separate console window

  
//DebugConsole.h

#ifndef DEBUGCONSOLE_H
#define DEBUGCONSOLE_H

/// Creates a debug console that lasts the duration of the DebugConsole object

/// lifetime, and syncs stdin/stdout/stderr and the C++ streams to print there.

class DebugConsole
{
public:
	DebugConsole();
	~DebugConsole();

private:
	bool	m_exists;
};

#endif

//DebugConsole.cpp

#include "DebugConsole.h"

#include <iostream>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <io.h>
#include <windows.h>

using namespace std;

DebugConsole::DebugConsole()
{
	m_exists = ::AllocConsole() != 0;
	if(! m_exists)
		::MessageBox(0, TEXT("Couldn't create debug console!"), TEXT("Error"), MB_ICONERROR | MB_OK);

	//sync stdin, stdout, stderr fds up with the new console

	//original source: http://www.halcyon.com/ast/dload/guicon.htm

	//changes: removed all warnings by changing types and casting


	// set the screen buffer to be big enough to let us scroll text

	CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO coninfo;
	::GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(::GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), &coninfo);
	coninfo.dwSize.Y = 500;
	::SetConsoleScreenBufferSize(::GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), coninfo.dwSize);
	
	// redirect unbuffered STDOUT to the console

	intptr_t	pStdHandle = reinterpret_cast<intptr_t>(::GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE));
	int			hConHandle = _open_osfhandle(pStdHandle, _O_TEXT);
	FILE* pFile = _fdopen( hConHandle, "w" );
	*stdout = *pFile;
	setvbuf( stdout, NULL, _IONBF, 0 );

	// redirect unbuffered STDIN to the console

	pStdHandle = reinterpret_cast<intptr_t>(::GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE));
	hConHandle = _open_osfhandle(pStdHandle, _O_TEXT);
	pFile = _fdopen( hConHandle, "r" );
	*stdin = *pFile;
	setvbuf( stdin, NULL, _IONBF, 0 );

	// redirect unbuffered STDERR to the console

	pStdHandle = reinterpret_cast<intptr_t>(::GetStdHandle(STD_ERROR_HANDLE));
	hConHandle = _open_osfhandle(pStdHandle, _O_TEXT);
	pFile = _fdopen( hConHandle, "w" );
	*stderr = *pFile;
	setvbuf( stderr, NULL, _IONBF, 0 );

	// make cout, wcout, cin, wcin, wcerr, cerr, wclog and clog

	// point to console as well

	ios::sync_with_stdio();
}

DebugConsole::~DebugConsole()
{
	if(m_exists)
	{
		::FreeConsole();
		m_exists = false;
	}
}  

    
const int MAX_CONSOLE_LINES = 250;
 
void RedirectIOToConsole(void) 
{ 
   int hConHandle; 
   CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO coninfo; 
   FILE *fp; 
 
   // Allocate a console for this app 

   AllocConsole(); 
 
   // Set the screen buffer to be big enough to let us scroll text 

   GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), &coninfo); 
   coninfo.dwSize.Y = MAX_CONSOLE_LINES; 
   SetConsoleScreenBufferSize(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), coninfo.dwSize); 
 
   // Redirect unbuffered STDOUT to the console    

   hConHandle = _open_osfhandle((intptr_t)GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), _O_TEXT); 
   fp = _fdopen(hConHandle, "w"); 
   *stdout = *fp; 
   setvbuf(stdout, NULL, _IONBF, 0); 
}