Reading from the console, I get errors and need help

I'm trying to read from the console because I writing a chess game for the console and I need to figuare out what piece is beign moved, so I need to read from it, but I keep on getting errors when I try this code...

Code:

char name[1];
     char Kn[2];
     DWORD Read;
     int x; // original X co-ordinate of the piece being moved.
     int y; // original Y co-ordinate of the piece being moved.
     int a;
     int b;
     
     if(turn == 1)
     {
     turn++; // Sorting out turning system
     }
     else if(turn == 2)
     {
     turn--;
     }
     
     make_move[1] = (int)x; // Finding out what piece has been moved
     make_move[2] = y;
     a = (7*(x - 65)) + 10;
     Position.X = a;
     b = 5*y;
     Position.Y = b;

ReadConsoleOutputCharacter(hOut,
                               &name,
                               1,
                               Position,
                               Read);

Thanks in advance...

>but I keep on getting errors when I try this code...
What errors?

Post your errors

sorry,

Code:

Consolechess.cpp:713: error: cannot convert `char (*)[1]' to `CHAR*' for 
   argument `2' to `BOOL ReadConsoleOutputCharacterA(void*, CHAR*, long 
   unsigned int, _COORD, DWORD*)'

make.exe: *** [Consolechess.o] Error 1

So look at parameter 2 (that's what the error message says)

My guess is you need to drop the &
You might also need to declare the array name as a CHAR and not a char

You could also just drop the [1] from the declaration, since a 1-element array isn't that useful.

What exactly is the difference between a CHAR and a char?

From my extremely limited experience, it seems that when the word is capitalized, it's usually a structure, and when it's lowercase, it's a variable type. Could you please clarify?

i think the main difference is that all c++ keywords are in lower-case.

>What exactly is the difference between a CHAR and a char?
char is a C++ type and CHAR is a Microsoftism. The idea is that the same code will work under both Unicode and, let's say, ASCII. The only change that would need to be made is defining a macro to say you're using Unicode, and the implementation will supposedly do the right thing:

Code:

#ifdef UNICODE
  typedef wchar_t CHAR;
#else
  typedef char CHAR;
#endif

All right. I think I understand, now. Thanks!

Originally Posted by RoD

char is a C++ type and CHAR is a Microsoftism. The idea is that the same code will work under both Unicode and, let's say, ASCII. The only change that would need to be made is defining a macro to say you're using Unicode, and the implementation will supposedly do the right thing:

Code:

#ifdef UNICODE
  typedef wchar_t CHAR;
#else
  typedef char CHAR;
#endif

You're thinking of TCHAR, CHAR is always char.

Originally Posted by MSDN Windows Data Types

CHAR 8-bit Windows (ANSI) character.

The C built-in data types are simply typedefed to uppercase for consistency with the WinApi style of all uppercase variable type names.

Code:

HANDLE hFile;
UINT   cWidgets;
PVOID  pVoid;
INT    nIndex;   /* INT available for consistency. */
TCHAR  szFileName[MAX_PATH];
DWORD  dwWritten;

>You're thinking of TCHAR
Ah, so I am.

Okay. So TCHAR is Microsoftism and CHAR is just consistency. Got it.

>So TCHAR is Microsoftism and CHAR is just consistency.
Well, they're both Microsoftisms since just about everyone else in the universe refrains from using identifiers with all caps except as macros. Consistency isn't a good reason for changing the language when trying to be consistent with a bad choice to begin with. But, this is the company that chose to deprecate a portion of the standard C library in their latest compiler without the C standard committee's blessing.