CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++windows
Tprice88
Tprice88

Reputation: 661

How to change text and background color?

I want every character to be a different color.

for example,

cout << "Hello world" << endl;

I know this can be done, I just don't know the code for it.

and I want to change the background color to white. How would I do that?

Upvotes: 19

Views: 292275

Answers (6)

Mujahid Riaz
Mujahid Riaz

Reputation: 31

#include <stdafx.h> // Used with MS Visual Studio Express. Delete line if using something different
#include <conio.h> // Just for WaitKey() routine
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <windows.h>

using namespace std;

HANDLE console = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE); // For use of SetConsoleTextAttribute()

void WaitKey();

int main()
{

    int len = 0,x, y=240; // 240 = white background, black foreground 
    
    string text = "Hello World. I feel pretty today!";
    len = text.length();
    cout << endl << endl << endl << "\t\t"; // start 3 down, 2 tabs, right
    for ( x=0;x<len;x++)
    {
        SetConsoleTextAttribute(console, y); // set color for the next print
        cout << text[x];
        y++; // add 1 to y, for a new color
        if ( y >254) // There are 255 colors. 255 being white on white. Nothing to see. Bypass it
            y=240; // if y > 254, start colors back at white background, black chars
        Sleep(250); // Pause between letters 
    }

    SetConsoleTextAttribute(console, 15); // set color to black background, white chars
    WaitKey(); // Program over, wait for a keypress to close program
}


void WaitKey()
{
    cout  << endl << endl << endl << "\t\t\tPress any key";
    while (_kbhit()) _getch(); // Empty the input buffer
    _getch(); // Wait for a key
    while (_kbhit()) _getch(); // Empty the input buffer (some keys sends two messages)
}

Upvotes: 3

user3502455
user3502455

Reputation:

You can use the function system.

system("color *background**foreground*");

For background and foreground, type in a number from 0 - 9 or a letter from A - F.

For example:

system("color A1");
std::cout<<"hi"<<std::endl;

That would display the letters "hi" with a green background and blue text.

To see all the color choices, just type in:

system("color %");

to see what number or letter represents what color.

Upvotes: 7

P.D.K.R.Gunatilaka
P.D.K.R.Gunatilaka

Reputation: 21

Colors are bit-encoded. If You want to change the Text color in C++ language There are many ways. In the console, you can change the properties of output.click this icon of the console and go to properties and change color.

The second way is calling the system colors.

#include <iostream>
#include <stdlib.h>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    //Changing Font Colors of the System

    system("Color 7C");
    cout << "\t\t\t ****CEB Electricity Bill Calculator****\t\t\t " << endl;
    cout << "\t\t\t  ***                MENU           ***\t\t\t  " <<endl;

    return 0;

}

Upvotes: 2

Kacper Banasik
Kacper Banasik

Reputation: 199

You can also use PDCurses library. (http://pdcurses.sourceforge.net/)

Upvotes: 2

ApprenticeHacker
ApprenticeHacker

Reputation: 22011

There is no (standard) cross-platform way to do this. On windows, try using conio.h. It has the:

textcolor(); // and
textbackground();

functions.

For example:

textcolor(RED);
cprintf("H");
textcolor(BLUE);
cprintf("e");
// and so on.

Upvotes: 16

Mike Kwan
Mike Kwan

Reputation: 24447

SetConsoleTextAttribute.

HANDLE hStdOut = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
SetConsoleTextAttribute(hStdOut, FOREGROUND_RED | BACKGROUND_BLUE | BACKGROUND_GREEN | BACKGROUND_RED);

This would produce red text on a white background.

Upvotes: 9

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