Formatting Console Output in C++
How can I format console output to create more visually appealing displays?
Formatting console output can greatly enhance the user experience of your C++ applications. There are several techniques you can use to create more visually appealing displays. Let's explore some of these methods:
1. Using Escape Sequences
Escape sequences allow you to control cursor position and clear the screen:
#include <iostream>
int main(){
// Clear screen
std::cout << "\033[2J\033[1;1H";
// Move cursor to row 5, column 10
std::cout << "\033[5;10H"
<< "Hello, World!";
// Move cursor down 2 lines and right 5 spaces
std::cout << "\033[2B\033[5C"
<< "Welcome to C++!";
}This example demonstrates clearing the screen, positioning the cursor, and moving it relative to its current position.
2. Creating Boxes and Lines
You can use ASCII characters to create boxes and lines:
#include <iostream>
#include <iomanip>
void drawBox(int width, int height){
std::cout << "" << std::string(
width - 2, '─') << "\n";
for (int i = 0; i < height - 2; ++i) {
std::cout << "│" << std::string(
width - 2, ' ')
<< "│\n";
}
std::cout << "└" << std::string(
width - 2, '─') << "\n";
}
int main(){
drawBox(20, 5);
// Position text inside the box
std::cout << "\033[3;3H"
<< "Hello, World!";
std::cout << std::endl;
}This creates a simple box using ASCII characters and positions text inside it.
──────────────────
│ │
│ Hello, World! │
│ │
└──────────────────3. Using Color and Text Styling
As we saw in the previous answer, you can use ANSI escape codes for color and text styling:
#include <iostream>
#define RESET "\033[0m"
#define BOLD "\033[1m"
#define RED "\033[31m"
#define GREEN "\033[32m"
#define BLUE "\033[34m"
#define CYAN "\033[36m"
int main(){
std::cout << BOLD << RED << "Error: " << RESET
<< "Something went wrong!\n";
std::cout << GREEN << "Success: " << RESET
<< "Operation completed.\n";
std::cout << BLUE << "Info: " << RESET
<< "This is some information.\n";
std::cout << CYAN << "Debug: " << RESET
<< "Variable x = 42\n";
}Error: Something went wrong!Success: Operation completed.Info: This is some information.Debug: Variable x = 42
This example shows how to use different colors and text styles to highlight different types of messages.
4. Creating Tables
You can use std::setw and std::setfill to create aligned tables:
#include <iostream>
#include <iomanip>
int main(){
std::cout << std::setfill('-') <<
std::setw(40)
<< "-" << std::endl;
std::cout << std::setfill(' ');
std::cout << "| " << std::left <<
std::setw(20)
<< "Name" << "| " << std::right <<
std::setw(15)
<< "Score"
<< " |" << std::endl;
std::cout << std::setfill('-') <<
std::setw(40) << "-"
<< std::endl;
std::cout << std::setfill(' ');
std::cout << "| " << std::left <<
std::setw(20) << "Alice"
<< "| " << std::right << std::setw(15) << 95
<< " |" << std::endl;
std::cout << "| " << std::left <<
std::setw(20) << "Bob"
<< "| " << std::right << std::setw(15) << 87
<< " |" << std::endl;
std::cout << "| " << std::left <<
std::setw(20)
<< "Charlie"
<< "| " << std::right << std::setw(15) << 92
<< " |" << std::endl;
std::cout << std::setfill('-') <<
std::setw(40) << "-"
<< std::endl;
}This creates a neatly formatted table with aligned columns.
----------------------------------------
| Name | Score |
----------------------------------------
| Alice | 95 |
| Bob | 87 |
| Charlie | 92 |
----------------------------------------5. Progress Bars
You can create simple progress bars to show the status of long-running operations:
#include <iostream>
#include <thread>
#include <chrono>
void showProgress(int progress){
int barWidth = 40;
std::cout << "[";
int pos = barWidth * progress / 100;
for (int i = 0; i < barWidth; ++i) {
if (i < pos) std::cout << "=";
else if (i == pos) std::cout << ">";
else std::cout << " ";
}
std::cout << "] " << progress << " %\r";
std::cout.flush();
}
int main(){
for (int i = 0; i <= 100; ++i) {
showProgress(i);
std::this_thread::sleep_for(
std::chrono::milliseconds(50));
}
}This creates a progress bar that updates as an operation progresses.
[==================> ] 58 %6. Using Unicode Characters
Modern terminals often support Unicode, allowing for more graphical elements:
#include <iostream>
int main(){
std::cout <<
"Simple shapes: \n";
std::cout << "Card suits: ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣\n";
std::cout << "Music notes: ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬\n";
std::cout << "Arrows: ↔ ↕\n";
}This displays various Unicode characters that can be used to enhance your console output.
Simple shapes:
Card suits: ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣
Music notes: ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬
Arrows: ↔ ↕Remember that the support for these formatting techniques can vary depending on the terminal or console application being used. Always test your application in the target environment to ensure compatibility.
Additionally, consider providing fallback options for environments that don't support advanced formatting to ensure your application remains usable across different platforms.
User Input in the Terminal
This lesson introduces the fundamentals of capturing user input, using std::cin and std::getline()