clearing the screen

[SilverLake]

{
    int max, death;
    string black = "/roll";
    {
    cout<< " Welcome to the dice rolling game\n";
    cout<< "\n";
    cout<< "To roll the dice simply type /roll\n";
    cout<< "\n";
    cout<< "\n";
    cin>> black;
    cout<< "\n";
    cout<< "\n";
    
    cin.ignore ();
    
    if (black == "/roll")
    {
                 srand (time (0));
                 death = (rand () % 20 );
                 cout<< "\n";
                 cout<< "\n";
                 cout<< "You rolled a .... " << death << "\n";
                 cout<< "\n";
                 }
                 cin.ignore ();
                 cin.get ();
                 
                 }
                 }

Its a simply program, I' am jus wondering how I would clear the screen back to the beginning of the program and not just clearing everything to a blank screen.

[hanst99]

You don't. At least not with standard C++.

If you however have a function available that clears the screen, just do that and print the welcome message again.

[SilverLake]

How would you do that, and can you constantly repeat it back to the welcome message?

[zb0S216C]

As Hanst said, C++ doesn't provide console functionality, it's the OS that provides the functionality. If you don't care about cross-platform development (for consoles), go ahead an use system( "CLS" ). However! a call to system( ) is heavy, ugly and is a security risk; not to mention that it relies on the executables within the System32 folder. A removal of the executable that your program uses, and your program will not run.

_Wazzak

[SameerThigale]

@Framework: Why do you say that system() has a security risk? And what do you literally mean by a security risk?

[Zhuge]

It calls whatever program you tell it to, as Framework said. Someone could easily replace that program with a malicious one, or even simply place it higher on the default paths the OS looks on.

[10oTURfi]

Dont reccomend him system("cls"). It slowes down program alot.

I think Duoas made a nice alternative for that, which is MUCH faster than system("cls") Gonna post it when I find it.

[10oTURfi]

Awesome stuff guys.

/*
All credits for this goes to Duoas @http://www.cplusplus.com
*/
#include <windows.h>

void ClearScreen()
  {
  HANDLE                     hStdOut;
  CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO csbi;
  DWORD                      count;
  DWORD                      cellCount;
  COORD                      homeCoords = { 0, 0 };

  hStdOut = GetStdHandle( STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE );
  if (hStdOut == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) return;

  if (!GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo( hStdOut, &csbi )) return;
  cellCount = csbi.dwSize.X *csbi.dwSize.Y;

  if (!FillConsoleOutputCharacter(
    hStdOut,
    (TCHAR) ' ',
    cellCount,
    homeCoords,
    &count
    )) return;

  if (!FillConsoleOutputAttribute(
    hStdOut,
    csbi.wAttributes,
    cellCount,
    homeCoords,
    &count
    )) return;

  SetConsoleCursorPosition( hStdOut, homeCoords );
  }