return (FlushConsoleInputBuffer(cConsole) == TRUE) ? true : false;
}

bool Console::allocate()
{
    return (AllocConsole() == TRUE) ? true : false;
}

bool Console::free()
{
    return (FreeConsole() == TRUE) ? true : false;
}

void Console::fillColor(int x, int y, int w, int h, char ch)
{
    DWORD cCharsWritten;
    COORD coord;
    coord.X = x;
    getInfo();
    for (int i = 0; i < h; i++)
    {
        coord.Y = i + y;
        if (ch)
            FillConsoleOutputCharacter(cConsole, ch, w, coord, &cCharsWritten);
        FillConsoleOutputAttribute(cConsole, cCSBI.wAttributes, w, coord, &cCharsWritten);
    }
}

void Console::box(int x, int y, int w, int h)
{
    int k;
    if (!h && !w)
        return;
    setCursor(x, y);
    if (!h)
    {
        for (k = 0; k < w; k++)
        {
            setCursor(x + k, y);
            write(196, false);
        }

        return;
    }
    else
        if (!w)
    {
        for (k = 0; k < h; k++)
        {
            setCursor(x, y + k);
            write(179, false);
        }

        return;
    }

    write(218, false);

    for (k = 1; k < w - 1; k++)
    {
        setCursor(x + k, y);
        write(196, false);
        setCursor(x + k, y + h - 1);
        write(196, false);
    }
    write(217, false);
    for (k = 1; k < h - 1; k++)
    {
        setCursor(x, y + k);
        write(179, false);
        setCursor(x + w - 1, y + k);
        write(179, false);
    }
    setCursor(x + w - 1, y);
    write(191, false);
    setCursor(x, y + h - 1);
    write(192, false);

    flush();
}

void Console::setCursorSize(unsigned size, bool visible)
{
    CONSOLE_CURSOR_INFO cursorInfo;
    cursorInfo.bVisible = visible;
    cursorInfo.dwSize = (size < 100) ? size : 100;
    SetConsoleCursorInfo(cConsole, &cursorInfo);
}

bool Console::setTitle(const char *title)
{
    return (SetConsoleTitle(title) == TRUE) ? true : false;
}

CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO Console::getInfo()
{
    GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(cConsole, &cCSBI);
    return cCSBI;
}


Usage:
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#include "Console.h"
int main()
{
   Console console;

   console.setColor(14, 0);
   console.setCursor(23, 13);
   console << "Console" << 123 << '.';
   console.setColor(10, 0);
   console.box(0, 14, 65, 0);
   return 0;
}


Masoud
Tested in Visual C++ 6 and above