Introduction:
So, you need to a
write a console mode application, no reason you can't have a little fun with it
by introducing color into the output. This article describes how to jazz up a
console mode application with color (which, as you will see, is pretty darned
easy to do).
![Application-in-VB.NET.gif]()
Figure 1: The
Application
Getting Started:
In order to get
started, unzip the included project and open the solution in the Visual Studio
2008 environment. In the solution explorer, you should note these files
(Figure 2):
![Solution-Explorer-in-VB.NET.gif]()
Figure 2: Solution
Explorer
As you can see from
Figure 2; there is a single console mode application entitled,
"ColorfulConsole_VB" which contains only the Program.vb file. All of the code
used in the example project is contained in the Program.vb file.
The Application (Program.vb)
If you'd care to open
the code view up into the IDE you will see that the code file begins with the
following library imports (which are the defaults):
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Linq
Imports System.Text
Following the imports,
the module is declared:
Module Module1
Next up, the main
function begins by created a typed list of accounts; the account class is nested
in the Program.vb file and is used to capture some fake account information so
that there is something to display.
Sub Main()
'
create some dummy data so we have
'
something to display
Dim accts As List(Of Accounts)
= CreateAccounts()
After the list is
created, the console's foreground and background color properties are set. That
is all that is needed to color the console application's output.
'
set the foreground and background colors
'
using the console's Foreground and BackgroundColor
'
properties - here we are setting it up to show
'
white characters on a dark blue background
Console.ForegroundColor
= ConsoleColor.White
Console.BackgroundColor
= ConsoleColor.DarkBlue
After the colors are
set, a banner is sent to the display; the banner will appear as white text on a
blue field:
'
write the banner to screen using writeline
Console.WriteLine("*****************************************************")
Console.WriteLine("* *")
Console.WriteLine("* Summary
of Accounts (By Last Name) *")
Console.WriteLine("* *")
Console.WriteLine("*****************************************************")
'
add a couple of new lines to break up the banner
'
from the rest of the text
Console.Write(Environment.NewLine
+ Environment.NewLine)
After the banner has
been sent to output, an LINQ to Objects query is used to sort the list by the
account holder's last name:
'
use Linq to Objects to order the list by last name
Dim q
= _
(From ac In accts
_
Order By ac.LastName Ascending _
Select ac).ToList()
After sorting the list
alphabetically but the account holder's last name, the code goes through the
list item by item and writes the account information to the screen. The code is
annotated to describe each section but in general, the intent was to write the
labels in white and the values is some other color; the account balances were
treated differently to show positive balances in green and negative balances in
red. Note that to use multiple colors on a single line, you need only set the
color, use the Console Write (in lieu of WriteLine) to write out a partial line;
reset the color and the write out the rest of the line in the other color.
'
display the list in the console
Dim a As New Accounts()
For Each a In q
'
set the foreground and background colors
'
using the console's Foreground and BackgroundColor
'
properties - here we are setting it up to show
'
white characters on a black background
Console.ForegroundColor
= ConsoleColor.White
Console.BackgroundColor
= ConsoleColor.Black
'
write out the Name title using Console.Write
Console.Write("Name:
")
'
change the foreground color and finish the
'
line with the name of the account holder
'
(two colors in one line)
Console.ForegroundColor
= ConsoleColor.Cyan
Console.BackgroundColor
= ConsoleColor.Black
Console.Write(Space(10)
+ a.LastName + ",
" + a.FirstName + "
" +
a.MiddleName
+ Environment.NewLine)
'
reset to white characters on black
'
and write out the next line title
Console.ForegroundColor
= ConsoleColor.White
Console.BackgroundColor
= ConsoleColor.Black
Console.Write("Account
Type: ")
'
change colors and finish the Account Type Line
Console.ForegroundColor
= ConsoleColor.Blue
Console.BackgroundColor
= ConsoleColor.Black
Console.Write(Space(2)
+ a.TypeOfAccount.ToString() +
Environment.NewLine)
'
check the balance to see if the account
'
holder is in the red
If a.Balance
< 0 Then
'
set the colors to write the title portion
'
of the line
Console.ForegroundColor
= ConsoleColor.White
Console.BackgroundColor
= ConsoleColor.Black
Console.Write("Balance:
")
'
the account holder is in debt so show
'
their negative balance in red
Console.ForegroundColor
= ConsoleColor.Red
Console.BackgroundColor
= ConsoleColor.Black
Console.Write(Space(7)
+ a.Balance.ToString() + Environment.NewLine +
Environment.NewLine)
Else
'
set the colors to write the title portion
'
of the line
Console.ForegroundColor
= ConsoleColor.White
Console.BackgroundColor
= ConsoleColor.Black
Console.Write("Balance:
")
'
the account holder has a positive balance
'
so show their balance in green
Console.ForegroundColor
= ConsoleColor.Green
Console.BackgroundColor
= ConsoleColor.Black
Console.Write(Space(7)
+ a.Balance.ToString() + Environment.NewLine +
Environment.NewLine)
End If
Next
The main function
wraps up by beeping one time and then using a Console Read call to pause the
display and allow the user to read it.
'
beep on completion
Beep()
'
wait for the user to read the information
Console.Read()
End Sub
The rest of the code
is merely used to generate some fake data for display purposes. The remainder
of the code is as follows:
''' <summary>
'''
This function creates a group of phony account
'''
information so we have something to display
''' </summary>
''' <returns></returns>
Public Function CreateAccounts() As List(Of Accounts)
''
create a typed list to contain
''
account information
Dim list As New List(Of Accounts)()
''
create and populate an account
''
and then add it to the list
Dim acct1 As New Accounts()
acct1.FirstName
= "William"
acct1.MiddleName
= "Alexander"
acct1.LastName
= "Carson"
acct1.TypeOfAccount
= Accounts.AccountType.Checking
acct1.Balance
= 121.5
list.Add(acct1)
''
create and populate an account
''
and then add it to the list
Dim acct2 As New Accounts()
acct2.FirstName
= "Barney"
acct2.MiddleName
= "Hubert"
acct2.LastName
= "Fortner"
acct2.TypeOfAccount
= Accounts.AccountType.Checking
acct2.Balance
= 1066.33
list.Add(acct2)
''
create and populate an account
''
and then add it to the list
Dim acct3 As New Accounts()
acct3.FirstName
= "Julia"
acct3.MiddleName
= "Mildred"
acct3.LastName
= "Daniels"
acct3.TypeOfAccount
= Accounts.AccountType.Savings
acct3.Balance
= 3397.58
list.Add(acct3)
''
create and populate an account
''
and then add it to the list
Dim acct4 As New Accounts()
acct4.FirstName
= "Alvin"
acct4.MiddleName
= "Micheal"
acct4.LastName
= "Bixby"
acct4.TypeOfAccount
= Accounts.AccountType.Checking
acct4.Balance
= -33.77
list.Add(acct4)
''
create and populate an account
''
and then add it to the list
Dim acct5 As New Accounts()
acct5.FirstName
= "Boris"
acct5.MiddleName
= "Winston"
acct5.LastName
= "Carloff"
acct5.TypeOfAccount
= Accounts.AccountType.Christmas
acct5.Balance
= 14551.52
list.Add(acct5)
''
create and populate an account
''
and then add it to the list
Dim acct6 As New Accounts()
acct6.FirstName
= "Debra"
acct6.MiddleName
= "Michelle"
acct6.LastName
= "Silvera"
acct6.TypeOfAccount
= Accounts.AccountType.Savings
acct6.Balance
= 936.93
list.Add(acct6)
''
create and populate an account
''
and then add it to the list
Dim acct7 As New Accounts()
acct7.FirstName
= "Camden"
acct7.MiddleName
= "Alphonse"
acct7.LastName
= "Villalobos"
acct7.TypeOfAccount
= Accounts.AccountType.Checking
acct7.Balance
= -71.29
list.Add(acct7)
''
create and populate an account
''
and then add it to the list
Dim acct8 As New Accounts()
acct8.FirstName
= "Drake"
acct8.MiddleName
= "Duk"
acct8.LastName
= "Mallard"
acct8.TypeOfAccount
= Accounts.AccountType.Christmas
acct8.Balance
= 815.18
list.Add(acct8)
''
create and populate an account
''
and then add it to the list
Dim acct9 As New Accounts()
acct9.FirstName
= "Talbert"
acct9.MiddleName
= "Daz"
acct9.LastName
= "Yatz"
acct9.TypeOfAccount
= Accounts.AccountType.Savings
acct9.Balance
= 14.21
list.Add(acct9)
''
create and populate an account
''
and then add it to the list
Dim acct10 As New Accounts()
acct10.FirstName
= "Miaxwif"
acct10.MiddleName
= "Isa"
acct10.LastName
= "Nidmare"
acct10.TypeOfAccount
= Accounts.AccountType.Checking
acct10.Balance
= -19697.33
list.Add(acct10)
''
return the list of dummy data to the caller
Return list
End Function
''' <summary>
'''
A class used to contain phony account information
''' </summary>
Public Class Accounts
'
set up an enumeration to
'
define the possible account
'
types
Public Enum AccountType
Checking
Savings
Christmas
End Enum
'
private member variables
Private mFirstName As String
Private mMiddleName As String
Private mLastName As String
Private mAcctType As AccountType
Private mBalance As Decimal
'
default constructor
Public Sub New()
End Sub
'
properties
Public Property FirstName() As String
Get
Return mFirstName
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
mFirstName
= value
End Set
End Property
Public Property MiddleName() As String
Get
Return mMiddleName
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
mMiddleName
= value
End Set
End Property
Public Property LastName() As String
Get
Return mLastName
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
mLastName
= value
End Set
End Property
Public Property TypeOfAccount() As AccountType
Get
Return mAcctType
End Get
Set(ByVal value As AccountType)
mAcctType
= value
End Set
End Property
Public Property Balance() As Decimal
Get
Return mBalance
End Get
Set(ByVal value As Decimal)
mBalance
= value
End Set
End Property
End Class
End Module
Summary
The article
demonstrates an approach to applying color to a simple console mode
application. Using the Console class Foreground and Background color properties
in conjunction with the Console Colors, it is possible to apply color to the
display in its entirety, or by word or word, or even by individual letters.
Given the limitations for display within the context of a standard console mode
application, color may be a useful tool or highlighting certain areas of the
output, or to make the output more readable by using color to help break out
certain areas of the display.