Coloring my text. Compiler error problem.

[sampleandhold]

- I've been using two header files to color my text.

- The first one color_green.h saves the original color settings and then sets the new colors (green text).

- And second one called restore_color resets to original colors.

// This is the header "color_green.h"

HANDLE h = GetStdHandle ( STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE );
  WORD wOldColorAttrs;
  CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO csbiInfo;


  /*
   * First save the current color information
   */
  GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(h, &csbiInfo);
  wOldColorAttrs = csbiInfo.wAttributes;


  /*
   * Set the new color information
   */
  SetConsoleTextAttribute ( h, FOREGROUND_GREEN | FOREGROUND_INTENSITY );

/*************************************************/
// This is the header "restore_color.h"

/*
* resets to the original colors
*/
  SetConsoleTextAttribute ( h, wOldColorAttrs);

This has been working. But then my compiler has started giving me the error messages(both of them in "restore_color.h") :

error: 'h' undeclared (first use in this function) &
error: 'wOldColorAttrs' undeclared (first use in this function)


Why am I getting error messages?

[dmh2000]

edit: i didn't see the last line comment. sorry.

are you including restore-color.h before the other one? in C the declaration of the variables has to be seen by the compiler before they are used.

also, typically in C you don't put executable code in a header file, just definitions.

[sampleandhold]

edit: i didn't see the last line comment. sorry.

are you including restore-color.h before the other one? in C the declaration of the variables has to be seen by the compiler before they are used.

also, typically in C you don't put executable code in a header file, just definitions.

I include the color_green.h first. But I don't include it until I'm going to use it. Should I include it at the beginning together with the other includes?

Do you know why I'm getting error messages?

And should I make the color stuff a function instead?

[Salem]

Where exactly did you get those header files?

Because they make no sense - they look like fragments of code.

Like you're meant to do something like this

void foo ( ) {
    // declare vars
#include "color_green.h"
   // do stuff in green
#include "restore_color.h"
}

Which is entirely possible, but a completely bone-headed way of programming.

> And should I make the color stuff a function instead?
Yes, for the love of all things good and wholesome - YES

[sampleandhold]

Where exactly did you get those header files?

Because they make no sense - they look like fragments of code.

Like you're meant to do something like this

void foo ( ) {
    // declare vars
#include "color_green.h"
   // do stuff in green
#include "restore_color.h"
}

Which is entirely possible, but a completely bone-headed way of programming.

> And should I make the color stuff a function instead?
Yes, for the love of all things good and wholesome - YES

Well, I'm making a text adventure game and within the game there's a part when your'e using a computer and it goes back and forth between the computer look (which is green text) and the regular look. I'm a fairly new programmer and this seemed to be good idea and it did work for a long time until I started getting error messages.

Well, I'll take heed and make the color routine a function.

And I got the code right here on cprogramming.com in the tutorials: How To Color My Text or something like that.

[Salem]

Post some links - I don't feel like searching...

[sampleandhold]

I made it a function. I'm still getting the same error messages:

error: 'h' undeclared (first use in this function) &
error: 'wOldColorAttrs' undeclared (first use in this function)

How can I can fix these errors?

Here's my function:

int colorItGreen()
{
    int static colorIsGreen=0;


   
   if(colorIsGreen == 0)
   {
  HANDLE h = GetStdHandle ( STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE );
  WORD wOldColorAttrs;
  CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO csbiInfo;


  /*
   * First save the current color information
   */
  GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(h, &csbiInfo);
  wOldColorAttrs = csbiInfo.wAttributes;


  /*
   * Set the new color information
   */
  SetConsoleTextAttribute ( h, FOREGROUND_GREEN | FOREGROUND_INTENSITY );
  colorIsGreen = 1;


  printf("\n this is colorItGreen! Green!\n\n");
      getchar();
      colorIsGreen = 1;
      return;
  }
  if(colorIsGreen == 1)
  {
  /*
   * Restore the original colors
   */
  SetConsoleTextAttribute ( h, wOldColorAttrs);
  colorIsGreen = 0;
  printf(" it's restored");
  getchar();
  return;
  }
}

Here's the link: http://faq.cprogramming.com/cgi-bin/...&id=1043284392

[Salem]

> HANDLE h = GetStdHandle ( STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE );
Move this up a couple of lines, so the scope is the whole function, and not just one of the if statements.

[sampleandhold]

> HANDLE h = GetStdHandle ( STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE );
Move this up a couple of lines, so the scope is the whole function, and not just one of the if statements.

That took care of the first error. I'm still getting the error: 'wOldColorAttrs' undeclared (first use in this function)

[sampleandhold]

I moved "wOldColorAttrs = csbiInfo.wAttributes;" up too.

And it worked to color the text green. But when it was supposed to be restored back, the colors are not same as they were originally.

[sampleandhold]

I changed the code to this:

void colorItGreen()
{
    int static i, colorIsGreen=0;


  HANDLE h = GetStdHandle ( STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE );
  WORD wOldColorAttrs;
  CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO csbiInfo;




   if(colorIsGreen == 0)
   {
       wOldColorAttrs = csbiInfo.wAttributes;
  /*
   * First save the current color information
   */
  GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(h, &csbiInfo);




  /*
   * Set the new color information
   */
  SetConsoleTextAttribute ( h, FOREGROUND_GREEN | FOREGROUND_INTENSITY );
  colorIsGreen = 1;


  printf("\n this is colorItGreen! Green!\n\n");
      getchar();
      colorIsGreen = 1;
      return;
  }
  if(colorIsGreen == 1)
  {
  /*
   * Restore the original colors
   */
  SetConsoleTextAttribute ( h, wOldColorAttrs);
  colorIsGreen = 0;
  printf(" it's restored");
  getchar();
  return;
  }
}

The text turns green. But it won't restore the color. It just stays green.

[Salem]

> WORD wOldColorAttrs;
In order for this to maintain it's value from one call to the next, you need to make it static (like your colorIsGreen flag).

[sampleandhold]

> WORD wOldColorAttrs;
In order for this to maintain it's value from one call to the next, you need to make it static (like your colorIsGreen flag).

I was thinking about doing that.

It works now! Thank you so much for the help. Your'e a lifesaver