Positioning output on the Console

[oldefoxx]

It isn't immediately apparent, but you can do more than just write text to the console when it is open -- you can position it as well. But when positioning text, you either want to go to a certain place (x,y coordinates), return to a certain place (remember last x,y coordinates), extend an existing line, or end a line so that you can begin a new one.

The code that follows is a shell for adding some of these behaviors to the PureBASIC concole. It combines the Print() and PrintN() procedures with the the ConsoleLocate() procedure, allows you to embed carrage return codes (Chr(13)) into your strings to determine where lines should end and others start, and remembers global values for the row and column, so that you can continue printing from your last location if you so desire.

The main program just displays how some of these features can be used to enhance your ability to write to the opened console window.

Code: Select all

Declare WriteConsole(a.l,b.l,d.s)
Declare.s pad(str.s,size.l)
OpenConsole()
Global scnwidth,scnheight,row,col
scnwidth=80
scnheight=25
t$="This is a test."
u$="And so is"
v$="this test"
ofs=0
For cnt=1 To 25
  WriteConsole(cnt-1,0,pad(Str(cnt),2)+" "+t$)
  WriteConsole(25-cnt,40,pad(Str(cnt),2)+" "+t$)
  If cnt-Int(cnt/3)*3 = 1
    writeconsole(25-cnt,scnwidth-cnt/3-10,Mid(v$,Len(v$)-ofs,1))
    ofs=ofs+1
    writeconsole(25-cnt,cnt/3+24,Mid(u$,ofs,1))
  EndIf
Next
Repeat
Until Inkey()>""
CloseConsole()
End

Procedure.s pad(str.s,size.l)
tmp$=Str.s
If Len(tmp$)<size
  tmp$=Space(size-Len(tmp$))+tmp$
EndIf
ProcedureReturn tmp$
EndProcedure

Procedure WriteConsole(rw,cl,txt$)
tt$=txt$
If rw>=0
  row=rw
EndIf
If cl>=0
  col=cl
EndIf
;frontcolor(cr/65536,cr/256 And 255,cr And 255)
ConsoleLocate(col,row)
Repeat
  c=FindString(tt$,Chr(13),1)
  If c
    PrintN(Left(tt$,c-1))
    tt$=Mid(tt$,c+1,Len(tt$)-c)
    If Left(tt$,1)=Chr(10)
      tt$=Mid(tt$,2,Len(tt$)-2)
    EndIf
    row=row+1
    col=1
  EndIf
Until c=0
Print(tt$)
col=col+Len(tt$)
While col>scnwidth
  row=row+1
  col=col-scnwidth
Wend
While row>scnheight
  row=scnheight-1
Wend
EndProcedure