[HELP]Error defining swConSize in clear screen function (Console)

[samrux]

A few days ago, my clearing screen function, that I never really edited during that time, started giving an error for no reason.

I searched on Google, and nobody has been having any trouble with it. I searched the function again in several websites (including this own's website version of it), they were all almost the same anyways. I deleted my function and just copy-pasted the original "cls" function from the internet, a few times, still the same error.

So I tested the EXACT SAME function in another program (something like test.cpp) and it worked without any problem, so it's my program's fault. But I tried finding the reason of this happening and it seems everything's in order.





The function is the following:

void ClearScreen(){

    HANDLE hConsole = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
    COORD coordScreen = { 0, 0 };    // home for the cursor
    DWORD cCharsWritten;
    CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO csbi;
    DWORD dwConSize;


   // Get the number of character cells in the current buffer.


	if( !GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo( hConsole, &csbi ))
	{
		return;
	}

	dwConSize = csbi.dwSize.X * csbi.dwSize.Y;  //THIS LINE GIVING AN ERROR

   // Fill the entire screen with blanks.

	if( !FillConsoleOutputCharacter( hConsole,        // Handle to console screen buffer
                                     (TCHAR) ' ',     // Character to write to the buffer
                                     dwConSize,       // Number of cells to write
                                     coordScreen,     // Coordinates of first cell
                                     &cCharsWritten ))// Receive number of characters written
	{
		return;
	}

   // Get the current text attribute.

	if( !GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo( hConsole, &csbi ))
	{
		return;
	}

   // Set the buffer's attributes accordingly.

	if( !FillConsoleOutputAttribute( hConsole,         // Handle to console screen buffer
                                     csbi.wAttributes, // Character attributes to use
                                     dwConSize,        // Number of cells to set attribute
                                     coordScreen,      // Coordinates of first cell
                                     &cCharsWritten )) // Receive number of characters written
	{
		return;
	}

   // Put the cursor at its home coordinates.

	SetConsoleCursorPosition( hConsole, coordScreen );

}

I get two errors in the value definition of dwConSize:

dwConSize = csbi.dwSize.X * csbi.dwSize.Y;

error: expected unqualified-id before numeric constant
error: expected ; before numeric constant

I put the function prootype (void ClearScreen();) in a file called Functions.h in my program, and the whole function in a file called Functions.cpp. I'm using the lastest version of the CodeBlocks IDE and compiler.


Edit: I've been playing a little with it, and it seems the problem is the X or Y COORD values, as trying to declare any COORD variable in my code and trying to use coordName.X or coordName.Y gives me the exact same errors.

[Computergeek01]

Are you using any global variables that might be getting in the way? Have you redirected std_output anywhere? This one is pretty tricky but the problem doesn't seem to be in this function.

[samrux]

Makes sense. That's what I soon realized.

But I don't think I've been messing around with anything related to windows functions or std functions, can I get defined examples of what I could have done to cause it to fail like this? What is std_output related to this case?)



In a part of my code I had the letters set to numbers (A=1, B=2...) using #define . Defining X and Y was overriding the values and causing errors. Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it! I would have never thought that would be the source of the problem, I'll now change it.

[Computergeek01]

You. I like you. Please stick around to contribute to our dying WinAPI board. Most people can't find something like that on their own and dragging it out of them is a long and painful process. But you defiantly have at least an insight into the code you are posting, and that is a valuable thing.

[samrux]

Oh, thank you. Was it really THAT admirable?

I need to try and start learning WinAPI and grahics, as I want to get out of the console window. I, however, can't find a good way to learn, it just seems too confusing. I'm getting out for today, can I get a good begginers tutorial for it on youtube or the cplusplus website? It would help :)

[Computergeek01]

The traits that were suggested are very admirable. As far as graphics go both SFML and SDL have super seceded gtk so don't worry about that stuff. I've been a Sys Admin for more then a decade and less then a fifth of the apps I've written use any GUI beyond "MessageBox()". I just have to say that we can get a bit snappy with each other, its a bit like sibling rivalry, so step up to any one who challenges you especially if its me and you'll do fine.

[samrux]

You didn't answer my question :(