如何在Windows（C ++ WinApi）的“ SUBSYSTEM：WINDOWS”下显示并输出到控制台（cmd）

Question

I have seen windows applications that operate with both a Window and a console. I find myself wondering about this every now and then and I remember whenever I do research it I never find a solution.

Is there a way to program my WinApi C++ application such that I can output to the console as I would normally do when under the linker option SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE ? In other words I can have a Window open, with my WinMain and WndProc etc. but I would also like to do std::cout , std::cin and std::wcout .. A good use-case for that, would be to use the console for logging stuff and the Window as the main application.

Would It be a good idea to use std::system() instead and launch cmd from that and then output? I don't think so, but of course I don't know.

Windows 8.1, x86_64, MSVS 2017.

Answer 1

Use AttachConsole to attach to an existing console, or AllocConsole to create a new console. Then redirect cin / cout to that console as needed (depending on the requirements of your compiler's particular runtime implementation). Or, just use ReadConsole / WriteConsole instead.

Answer 2

Yes, set the subsystem to WINDOWS and /ENTRY (entry point) to WinMainCRTStartup (or wWinMainCRTStartup if you're using unicode). You can even set it only for the Debug configuration, so the console won't appear for the Release.