Console.SetBufferSize(Int32, Int32) Method

Definition

Sets the height and width of the screen buffer area to the specified values.

[System.Runtime.Versioning.SupportedOSPlatform("windows")]
public static void SetBufferSize (int width, int height);
public static void SetBufferSize (int width, int height);

Parameters

width
Int32

The width of the buffer area measured in columns.

height
Int32

The height of the buffer area measured in rows.

Attributes

Exceptions

height or width is less than or equal to zero.

-or-

height or width is greater than or equal to Int16.MaxValue.

-or-

width is less than WindowLeft + WindowWidth.

-or-

height is less than WindowTop + WindowHeight.

The user does not have permission to perform this action.

An I/O error occurred.

The current operating system is not Windows.

Examples

The following example demonstrates the WindowLeft, WindowTop, WindowWidth, WindowHeight, BufferWidth, BufferHeight, and CursorVisible properties; and the SetWindowPosition, SetBufferSize, and ReadKey methods. The example draws a grid pattern in the screen buffer based on the screen buffer width. Then the example moves the console window in response to which of the UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW, LEFT ARROW, or RIGHT ARROW console keys is pressed. The grid pattern helps you see the movement of the console window relative to the screen buffer.

// This example demonstrates the Console.WindowLeft and
//                               Console.WindowTop properties.
using System;
using System.Text;
using System.IO;
//
class Sample
{
    public static int saveBufferWidth;
    public static int saveBufferHeight;
    public static int saveWindowHeight;
    public static int saveWindowWidth;
    public static bool saveCursorVisible;
//
    public static void Main()
    {
    string m1 = "1) Press the cursor keys to move the console window.\n" +
                "2) Press any key to begin. When you're finished...\n" +
                "3) Press the Escape key to quit.";
    string g1 = "+----";
    string g2 = "|    ";
    string grid1;
    string grid2;
    StringBuilder sbG1 = new StringBuilder();
    StringBuilder sbG2 = new StringBuilder();
    ConsoleKeyInfo cki;
    int y;
//
    try
    {
    saveBufferWidth  = Console.BufferWidth;
    saveBufferHeight = Console.BufferHeight;
    saveWindowHeight = Console.WindowHeight;
    saveWindowWidth  = Console.WindowWidth;
    saveCursorVisible = Console.CursorVisible;
//
    Console.Clear();
    Console.WriteLine(m1);
    Console.ReadKey(true);

// Set the smallest possible window size before setting the buffer size.
    Console.SetWindowSize(1, 1);
    Console.SetBufferSize(80, 80);
    Console.SetWindowSize(40, 20);

// Create grid lines to fit the buffer. (The buffer width is 80, but
// this same technique could be used with an arbitrary buffer width.)
    for (y = 0; y < Console.BufferWidth/g1.Length; y++)
        {
        sbG1.Append(g1);
        sbG2.Append(g2);
        }
    sbG1.Append(g1, 0, Console.BufferWidth%g1.Length);
    sbG2.Append(g2, 0, Console.BufferWidth%g2.Length);
    grid1 = sbG1.ToString();
    grid2 = sbG2.ToString();

    Console.CursorVisible = false;
    Console.Clear();
    for (y = 0; y < Console.BufferHeight-1; y++)
        {
        if (y%3 == 0)
            Console.Write(grid1);
        else
            Console.Write(grid2);
        }

    Console.SetWindowPosition(0, 0);
    do
        {
        cki = Console.ReadKey(true);
        switch (cki.Key)
            {
            case ConsoleKey.LeftArrow:
                if (Console.WindowLeft > 0)
                    Console.SetWindowPosition(
                            Console.WindowLeft-1, Console.WindowTop);
                break;
            case ConsoleKey.UpArrow:
                if (Console.WindowTop > 0)
                    Console.SetWindowPosition(
                            Console.WindowLeft, Console.WindowTop-1);
                break;
            case ConsoleKey.RightArrow:
                if (Console.WindowLeft < (Console.BufferWidth-Console.WindowWidth))
                    Console.SetWindowPosition(
                            Console.WindowLeft+1, Console.WindowTop);
                break;
            case ConsoleKey.DownArrow:
                if (Console.WindowTop < (Console.BufferHeight-Console.WindowHeight))
                    Console.SetWindowPosition(
                            Console.WindowLeft, Console.WindowTop+1);
                break;
            }
        }
    while (cki.Key != ConsoleKey.Escape);  // end do-while
    } // end try
    catch (IOException e)
        {
        Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
        }
    finally
        {
        Console.Clear();
        Console.SetWindowSize(1, 1);
        Console.SetBufferSize(saveBufferWidth, saveBufferHeight);
        Console.SetWindowSize(saveWindowWidth, saveWindowHeight);
        Console.CursorVisible = saveCursorVisible;
        }
    } // end Main
} // end Sample
/*
This example produces results similar to the following:

1) Press the cursor keys to move the console window.
2) Press any key to begin. When you're finished...
3) Press the Escape key to quit.

...

+----+----+----+-
|    |    |    |
|    |    |    |
+----+----+----+-
|    |    |    |
|    |    |    |
+----+----+----+-

*/

Applies to

Product Versions
.NET Core 1.0, Core 1.1, Core 2.0, Core 2.1, Core 2.2, Core 3.0, Core 3.1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
.NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.6, 4.6.1, 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.8, 4.8.1
.NET Standard 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 2.0, 2.1