Console window size in c++ for VS19.

Keith Lovell 61

I am developing a c++ console application and would like to increase the size of the default console window that is produced by c++ under vs19. If it is possible, how would that be achieved?

3 answers

WayneAKing 4,921 Reputation points

2020-09-10T05:44:17.403+00:00
It's a little more involved than you might expect.
Start by reading this thread:

Console: how change window size?
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/0de248af-3497-4537-bb41-6d129b04fb27/console-how-change-window-size

Wayne
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Keith Lovell 61 Reputation points

2020-09-12T05:23:40.497+00:00

I have included what I think is the end result of the thread and am getting a whole lot of undefined identifiers. Is there something that I have to #include to make it work? My current #includes are:

include <iostream>

include <iomanip>

include <string>

include <cstdlib>

include <cstdio>

include <random>

include <vector>

include <fstream>

Keith

WayneAKing 4,921 Reputation points

2020-09-12T05:34:08.77+00:00

Do you have this one?

#include <windows.h>

Wayne

RLWA32 40,286 Reputation points

2020-09-12T09:18:50.447+00:00

When you work with the Windows API functions you should take the time to read the documentation. Some of the essential pieces of information that the docs provide are the headers, library and dll associated with the function. For example, code in the referenced thread makes use of the GetConsoleScreenBufferInfoEx Function. The docs include this -

Keith Lovell 61 Reputation points

2020-09-14T00:38:06.037+00:00

Thanks Wayne. That has worked except that the position of the console on the screen seems to be a bit random as I change the size parameters..

I take your comment about reading the documentation on board. I find the documentation is OK if you know what you are looking for but not very useful if you are trying to find out how to do something with no real idea of what the process will be. I guess I will get more fluent with it in time.

Right now I am trying to find out how to change the console to black text on a white background. As near as I can tell, the approach is to fill the buffer with characters (spaces) that have the attribute of black text on a white background. Is there a more elegant way to do it as it seems to me that the foreground and background defaults would be a property of the console rather than each of the individual characters??

Keith

WayneAKing 4,921 Reputation points

2020-09-14T00:52:02.06+00:00

Without taking the time to look up the Win API console management commands, which probably is the more "professional" way to do it, you can try this:

system("color F0");

Wayne

WayneAKing 4,921 Reputation points

2020-09-14T01:56:50.003+00:00

I find the documentation is OK if you know what
you are looking for but not very useful if you
are trying to find out how to do something with
no real idea of what the process will be.

In case you haven't found the main source of documentation for
the console management functions in the Win API:

Console Functions
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/console/console-functions

Console Structures
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/console/console-structures

Wayne

Keith Lovell 61 Reputation points

2020-09-14T03:04:03.687+00:00

Thanks Wayne. I have found both of them and spent many hours browsing and experimenting. Another thing I am trying to do is to change the location of the next output to the console. Again, I can't find out where to look to do this. In BASIC, I would simply use a LOCATE command. Here I have tried resetting the dwCursorPosition attribute. GetConsoleScreenBufferInfoEx seems to read the current location OK but after changing the attribute and doing a SetConsoleScreenBuffferInfoEx the output just goes to the next location rather than the one I was trying to use.
I assume that the cursor position does not (automatically) define where the next character of output goes. Note: I am using cout to do the writing. Any thoughts.

Oh and if you could guide me in the documentation as to where I can find the instructions on how to change the foreground and background colors, I will look it up and use the more "professional" approach. :-)

WayneAKing 4,921 Reputation points

2020-09-14T03:40:45.467+00:00

If you don't want to keep struggling with mastering the
Win API Console functions, you may like to try a free
C++ library that encapsulates them such as:

cppconlib: A C++ library for working with the Windows console
https://mariusbancila.ro/blog/2013/08/25/cppconlib-a-cpp-library-for-working-with-the-windows-console/

https://github.com/mariusbancila/cppconlib

Wayne

RLWA32 40,286 Reputation points

2020-09-14T10:14:11.497+00:00

You can find information about console colors (and much more) at
console-screen-buffers. The color information is at character-attributes
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Anna Xiu-MSFT 25,626 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2020-09-10T06:15:02.74+00:00
Hi KeithLovell,

Please view the similar issue and have a try with the following steps:

Right-click on the title bar of Console Window;

Select Properties;

Navigate to Layout;

Set the Window Size and click on OK;

If there is something wrong, please feel free to contact us.

Best regards,
Anna
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Keith Lovell 61 Reputation points

2020-09-12T05:09:35.017+00:00

I actually wanted to do it in the program. :-) I will try to follow the thread tagged above but it is a bit confusing! :-)
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RLWA32 40,286

Give this a try to change the console colors -

 #include <Windows.h>
 #include <stdio.h>

 int main() {
 CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFOEX csbi{ sizeof csbi };

 HANDLE hOutput = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);

 GetConsoleScreenBufferInfoEx(hOutput, &csbi);

 csbi.wAttributes = BACKGROUND_BLUE | BACKGROUND_GREEN | BACKGROUND_RED | BACKGROUND_INTENSITY;

 SetConsoleScreenBufferInfoEx(hOutput, &csbi);

 printf("Text to Console\n");

 return 0;
 }

Console window size in c++ for VS19.

3 answers

include <iostream>

include <iomanip>

include <string>

include <cstdlib>

include <cstdio>

include <random>

include <vector>

include <fstream>