ConsoleControl

ConsoleControl is a C, easy to use, library to control your console.

This library, without any dependencies, supply useful functions to quickly made user interfaces and simple shapes drawings providing basic features (moving the cursor, colors...), function to print shapes (line, rectangle, circle...) and UI elements (menu, messages...).

For a complete library to make complex console UI using terminfo/termcap go check ncurses.

Features

Basic features

• move the cursor / set the position
• set the cursor visibility
• save / restore cursor position
• enable / disable inputs display
• set background / foreground color
• get console width / height
• position check functions
• clean the screen / the complete console
• non-blocking getchar
• inputs API
  • recognize special keys
  • check if an input is waiting
  • get input (key + char)

The library recognize the following keys: Home, End, Page up, Page down, Up arrow, Down arrow, Left arrow, Right arrow, Backspace, Tab, Enter / Carriage return, Escape, Space / Space bar, Insert, Delete, F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9, F10, F11, F12

When a key is recognized, it is given with the associated char, if the key is not recognized, only the char is given (same behavior as getchar)

Shapes

The library provide function to draw:

• lines (simple char or pattern string)
• rectangles
• full rectangles
• circles

The lines and rectangles have special functions to print tables using

• - for horizontal lines
• | for vertical lines
• + for intersections

UI elements

Each element is available in a table style and with colors:

• Multiple choices menu
  • With title
  • Allow to choose an option from a string array
  • Default choice
  • Configurable behavior on escape key input
• Options menu
  • With title
  • Allow to set values of different options
    • Multiple choices options
    • Integer options (within a min and a max value)
    • Character options (within a min and a max value)
  • Default values
  • Configurable exit / validate text
  • Store if escape key was used to exit (can be used to save only on user validation)
• Messages
  • With or without title
  • Display a message (multiple lines support)
  • 3 possible choices for the user to choose between can be set
    • left
    • middle
    • right
  • Configurable behavior on escape key input
    • No effect
    • Exit without choosing

Examples

Examples for basic and UI features are provided with the library, to build them see the build section.

Dependencies

No dependencies, the library only uses:

• The standard library
  • stdio.h
  • stdlib.h
  • stdbool.h
  • string.h
• On UNIX based systems: the system interface from The Single UNIX Specification
  • unistd.h
  • termios.h
  • fcntl.h
  • sys/ioctl.h
• On Windows systems: the windows API
  • windows.h

Build

To build the lib you need a c11 compliant compiler.

A CMakeLists.txt is available, see Running CMake for more information.

If you use GCC you can also use the Makefile:

To build the lib:

$ make lib

To build the lib and the examples:

$ make all

or just:

$ make

Copyright

This work is under the MIT License

Read the license file