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C#•2y ago

✅ console.writeline not working on Winforms application

I attempted to use this post to help me https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4362111/how-do-i-show-a-console-output-window-in-a-forms-application use a console on a WinForms application but the output will not show, I have read over the "Duplicate questions" page and they all don't answer my question I've tried using Debug. WriteLine but it doesn't work either. I'm assuming I'm missing a setting of some sort but they all say "use Managed Compatibility Mode" but its been gone for years, I'm having it open the console on a button press, and it opens the console it just won't output anything I've also tried "FreeConsole()" but it doesn't even open.

[DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
[return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
static extern bool AllocConsole();

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            AllocConsole();
            string message1 = "test123";
            Console.WriteLine(message1);
        }

[DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
[return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
static extern bool AllocConsole();

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            AllocConsole();
            string message1 = "test123";
            Console.WriteLine(message1);
        }

Stack Overflow

How do I show a console output/window in a forms application?

To get stuck in straight away, a very basic example: using System; using System.Windows.Forms; class test { static void Main() { Console.WriteLine("test"); MessageBox.Sh...

46 Replies

CienceOP•2y ago

This is Visual studio 2022 C# winforms

CienceOP•2y ago

i just relized that the output is going to this part under my workspace

CienceOP•2y ago

the debug output console how could i fix it?

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

Why are you trying to write to the console in a windows forms applications anyways? The Debug.WriteLine invocations would write to this.

CienceOP•2y ago

Console.Writeline does the same thing

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

That's fine So what's the issue then?

CienceOP•2y ago

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

Are you just trying to open a dedicated console window from your form?

CienceOP•2y ago

look here is the code right uh i think thats how to explain it

CienceOP•2y ago

i want the text to show up on the console

CienceOP•2y ago

but it doesnt

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

Well, move the AllocConsole invocation to your form load method as the post describes for starters, otherwise you're allocating a console every time you click the button. That could be part of the problem

CienceOP•2y ago

yea doesnt work

CienceOP•2y ago

and i want it to open on a button press anyway

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

Then add some logic to determine if it was already opened so you don't keep reallocating:

private bool _consoleAllocated = false;
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) {
    if (!_consoleAllocated) {
        AllocConsole();
        _consoleAllocated = true;
    }

    string meessage1 = "test123";
    Console.WriteLine(message1);
}

private bool _consoleAllocated = false;
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) {
    if (!_consoleAllocated) {
        AllocConsole();
        _consoleAllocated = true;
    }

    string meessage1 = "test123";
    Console.WriteLine(message1);
}

That's a good start in trying to isolate the problem

CienceOP•2y ago

it just opens like normal when i hit the button

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

Share your full code file When I do exactly as the SO answer describes it works for me just fine

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

CienceOP•2y ago

this is all i ahve

using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.IO;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace UI
{
    public partial class UI: Form
    {
        public UI()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        [DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
        [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
        static extern bool AllocConsole();

       private bool _consoleAllocated = false;

    private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            if (!_consoleAllocated)
            {
                AllocConsole();
                _consoleAllocated = true;
            }
            Console.Title = "Title";
            string meessage1 = "test123";
            Console.WriteLine(meessage1);
        }
}

using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.IO;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace UI
{
    public partial class UI: Form
    {
        public UI()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        [DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
        [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
        static extern bool AllocConsole();

       private bool _consoleAllocated = false;

    private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            if (!_consoleAllocated)
            {
                AllocConsole();
                _consoleAllocated = true;
            }
            Console.Title = "Title";
            string meessage1 = "test123";
            Console.WriteLine(meessage1);
        }
}

@tacosontitan am i missing something

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

Yeah, you're not defining _consoleAllocated anywhere.

CienceOP•2y ago

oh mb that was above button1 i ahve it

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

Are you excluding code?

CienceOP•2y ago

not on purpose thats my fault this is just a test application

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

What version of .NET are you targeting?

CienceOP•2y ago

CienceOP•2y ago

should i be using more upto date

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

Is there a reason you're targeting that specific version? IMHO, absolutely unless you have a solid reason not to

CienceOP•2y ago

not really its just what i made it with my harddrive corrupted a few days ago so my settings are off im using a old one

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

I would target .NET 6 or 7 at a minimum

CienceOP•2y ago

ok what framework are you on when you made the test

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

When I created the project it defaulted to net6.0-windows.

CienceOP•2y ago

hm ok how come the framework isnt showing up

CienceOP•2y ago

i installed it

CienceOP•2y ago

7.0 ill just google it

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

You can't directly upgrade from .NET Framework to .NET or .NET Core You can either upgrade it by hand, with an upgrade tool, or just recreate the project with a modern template. I prefer the by hand if it's a small project that I just chose the wrong template for

CienceOP•2y ago

how do i upgrade it byhand could you tell me a upgrade tool

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

I can drop a link for the upgrade tool in a moment, but you said it's just a basic test project right? So you're just getting started?

CienceOP•2y ago

yea but for the future yea is it

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

No added packages or dependencies?

CienceOP•2y ago

not currently

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

Right click the project -> Unload Project Right click the project -> Edit Copy contents to notepad for sanity check Replace with:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
    <PropertyGroup>
        <OutputType>WinExe</OutputType>
        <TargetFramework>net6.0-windows</TargetFramework>
        <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
        <UseWindowsForms>true</UseWindowsForms>
        <LanguageVersion>latest</LanguageVersion>
    </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
    <PropertyGroup>
        <OutputType>WinExe</OutputType>
        <TargetFramework>net6.0-windows</TargetFramework>
        <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
        <UseWindowsForms>true</UseWindowsForms>
        <LanguageVersion>latest</LanguageVersion>
    </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

Save. Right click the project -> reload I can drop the upgrade tool if you're not comfortable with that approach

CienceOP•2y ago

oh alright ill try it

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/desktop/winforms/migration/?view=netdesktop-7.0&WT.mc_id=dotnet-35129-website

Upgrade a Windows Forms app to .NET 7 - Windows Forms .NET

Learn how to upgrade a .NET Framework (or previous .NET) Windows Forms application to .NET 7.

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

The upgrade tool takes longer IMHO Its a better fit for an established project.

CienceOP•2y ago

I upgraded my project to 6.0 and it worked thanks @tacosontitan

Hazel 🌊💃•2y ago

No problem

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