Is it possible to hide the mouse?

[Mythios]

Just wondering if I can change how the mouse looks in console or make it totally invisible. Best I can find with google is how to change it to the waiting hour glass - other than that I'm stumped.

[Disch]

iirc, in WinAPI you can use SetCursor. Whether or not that works on the console though is another matter (although why on Earth are you doing all this in console! Use a game dev lib like SDL for crying out loud! Less stupid, fewer hoops, and crossplatform!)

[Mythios]

I've tried SetCursor and so far no luck :( - I know a lot of SDL as well - I've made a fair bit of stuff in there from a random amount of games to making some sdl framework with it - Real time rotation functions and all. This console stuff is just for personal learning purposes - I get bored and enjoy learning more and more :)

[csiz]

try and learn open gl than ;)... and forget about the mouse in the console;))

[Mythios]

Heh - no one likes my console needs :( - I'm just adding more advanced stuff to my study and furthering my knowledge in different ways.

[csiz]

uhhh you feel lonely :(... :p openGl was a sugestion for you to further your knowledge, (i don't know that thing, i hope i will sometime) there is another lib, similar to sdl but structured in classes at www.sfml-dev.org (also contains network and sound)

[Disch]

I guess that's not a bad thing -- though it's arguably a waste of time because it has no practical application. Reasons to use the console include:

1) quick and easy
2) no user interface beyond the command line.
3) minimal displayed output
4) easily portable because all practical console functionality is standardized (except unicode grumble grumble)
*) this is not a complete list, but you get the idea

The logic behind #2 this is for batch operations or build scripts. If you prompt for user input you destroy the program's ability to be used like a real console program (ie, entries in a .bat file, multiple instances run consecutively, etc, etc)

Anything that draws pictures, or uses the mouse, or interacts with the user in the complex way, or runs in multiple threads, etc etc etc probably shouldn't be console. It's just not the right venue for those kinds of programs.

Stepping beyond that generalized guideline and doing what you're doing is silly because:

1) it's no longer quick and easy, but is actually far more difficult than the alternatives.
2) portability is destroyed.
3) it's very obscure (case in point, you've been asking questions nobody here has answers to because there's really no reason for us to learn how to do this stuff). Additionally, if someone else views your source you're forcing them to learn some obscure API.

I guess if I can't help with your problem I should just keep my trap shut and leave the floor open for someone that might actually be able to help. Sorry. This whole thing just seems completely nuts to me, though.

[Mythios]

Well how about you don't worry about helping me and help some others. I'm not on here for listening why I shouldn't be doing this. When for me it's just something fun I'm doing to advance my exercise's / projects / assignments for my course. I don't go for handing in the lowest pass mark when clearly it's possibly to get the max marks + bonus marks.

So in my mind I'm learning + aiming to graduate with honers / distinctions. So say what you want but I have an aim in mind and I'm going for it.

@csiz - Thanks for your help but it's not what I'm looking for ;)

[Disch]

You're absolutly right. I'm sorry. I'll butt out.

Good luck. =)

[writetonsharma]

ShowCursor(bool); is the api if you still looking for it.

[Duthomhas]

ShowCursor() is for the Windows cursor.

For the console cursor, you want SetConsoleCursorInfo()
http://www.google.com/search?btnI=1&q=msdn+SetConsoleCursorInfo

Hope this helps.

[Mythios]

That's is for the actual console cursor though not the mouse when it hovers over the console. So I wouldn't think this would work?

[Duthomhas]

You cannot do that. (Or at least, you shouldn't.) Sorry.

The mouse cursor belongs to the windowing environment. The user should always have access to it -- even if it is floating above your console application.

If you switch to fullscreen*, you'll notice that it disappears, since console applications don't have mouse cursors by default...

* - presuming you aren't using Vista

Alas.

[Mythios]

Thanks heaps for that Duoas - It helps. Only reason I thought of it was I played a few console games going back two years - Not in full screen on XP and they had no cursor when they hovered above the console window.

I'm on my laptop at the moment which is using Vista hah, but on my boxes i'm running all XP.

Thanks Duoas.