ascii graphics in Windows

[DarkForceRising]

Several semesters ago, I programmed a very basic version of Space Invaders in C, using the ncurses ascii library in Ubuntu Linux. I am now in a class where I have Visual C++, and can easily program in Windows. What I would like to know is if there is a comparable ascii graphics library for Windows. If possible, I want to port my little program over, but I don't know how.

Any suggestions?

 

[mundane]

You'd need to either a) find binaries for ncurses in win32 or b) compile from source.

 

[DaveSimmons]

In "raw" Win32 you would create a window and a compatible offscreen bitmap buffer (for double-buffering), create a font (probably Courier New so it's fixed-width instead of proportional), then use TextOut to write the characters to the offscreen buffer.

Then you'd use a timer interrupt for triggering the screen updating.

I don't use .NET or Windows Forms at work, so I don't know what the equivalent logic would be for them.

There's also DirectX and XNA Game Studio (requires C#) if you wanted to get fancy.

CodeProject.com might have some sample code for animation / double-buffering and simple tutorials on win32 and forms text functions. Google can turn up more.

Petzold's Programming Windows is the bible of Win32 UI programming.

 

[Sc4freak]

I think he's looking more at a terminal-style ASCII art based game, rather than a fully fledged Win32 application.

 

[CTho9305]

Here's some code my brother sent me. Look up the functions on msdn.microsoft.com to get details, but this is a "library" he uses to draw console graphics:
PT_CGUI:T_CGUI()
{
// Init the window stuff
hConsoleOut = GetStdHandle( STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE );
hConsoleIn = GetStdHandle( STD_INPUT_HANDLE );
GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo( hConsoleOut, &csbiInfo );

// Just cause
SetConsoleMode(hConsoleIn, ENABLE_PROCESSED_INPUT | ENABLE_ECHO_INPUT | ENABLE_MOUSE_INPUT);
}
int PT_CGUI::getWidth()
{
return csbiInfo.dwSize.X;
}

int PT_CGUI::getHeight()
{
return csbiInfo.dwSize.Y;
}
void PT_CGUI::clearScreen()
{
for (int x = 0; x <= csbiInfo.dwSize.X; x++)
for (int y = 0; y <= csbiInfo.dwSize.Y; y++)
draw(x, y, ' ', 0x00);
}
int PT_CGUI::getKeyPress(bool& specialKey)
{
if (_kbhit() == 0)
return -1;

int input = _getch();

specialKey = false;
if (input == 0xE0) // Special key, like arrows
{
specialKey = true;
input = _getch();
}
return input;
}
void PT_CGUI:raw(int x, int y, char c, WORD color)
{
COORD Coords;
DWORD Dummy;

Coords.X = x;
Coords.Y = y;

WriteConsoleOutputCharacter( hConsoleOut, &c, 1, Coords, &Dummy );
WriteConsoleOutputAttribute( hConsoleOut, &color, 1, Coords, &Dummy );
}

 

[DarkForceRising]

Is that all there is? No class definition or destructor?

But thanks, that could quite possibly work.

 

[CTho9305]

There's more, but I figured that would be enough to get you going, and my brother had to leave so he didn't send all the code. I thought I had a copy somewhere but couldn't find it.

 

[DarkForceRising]

Ok, thanks man.