Displaying Emoji on Console Program - VB.Net

Question

Dear Friends, I want to display an Emoji on my console program - Not the one like " :-) " but a real one like ![49629-smiling-face.png][1] [1]: /api/attachments/49629-smiling-face.png?platform=QnA

Can you please let me know how to do it?

Thanks
Kind regards

VKSBK

Answer 1

Hi @VKSB ,

In order to display an emoji on console program, you need to create a 'Graphics' object and use 'Graphics.DrawImage' method to draw the specified Image.
Here's an example you can refer to.

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices  
Imports System.Drawing  
  
Module Module1  
  
    <DllImport("kernel32.dll", EntryPoint:="GetConsoleWindow", SetLastError:=True)>  
    Private Function GetConsoleHandle() As IntPtr  
    End Function  
  
    Sub Main()  
        Dim handler = GetConsoleHandle()  
        ' Need to add System.Drawing reference.  
        Using g = Graphics.FromHwnd(handler)  
            Using img = Image.FromFile("D:\Images\1.png")  
                g.DrawImage(img, 10, 10, 50, 50)  
            End Using  
        End Using  
        Console.ReadLine()  
    End Sub  
  
End Module  

Result of my test.

Best Regards,
Xingyu Zhao
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Answer 2

Dear XingyuZhao,

Thanks for the help.

I don't understand the following;

"<DllImport("kernel32.dll", EntryPoint:="GetConsoleWindow", SetLastError:=True)>

Where should I write this?

When I copy all code to my "Trial Project" it shows error.

I did the following to "System.Drawing reference";

Menu --> Project --> Add Reference -->.Net ---> System.Drawing.

Please help.

Kind regards
VKSBK

Answer 3

Hi @VKSB ,
I provide the whole code in my above reply, and you can take a look.
Besides, if the above example is not helpful, the following example might be a better solution. ( code from Display a Image in a console application ).

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices  
Imports System.Drawing  
Imports System.IO  
  
Module Module1  
  
    <DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError:=True)>  
    Private Function GetConsoleWindow() As IntPtr  
    End Function  
  
    <DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError:=True)>  
    Private Function CreateFile(ByVal lpFileName As String, ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Integer, ByVal dwShareMode As Integer, ByVal lpSecurityAttributes As IntPtr, ByVal dwCreationDisposition As Integer, ByVal dwFlagsAndAttributes As Integer, ByVal hTemplateFile As IntPtr) As IntPtr  
    End Function  
  
    <DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError:=True)>  
    Private Function GetCurrentConsoleFont(ByVal hConsoleOutput As IntPtr, ByVal bMaximumWindow As Boolean,  
    <Out>  
    <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStruct)> ByVal lpConsoleCurrentFont As ConsoleFontInfo) As Boolean  
    End Function  
  
    <StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)>  
    Friend Class ConsoleFontInfo  
        Friend nFont As Integer  
        Friend dwFontSize As Coord  
    End Class  
  
    <StructLayout(LayoutKind.Explicit)>  
    Friend Structure Coord  
        <FieldOffset(0)>  
        Friend X As Short  
        <FieldOffset(2)>  
        Friend Y As Short  
    End Structure  
  
    Private Const GENERIC_READ As Integer = &H80000000  
    Private Const GENERIC_WRITE As Integer = &H40000000  
    Private Const FILE_SHARE_READ As Integer = 1  
    Private Const FILE_SHARE_WRITE As Integer = 2  
    Private Const INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE As Integer = -1  
    Private Const OPEN_EXISTING As Integer = 3  
  
    Sub Main()  
        Dim location As Point = New Point(1, 1)  
        ' Desired image size in characters.'  
        Dim imageSize As Size = New Size(10, 5)  
  
        Dim path As String = "your image path"  
  
        Using g As Graphics = Graphics.FromHwnd(GetConsoleWindow())      
            Using image As Image = Image.FromFile(path)  
                Dim fontSize As Size = GetConsoleFontSize()  
                ' Translating the character positions to pixels.'  
                ' You can change image's location by adjust 'location' and 'imageSize'.  
                Dim imageRect As Rectangle = New Rectangle(location.X * fontSize.Width, location.Y * fontSize.Height, imageSize.Width * fontSize.Width, imageSize.Height * fontSize.Height)  
                g.DrawImage(image, imageRect)  
            End Using  
        End Using  
        Console.ReadLine()  
    End Sub  

    Private Function GetConsoleFontSize() As Size  
        ' Getting the console out buffer handle.'  
        Dim outHandle As IntPtr =  
        CreateFile("CONOUT$", GENERIC_READ Or GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_SHARE_READ Or FILE_SHARE_WRITE, IntPtr.Zero, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, IntPtr.Zero)  
        Dim errorCode As Integer = Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()  
  
        If outHandle.ToInt32() = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE Then  
            Throw New IOException("Unable to open CONOUT$", errorCode)  
        End If  
  
        Dim cfi As ConsoleFontInfo = New ConsoleFontInfo()  
  
        If Not GetCurrentConsoleFont(outHandle, False, cfi) Then  
            Throw New InvalidOperationException("Unable to get font information.")  
        End If  
  
        Return New Size(cfi.dwFontSize.X, cfi.dwFontSize.Y)  
    End Function  
End Module  

Result.

Best Regards,
Xingyu Zhao
*
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Answer 4

Dear XingyuZhao & WayneAKing,

Thanks for the replies. Sorry, I somehow missed the "Imports" parts when copying the code.

Now the 1st code & the 2nd code work fine.

The Emoji disappears on scroll the console Window.

Kind regards
VKSBK