Visual C console output question

[Phil_Stein]

I've got a command line program that spits out a lot of data.

I'd like to run it in a way where I can view that data in a window much larger than the standard 80 x 25 character window.

Preferably, I'd like to do this in as few steps as possible, after making a change to my program.

There are many ways I can do it, given a few steps (Pipe to a text file and open that. Run from a command line window I resize myself. Output to the VC debug window and resize that).

But my preference is to be looking at my code, tweak a couple things, press F5, and see the output in a big fat debug window - one keystroke removed (F5) from my last code edit.

Is it possible to change the size of the DOS window that VC opens by default?

[Fugitive]

There's a function for changing the size of a console window:

#define WIN32
#include <windows.h>

int main()
{
   COORD x;

   x.X = 132;
   x.Y = 43;

   SetConsoleScreenBufferSize(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), x);

   return 0;
}

Though it doesn't seem to automatically maximize the window, giving you a window the same physical size but with scrollbars, so you'd have to manually maximize it (I can't see a simple way to do so via the console API).

Edit: It looks like the Y size should include however much scrollback you want, too.

[Charles]

You can't resize the dos window, because there's no 'window' in DOS. The command line is text only, in/out. All window operations would have to be handled by yourself.

[Gunmetal]

mode co80!
:b

edit: hmm, that's not the one I'm thinking of... it's been so long!

[Phil_Stein]

Stupid me.

If I just run my program, and, while it's open, modify the properties of the console window, I'm prompted to save those properties for future windows with the same title. Basically, I can set the window large and save it that way for future sessions. No need to call the Windows Console API. Cool!

[Charles]

Stupid me.

If I just run my program, and, while it's open, modify the properties of the console window, I'm prompted to save those properties for future windows with the same title. Basically, I can set the window large and save it that way for future sessions. No need to call the Windows Console API. Cool!

Is that a global change? Or one local to your project? Because if it's a global change to all console windows, you, sir, are being one of those programmer assholes who hijack's other people's settings!

edit: Wait, you meant you were doing this via the window itself, and not programmatically. Ignore me!

[Chris Nahr]

You probably could also write a GUI program that programmatically opens a console window with the desired size, then directs all output into that window.

But if you do that you might as well create a GUI program with a simple text box. :)

[bago]

or pipe std out to notepad.

[Allagash]

or pipe std out to notepad.

Is that possible? I can't get that to work. This works:

mycmd > blah.txt && notepad blah.txt

'Course, then you're stuck in notepad.

[Phil_Stein]

Is there a way to play tricks with the console output - to get it to appear in different colors, flashing, etc.?

I don't really want to delve into a whole console API, if possible. But perhaps there is a CTRL key sequence I can use in my output to do this kind of stuff.

Is this possible?

[Fugitive]

ANSI codes might still work. Failing that, there is indeed a console API.

[BaconTastesGood]

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms686047.aspx

SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), color);