console options c# code example

Example: c# console application menu system

// This is a Visual Studio Console application.
// How to create a menu system!
// Make sure your using:
using System.Collections.Generic;

// Copy this into a class:
static int indexMainMenu = 0;

public static void mainMenu()
        {
            Console.Clear();

            List<string> menuItems = new List<string>()
            {
                "Play",
                "Settings",
                "Exit"
            };

            Console.CursorVisible = false;
            while (true)
            {
                string selectedMenuItem = drawMainMenu(menuItems);
                if (selectedMenuItem == "Play")
                {
                    // Play the game, or start the app
                }
                else if (selectedMenuItem == "Settings")
                {
                    /* Go to settings. Just copy this menu system 
                    and change the list names for each setting you want.*/
                }
                else if (selectedMenuItem == "Exit")
                {
                    Environment.Exit(0);
                }
            }
        }

public static string drawMainMenu(List<string> items)
        {
            for (int i = 0; i < items.Count; i++)
            {
                if (i == indexMainMenu)
                {
                    Console.BackgroundColor = ConsoleColor.Gray;
                    Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Black;
                    Console.WriteLine(items[i]);
                }
                else
                {
                    Console.WriteLine(items[i]);
                }
                Console.ResetColor();
            }

            ConsoleKeyInfo ckey = Console.ReadKey();
            if (ckey.Key == ConsoleKey.DownArrow)
            {
                if (indexMainMenu == items.Count - 1) { }
                else { indexMainMenu++; }
            }
            else if (ckey.Key == ConsoleKey.UpArrow)
            {
                if (indexMainMenu <= 0) { }
                else { indexMainMenu--; }
            }
            else if (ckey.Key == ConsoleKey.LeftArrow)
            {
                Console.Clear();
            }
            else if (ckey.Key == ConsoleKey.RightArrow)
            {
                Console.Clear();
            }
            else if (ckey.Key == ConsoleKey.Enter)
            {
                return items[indexMainMenu];
            }
            else
            {
                return "";
            }

            Console.Clear();
            return "";
        }

// wow you scrolled this far...