Changing caret/cursor position

Question

today I'm here to give you all a new challenge!

Just joking: my problem is the caret of the Command Prompt. [The "entire" story is in the bottom"]

Short story long, I have to move the caret positions to ECHO a new line in the same position. That's because I have to print only few strings [about three lines]; making a CLS every time it blinks because of the speed of the execution.

I tried some things, also using the <NUL SET /P "=InsertHereString", but there's always the problem of what I already ECHOed that doesn't disappear!

So here's my request: There's a method to move that blinking bunch of pixel allowing to write a string starting from a certain point of the CMD?

BOTTOM: The "entire" story is that I made a sort of installer in batch, copying and linking some applications from a removable drive. Now, I also made a status bar saying in percentage what is done. Under the status bar I want to show what actually the program is doing, but when there are [for example] a lot of file in a directory to link or copy, it makes a list instead of erasing the previous thing, so at the moment I'm simply ECHOing a " - Done!" or a" - Failed!" string next to the main string. I asked for that because in another language [C++] I found a method that I used to make a PacMan simulation. It consists in a method that want an X and an Y variable that identify the caret position in a Cartesian plane where the (0,0) position is the up-left corner of the Command Prompt.

Thanks for your time!

Answer 1

You can just compile this microprogram of my design:

// CONSOLE
#include <stdp>

i32 wmain()
{
    p|DC|SCP(0,0)|TB|P;
    return 0;
}

Yes, this is all it takes to reset console cursor position to origin. It also disables cursor and trims buffer to the size of actual text, and then pauses and waits for input, but if you need just cursor position than p|SCP(x,y); is enough.

To learn more about how <stdp> does all this magic you can find the source for it here.

Answer 2

It takes a little bit to get used to using cursorpos. Here's a proof of concept. Not sure whether this is similar to what you had in mind, but I think the trickery you have in mind is possible. Anything is possible given enough beer.

Save this as pacman.bat and run it. The result is spectacular :P (Moreso if your console is using a truetype font.)

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

Rem cursorpos and colorshow created by Antonio Perez Ayala
Rem http://www.dostips.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3428
call :heredoc cursorpos >cursorpos.hex && goto endCursorpos
4D5A900003[3]04[3]FFFF[2]B8[7]40[35]B0[3]0E1FBA0E00B409CD21B8014CCD21546869732070726F6772616D2063616E6E6F74
2062652072756E20696E20444F53206D6F64652E0D0D0A24[7]55B5B8FD11D4D6AE11D4D6AE11D4D6AE9FCBC5AE18D4D6AEED
F4C4AE13D4D6AE5269636811D4D6AE[8]5045[2]4C010200EB84E24F[8]E0000F010B01050C0002[3]02[7]10[3]10[3]20[4]40[2]10
[3]02[2]04[7]04[8]30[3]02[6]03[5]10[2]10[4]10[2]10[6]10[11]1C20[2]28[84]20[2]1C[27]2E74657874[3]4201[3]10[3]02[3]02[14]20[2]60
2E7264617461[2]F6[4]20[3]02[3]04[14]40[2]40[8]E806[3]50E81301[2]558BEC83C4E06AF5E81201[2]8945FC8D45E650FF75FCE8
FD[3]668B45EC668945E4E8BC[3]E8DB[3]803E0075058B45EAEB5C803E3D750646E8C6[3]668B4DEAE84A[3]8945EAE8B5[3]803E
007418803E2C750646E8A5[3]668B4DE4E829[3]668945EC8B5DEA53FF75FCE8AE[3]8D45E650536A018D45E350FF75FCE895[3]0F
B645E3C9C333C032DB33D28A164680FA2B740880FA2D750980CB0280CB018A164680FA30720F80FA39770A80EA306BC00A03
C2EBE9F6C301740BF6C302740366F7D86603C14EC3CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCE847[3]8BF08A06463C2275098A06463C
2275F9EB0C8A06463C20740484C075F54EC38A06463C2074F94EC3CCFF2514204000FF2500204000FF2504204000FF250820
4000FF250C204000FF25102040[191]6E20[2]8C20[2]9C20[2]BA20[2]D620[2]6020[6]4420[10]E820[3]20[22]6E20[2]8C20[2]9C20[2]BA
20[2]D620[2]6020[6]9B004578697450726F6365737300F500476574436F6E736F6C6553637265656E427566666572496E666F
[2]6A0147657453746448616E646C65[2]380252656164436F6E736F6C654F757470757443686172616374657241006D025365
74436F6E736F6C65437572736F72506F736974696F6E[2]E600476574436F6D6D616E644C696E6541006B65726E656C33322E
646C6C[268]
:endCursorpos

call :heredoc colorshow >colorshow.hex && goto endShow
4D5A900003[3]04[3]FFFF[2]B8[7]40[35]B8[3]0E1FBA0E00B409CD21B8014CCD21546869732070726F6772616D2063616E6E6F74
2062652072756E20696E20444F53206D6F64652E0D0D0A24[7]5549FA721128942111289421112894219F3787211A289421ED
088621132894215269636811289421[16]5045[2]4C0103001DDBEB50[8]E0000F010B01050C0006[3]04[7]10[3]10[3]20[4]40[2]10
[3]02[2]04[7]04[8]40[3]04[6]03[5]10[2]10[4]10[2]10[6]10[11]2420[2]28[84]20[2]24[27]2E74657874[3]DE04[3]10[3]06[3]04[14]20[2]60
2E7264617461[2]3201[3]20[3]02[3]0A[14]40[2]402E64617461[3]20[4]30[3]02[3]0C[14]40[2]C0[472]E806[3]50E8A304[2]558BEC81C4
E8DFFFFFFC6AF5E8A404[2]8945FC6800304000FF75FCE88804[2]8B1D043040008D85E8DFFFFF50536A018D45FA50FF75FCE8
7E04[2]668B45FA66A316304000D41086C4D510668945F88DBDF8DFFFFF89BDF4DFFFFFE81304[2]E83204[2]8A064684C00F84
4803[2]3C2F0F858C[3]2BBDF4DFFFFF74186A008D85E8DFFFFF5057FFB5F4DFFFFFFF75FCE85F03[2]8BBDF4DFFFFF8A064684
C00F840F03[2]3C20750C668B45FA66A316304000EBA73C2F750C668B45F866A316304000EB972C303C0976082C073C0F7602
2C208A264684E40F84D602[2]80FC20741286C42C303C0976082C073C0F76022C20D51066A316304000E95CFFFFFF3C227520
8A064684C00F84A502[2]3C227405880747EBEC8A06463C2274F4E938FFFFFF3C300F82C6[3]3C390F87BE[3]E8A102[2]3C2A74
083C5874043C7875278ADC468A06463C300F826102[2]3C390F875902[2]E87A02[2]0FB6CC8AC3F3AAE9F0FEFFFF80FC207379
80FC09751F8B0D0430400003CF2B8DF4DFFFFF83E10783E908F7D9B020F3AAE9C7FEFFFF2BBDF4DFFFFF741A506A008D85E8
DFFFFF5057FFB5F4DFFFFFFF75FCE83D02[2]588BBDF4DFFFFF88276A008D85E8DFFFFF506A01FFB5F4DFFFFFFF75FCE8E302
[2]6800304000FF75FCE8BE02[2]E972FEFFFF882747E96AFEFFFF2BBDF4DFFFFF74186A008D85E8DFFFFF5057FFB5F4DFFFFF
FF75FCE8E101[2]8BFE4F33DB889DF2DFFFFF8A063C3A74118885F3DFFFFF3C20746084C0745C46EBE9889DF2DFFFFFC6060046
8A06463C2D7509C685F2DFFFFF02EB0B3C2B750AC685F2DFFFFF018A06463C300F827001[2]3C390F876801[2]E86901[2]8885
F3DFFFFF3C20740884C00F855101[2]84E40F841001[2]8ADCC60600680020[2]8D85F8DFFFFF5057E80702[2]85C00F84F1[3]85
DB0F84CF[3]3BC30F84C7[3]7C2D80BDF2DFFFFF00741DF685F2DFFFFF01750A2BC30185F4DFFFFFEB0A2BC3D1E80185F4DFFF
FF8BC3E998[3]2BD88BBDF4DFFFFF03F889BDECDFFFFF50B0208BCBF3AA80BDF2DFFFFF007443F685F2DFFFFF02741C6A018D
85E8DFFFFF5053FFB5ECDFFFFFFF75FCE8C9[3]33DBEB1E8BFBD1EF2BDF6A018D85E8DFFFFF5057FFB5ECDFFFFFFF75FCE8A7
[3]588BF86A018D85E8DFFFFF5057FFB5F4DFFFFFFF75FCE88C[3]6A028D85E8DFFFFF5053FFB5ECDFFFFFFF75FCE874[3]EB1A
8BF86A008D85E8DFFFFF5057FFB5F4DFFFFFFF75FCE858[3]8A85F3DFFFFF88068DBDF8DFFFFF89BDF4DFFFFFE9A8FCFFFF2B
BDF4DFFFFF74186A008D85E8DFFFFF5057FFB5F4DFFFFFFF75FCE81F[3]0FB745FAC9C3240F8AE08A06463C30720C3C397708
2C30D50A8AE0EBED4EC3558BEC6A00FF7514FF7510FF750CFF7508E8B2[3]8B4D1066837D180172137708010D18304000EB46
030D18304000894D10578B7D0C66A116304000F366AB8B0D04304000FF751451FF7510FF750CFF7508E876[3]5F6800304000FF
7508E84A[3]C705183040[5]C9C21400CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCE853[3]8BF08A06463C2275098A06463C2275F9EB0C8A06463C2074
0484C075F54EC38A06463C2074F94EC3CCFF2500204000FF2504204000FF2508204000FF250C204000FF2510204000FF2514
204000FF2518204000FF251C2040[291]7020[2]7E20[2]9C20[2]B620[2]C620[2]E420[2]F420[2]1221[6]4C20[10]2421[3]20[22]7020[2]7E
20[2]9C20[2]B620[2]C620[2]E420[2]F420[2]1221[6]9B004578697450726F6365737300F500476574436F6E736F6C6553637265
656E427566666572496E666F[2]1301476574456E7669726F6E6D656E745661726961626C6541006A0147657453746448616E
646C65[2]370252656164436F6E736F6C654F7574707574417474726962757465[2]EE025772697465436F6E736F6C654100F2
025772697465436F6E736F6C654F757470757441747472696275746500E600476574436F6D6D616E644C696E6541006B6572
6E656C33322E646C6C[720]
:endShow

call :heredoc hexchar >hexchar.vbs && goto endHexchar
Rem Hex digits to Ascii Characters conversion
Rem Antonio Perez Ayala - Apr/14/2012

Dim line,index,count
line = WScript.StdIn.ReadLine()
While line <> ""
   index = 1
   While index < len(line)
      If Mid(line,index,1) = "[" Then
         index = index+1
         count = 0
         While Mid(line,index+count,1) <> "]"
            count = count+1
         WEnd
         For i=1 To Int(Mid(line,index,count))
            WScript.StdOut.Write Chr(0)
         Next
         index = index+count+1
      Else
         WScript.StdOut.Write Chr(CByte("&H"&Mid(line,index,2)))
         index = index+2
      End If
   WEnd
   line = WScript.StdIn.ReadLine()
WEnd
:endHexchar

:: Create cursorpos.exe and colorshow.exe
for %%I in (cursorpos colorshow) do (
    cscript /nologo /B /E:VBS HexChar.vbs < "%%I.hex" > "%%I.exe"
    del %%I.hex
)
del hexchar.vbs

:: ---------------------------------------------------
:: Supporting applications all created.  Now use them.
:: ---------------------------------------------------

call :DefineColorCodes

set /P I="Waiting... "<NUL
cursorpos
call :GetCoords Cols Lines

for /l %%A in (1, 1, 3) do (

    colorshow /%Black% "  " /%Yellow%%Black% "(<" /%White% " o  o  o  o  o"

    for /l %%I in (2, 1, 15) do (
        call :sleep 100
        set /a pos=%Cols% + %%I
        cursorpos !pos! %Lines%
        set /a e=%%I %% 2
        if #!e!==#1 (
            colorshow /%Black% " " /%Yellow%%Black% "(<"
        ) else colorshow /%Black% " " /%Yellow%%Black% "(-"
    )

    for /l %%I in (15, -1, 2) do (
        call :sleep 100
        set /a pos=%Cols% + %%I
        cursorpos !pos! %Lines%
        set /a e=%%I %% 2
        if #!e!==#1 (
            colorshow /%Yellow%%Black% ">)" /%Black% " "
        ) else colorshow /%Yellow%%Black% "-)" /%Black% " "
    )
    cursorpos=%Cols%,%Lines%

)

:: ---------------------------------------------------
:: End of main script
:: ---------------------------------------------------
echo Done.
del cursorpos.exe colorshow.exe sleep.vbs
goto :EOF

:: ---------------------------------------------------
:: Subroutines
:: ---------------------------------------------------

:GetCoords Cols= Lines=
set /A "%1=%errorlevel%&0xFFFF, %2=(%errorlevel%>>16)&0xFFFF"
exit /B

:DefineColorCodes
set HexDigit=0123456789ABCDEF
set c=-1
for %%c in ( Black Blue  Green  Aqua  Red  Purple  Brown  White
             Grey  LBlue LGreen LAqua LRed LPurple Yellow BWhite ) do (
   set /A c+=1
   for %%C in (!c!) do set %%c=!HexDigit:~%%C,1!
)
exit /B

:sleep <ms>
if not exist sleep.vbs (echo Wscript.Sleep^(Wscript.Arguments^(0^)^)>sleep.vbs)
cscript /nologo sleep.vbs %1
goto :EOF

:heredoc <uniqueIDX>
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
set go=
for /f "delims=" %%A in ('findstr /n "^" "%~f0"') do (
    set "line=%%A" && set "line=!line:*:=!"
    if defined go (if #!line:~1!==#!go::=! (goto :EOF) else echo(!line!)
    if "!line:~0,13!"=="call :heredoc" (
        for /f "tokens=3 delims=>^ " %%i in ("!line!") do (
            if #%%i==#%1 (
                for /f "tokens=2 delims=&" %%I in ("!line!") do (
                    for /f "tokens=2" %%x in ("%%I") do set "go=%%x"
                )
            )
        )
    )
)
goto :EOF

Answer 3

BG v2.5 (unicode)

http://batch.xoo.it/t2238-BG-exe-Utility-for-Batch-Games.htm

BG.EXE is a tool for print text color in cmd.exe. It accepts regular expressions for print ascii characters. It also have useful functions.

Locate row column ::locate the position of cursor in row and column specified, zero index based.

Call it: bg Locate 0 0 and the cursor jumps there.

---

Or

CursorPos.exe

http://www.dostips.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3428

Get or set cursor position.

CursorPos [[±]col [±]row]

If no parameter is given, return current cursor position as col+(row<<16) in ERRORLEVEL.

If any coordinate have sign, the position given is relative to the current one.

If cursor is moved, the Ascii code of the character at new position is returned in ERRORLEVEL.

Answer 4

ANSICON provides ANSI escape sequences for Windows console programs. It provides much the same functionality as ANSI.SYS does for MS-DOS.

https://github.com/adoxa/ansicon