CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++windows
user4492171
user4492171

Reputation:

c++- variables to system()

I am working on a console program for Windows, and one of my settings is an option to change the console and text color.
I am using c++, so I can do something like system("color 07");, which will make the background black and the text white.
What I want to do is to present all 16 color options, and then let the user take his pick.
(Below is a portion of my code):

int a;
int b;
cout << "Please enter your background color." << endl;
cin >> a;   //the user inputs 0
cout << "Please enter your text color." << endl;
cin >> b;     //the user inputs 7

How to I pass the two variables to the system() call? I googled around, but all I could find were string to system(), which I do not want.

Also, I am very well aware of how evil system() is, so if anyone has other options other than system() that will do the same thing, that would be fine. But please do not tell me how evil system() is.

Thanks in advance!!

Upvotes: 2

Views: 557

Answers (3)

Sameer Sawla
Sameer Sawla

Reputation: 729

This could be a simpler solution using C++ constructs. 

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <cstdlib>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    string bgClr,fgClr;
    cin >> bgClr >> fgClr;

    ::system((bgClr+fgClr).c_str());

    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

Upvotes: 0

James Adkison
James Adkison

Reputation: 9602

The system command takes a single const char* parameter. Therefore you just need to build a string for the command you wish to execute.

#include <iostream>
#include <sstream>
#include <string>

int main()
{
    int backgroundColor;
    std::cout << "Enter background color\n";
    std::cin >> backgroundColor;

    int foregroundColor;
    std::cout << "Enter foreground color\n";
    std::cin >> foregroundColor;

    std::stringstream stream;
    stream << "color " << backgroundColor << foregroundColor;
    std::cout << "Command to execute: '" << stream.str() << "'\n";

    ::system(stream.str().c_str());

    return 0;
}

Upvotes: 3

EvilTeach
EvilTeach

Reputation: 28837

char command[500] = "";
sprintf(command, "color(%d, %d)", a, b);
int result = system(command);

Upvotes: -1

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