show / hide the application console

Question

3.00/5 (2 votes)

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C++/CLI

application

In a managed C++ console application,
how to simply show or hide the console window ?

Best regards.

Posted 8-Feb-12 22:35pm

Foulques NERA

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2 solutions

Solution 2

I tried the following code :

C++

#include "stdafx.h"
#include
 
void Utilities::showConsole(
    bool show ) {
 
    HWND hWnd = GetConsoleWindow();
    if (hWnd != 0) {
        ShowWindow( hWnd, show ? SW_SHOW : SW_HIDE);
        }
    }

GetConsoleWindow() is resolved at link step, but ShowWindow() is not.
How to solve that ?

Posted 9-Feb-12 0:48am

Foulques NERA

Comments

Richard MacCutchan 9-Feb-12 7:21am

Correction: you can use ShowWindow() from within a console application, if the correct libraries are include - see my response below.

Foulques NERA 9-Feb-12 7:42am

Sorry, but I do that perfectly in visual C6 on industrial operating applications.

Richard MacCutchan 9-Feb-12 8:47am

I stand corrected, it does work. You need to include the correct system libraries in your link phase. I have the following list in my build:
kernel32.lib
user32.lib
gdi32.lib
winspool.lib
comdlg32.lib
advapi32.lib
shell32.lib
ole32.lib
oleaut32.lib
uuid.lib
odbc32.lib
odbccp32.lib
I do not think you need them all, so I suggest adding them one at a time until you get a clean link completed.

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Foulques NERA · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-09T02:01:00

So, I found alone the solution.

In a console C++/CLI application, create a small Utilities class :
Utilities.h :

C#

public ref class Utilities abstract sealed {/* abstract sealed = static */

public:
    static void showConsole(
        bool show );
    };

Utilities.cpp :

XML

//-------------------------------------
/** Utilities.cpp
    */
#include "stdafx.h"
#include "Utilities.h"
#include <windows.h>
void Utilities::showConsole(
	bool show ) {	

	HWND hWnd = GetConsoleWindow();
	if (hWnd != 0) {		
		ShowWindow( hWnd, show ? SW_SHOW : SW_HIDE);
		}
	}

And don't forget to check in link option "Other dependencies" "herit of default parameter of parent project" (and then suppress keyword $(NOINHERIT), in order to access to windows API of ShowWindow.
It works perfectly.