ReadConsoleOutputCharacter

The ReadConsoleOutputCharacter function copies a number of characters from consecutive cells of a console screen buffer, beginning at a specified location.

BOOL ReadConsoleOutputCharacter(
  HANDLE hConsoleOutput,       // handle to screen buffer
  LPTSTR lpCharacter,          // character buffer
  DWORD nLength,               // number of cells to read
  COORD dwReadCoord,           // coordinates of first cell
  LPDWORD lpNumberOfCharsRead  // number of cells read
);

Parameters

hConsoleOutput

[in] Handle to a console screen buffer. The handle must have GENERIC_READ access.

lpCharacter

[out] Pointer to a buffer that receives the characters read from the screen buffer.

nLength

[in] Specifies the number of screen buffer character cells from which to read. The size of the buffer pointed to by the lpCharacter parameter should be nLength * sizeof(TCHAR).

dwReadCoord

[in] Specifies the coordinates of the first cell in the screen buffer from which to read. The X member of the COORD structure is the column, and the Y member is the row.

lpNumberOfCharsRead

[out] Pointer to a variable that receives the number of characters actually read.

Return Values

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks

If the number of characters to be read from extends beyond the end of the specified screen buffer row, characters are read from the next row. If the number of characters to be read from extends beyond the end of the screen buffer, characters up to the end of the screen buffer are read.

Windows NT/2000: This function uses either Unicode characters or 8-bit characters from the console's current code page. The console's code page defaults initially to the system's OEM code page. To change the console's code page, use the SetConsoleCP or SetConsoleOutputCP functions, or use the chcp or mode con cp select= commands.

Requirements

  Windows NT/2000: Requires Windows NT 3.1 or later.
  Windows 95/98: Requires Windows 95 or later.
  Header: Declared in Wincon.h; include Windows.h.
  Library: Use Kernel32.lib.
  Unicode: Implemented as Unicode and ANSI versions on Windows NT/2000.

See Also

Consoles and Character-Mode Support Overview, Console Functions, COORD, ReadConsoleOutput, ReadConsoleOutputAttribute, SetConsoleCP, SetConsoleOutputCP, WriteConsoleOutput, WriteConsoleOutputAttribute, WriteConsoleOutputCharacter