console colour c++ code example

Example 1: c++ change console color

WORD color = 0x0F; // White
SetConsoleTextAttribute( GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), FOREGROUND_RED);
cout << "Hello World" << endl;
SetConsoleTextAttribute( GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), color);
// The farbcodes are the same as they, when you type "color help" in the windows 
// cmd in. First the number, then the letter (here the output of the cmd):
/*  0 = Black       8 = Gray
    1 = Blue        9 = Light Blue
    2 = Green       A = Light Green
    3 = Aqua        B = Light Aqua
    4 = Red         C = Light Red
    5 = Purple      D = Light Purple
    6 = Yellow      E = Light Yellow
    7 = Light Gray  F = White
    */
// So, to get the output white again, you have the set the color to:
// 0x + 0 (Black Background) + F (White Foreground)
// This works on every OS!

Example 2: console colors in C++

//This is a header file taken from cplusplus.com
//http://www.cplusplus.com/articles/Eyhv0pDG/
//concol.h
#ifndef _INC_EKU_IO_CONCOL
#define _INC_EKU_IO_CONCOL

/*Header file to color text and background in windows console applications
Global variables - textcol,backcol,deftextcol,defbackcol,colorprotect*/

#include<windows.h>
#include<iosfwd>

namespace eku
{

#ifndef CONCOL
#define CONCOL
	enum concol
	{
		black=0,
		dark_blue=1,
		dark_green=2,
		dark_aqua,dark_cyan=3,
		dark_red=4,
		dark_purple=5,dark_pink=5,dark_magenta=5,
		dark_yellow=6,
		dark_white=7,
		gray=8,
		blue=9,
		green=10,
		aqua=11,cyan=11,
		red=12,
		purple=13,pink=13,magenta=13,
		yellow=14,
		white=15
	};
#endif //CONCOL

	HANDLE std_con_out;
	//Standard Output Handle
	bool colorprotect=false;
	//If colorprotect is true, background and text colors will never be the same
	concol textcol,backcol,deftextcol,defbackcol;
	/*textcol - current text color
	backcol - current back color
	deftextcol - original text color
	defbackcol - original back color*/

	inline void update_colors()
	{
		CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO csbi;
		GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(std_con_out,&csbi);
		textcol = concol(csbi.wAttributes & 15);
		backcol = concol((csbi.wAttributes & 0xf0)>>4);
	}

	inline void setcolor(concol textcolor,concol backcolor)
	{
		if(colorprotect && textcolor==backcolor)return;
		textcol=textcolor;backcol=backcolor;
		unsigned short wAttributes=((unsigned int)backcol<<4) | (unsigned int)textcol;
		SetConsoleTextAttribute(std_con_out,wAttributes);
	}

	inline void settextcolor(concol textcolor)
	{
		if(colorprotect && textcolor==backcol)return;
		textcol=textcolor;
		unsigned short wAttributes=((unsigned int)backcol<<4) | (unsigned int)textcol;
		SetConsoleTextAttribute(std_con_out,wAttributes);
	}

	inline void setbackcolor(concol backcolor)
	{
		if(colorprotect && textcol==backcolor)return;
		backcol=backcolor;
		unsigned short wAttributes=((unsigned int)backcol<<4) | (unsigned int)textcol;
		SetConsoleTextAttribute(std_con_out,wAttributes);
	}

	inline void concolinit()
	{
		std_con_out=GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
		update_colors();
		deftextcol=textcol;defbackcol=backcol;
	}

	template<class elem,class traits>
	inline std::basic_ostream<elem,traits>& operator<<(std::basic_ostream<elem,traits>& os,concol col)
	{os.flush();settextcolor(col);return os;}

	template<class elem,class traits>
	inline std::basic_istream<elem,traits>& operator>>(std::basic_istream<elem,traits>& is,concol col)
	{
		std::basic_ostream<elem,traits>* p=is.tie();
		if(p!=NULL)p->flush();
		settextcolor(col);
		return is;
	}
	
}	//end of namespace eku

#endif	//_INC_EKU_IO_CONCOL