Run MFC app as a console app

Question

Run MFC app as a console app

Flaviu_ 1,031

I have a SDI MFC app. CView based on CRichEditView, where I print some messages. Nothing fancy. Is there possible to run this SDI MDC app as console app, without GUI, but dispatching messages to console instead of CRichEditView?

Minxin Yu 13,501 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2024-04-01T05:30:34.3966667+00:00

Is there any update? Does FreeConsole work?

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Minxin Yu 13,501 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2024-04-01T05:30:34.3966667+00:00

Is there any update? Does FreeConsole work?

Answer 1

RLWA32 49,536

Here is another way to "convert" an MFC SDI application into a console application.

Code for InitInstance -

	if (m_lpCmdLine && *m_lpCmdLine)
	{
		puts("This is the console interface");
		puts("The MFC main window has not been created");
		puts("Hit a key to exit the program");
		_getch();

		return FALSE;  // exit the program
	}
	else
	{
		ShowWindow(GetConsoleWindow(), SW_HIDE);
	}

Code for ExitInstance to restore console if hidden -

int CMFCSDIconsoleApp::ExitInstance()
{
	//TODO: handle additional resources you may have added

	ShowWindow(GetConsoleWindow(), SW_SHOW);
....

After building the MFC SDI app use the VC++ EDITBIN utility to change the subsystem --

Editbin

Flaviu_ 1,031 Reputation points

2024-03-28T16:17:08.0133333+00:00

I need the application to be compiled as Windows Application, and can run as Windows Application, but if I call it from console with some parameters, should work as console application, without compiling again as CONSOLE app ... is that possible?
RLWA32 49,536 Reputation points

2024-03-28T16:20:22.4333333+00:00

That's exactly what the above solution does. If you pass it parameters on the command line it uses the console otherwise it runs as a Windows GUI application. And you don't build it as a console application. You build it as an ordinary normal MFC windows application. After it has been built you'll use the edit bin utility to change the subsystem.
Flaviu_ 1,031 Reputation points

2024-03-29T12:18:45.4133333+00:00

Yes, interesting solution, but in this way every time I open the application with GUI is opening a cmd console window too ... which is not likely ...
RLWA32 49,536 Reputation points

2024-03-29T12:21:58.48+00:00

The posted code hides the console window when the gui runs. Another option is to call FreeConsole() instead of hiding the console window when not running in command line mode (then the call in ExitInstance to show the window is unnecessary).
RLWA32 49,536 Reputation points

2024-04-01T06:58:56.53+00:00

As well as being cosmetically appealing, hiding the console window prevented the process (when running as a GUI) from being terminated if the console window was closed .

Using FreeConsole() serves the same cosmetic purpose and provides the additional benefit that if the process is started in GUI mode from a command prompt console it detaches the process from the console and prevents the GUI from being terminated if the command prompt is closed.

Answer 2

RLWA32 49,536

Maybe something like this? https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/108138/toggle-mfc-application-to-console-app

Flaviu_ 1,031 Reputation points

2024-03-28T11:16:19.86+00:00
I see, but the issue there is that a new console window will be opened, which is not I need ... my trial looks like this:

CWinAppEx::InitInstance(); if (m_lpCmdLine && *m_lpCmdLine) { std::wcout << "aaaa\n"; return FALSE; // exit the program }

but I see no output on the console ...
RLWA32 49,536 Reputation points

2024-03-28T11:36:07.9466667+00:00

If you intend to open a command prompt window and then start your application you can use the AttachConsole function with ATTACH_PARENT_PROCESS to connect to the existing console. You will still need to include the code as shown in my linked solution to reopen the standard input and output handles since the system does not automatically do that when starting a Windows application.

Flaviu_ 1,031

I am almost there. I did get in but I cannot get out :))

Here is the code:

	if (m_lpCmdLine && *m_lpCmdLine)
	{
			FILE* fpstdin = stdin, *fpstdout = stdout, *fpstderr = stderr;
			if (AttachConsole(ATTACH_PARENT_PROCESS))
			{
				// Initialize for console i/o
				freopen_s(&fpstdin, "CONIN$", "r", stdin);
				freopen_s(&fpstdout, "CONOUT$", "w", stdout);
				freopen_s(&fpstderr, "CONOUT$", "w", stderr);
				puts("This is the console interface on a secondary thread");
				puts("The MFC main window has not been created");
				puts("Hit a key to exit the program");
				_getch();
				fclose(stderr);
				fclose(stdout);
				fclose(stdin);
				FreeConsole();
			}
			else
			{
				CString strError;
				strError.Format(_T("AllocConsole failed, error code was %d"), GetLastError());
				AfxMessageBox(strError);
			}
		return FALSE;  // exit the program
	}
	// Initialize OLE libraries
	if (!AfxOleInit())
	{
		AfxMessageBox(IDP_OLE_INIT_FAILED);
		return FALSE;
	}

The fact is I can see those messages in my console, but I cannot get out from there. You know what I mean, I mean I cannot stop the program:

User's image

My application doesn't stop at all, except I close the console window. Please help!

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Run MFC app as a console app

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