When making calls to any one of System.Console.BufferWidth, System.Console.CurserLeft or System.Console.WindowWidth I am greeted with a System.IO.IOException when executing my [console] app from within PsExec.
All works correctly when executed within a standard command window.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
And budda-bing budda-boom, I have discovered a solution!
As it turns out, PsExec has a native function as one of it's input properties called GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo
This native function can be called via P/Invoke and can be used to get any non-standard console screen buffer properties in the event that the .NET API cannot access the console object.
The code that I have used is as follows:
static void Main(string[] args)
{
// ... other code and stuff
int windowWidth;
if (!ConsoleEx.GetConsoleWindowWidth(out windowWidth))
windowWidth = Int32.MaxValue; // if no console, no limits
// ... other code and stuff
}
internal static class ConsoleEx
{
/// <summary>
/// Contains information about a console screen buffer.
/// </summary>
private struct ConsoleScreenBufferInfo
{
/// <summary> A CoOrd structure that contains the size of the console screen buffer, in character columns and rows. </summary>
internal CoOrd dwSize;
/// <summary> A CoOrd structure that contains the column and row coordinates of the cursor in the console screen buffer. </summary>
internal CoOrd dwCursorPosition;
/// <summary> The attributes of the characters written to a screen buffer by the WriteFile and WriteConsole functions, or echoed to a screen buffer by the ReadFile and ReadConsole functions. </summary>
internal Int16 wAttributes;
/// <summary> A SmallRect structure that contains the console screen buffer coordinates of the upper-left and lower-right corners of the display window. </summary>
internal SmallRect srWindow;
/// <summary> A CoOrd structure that contains the maximum size of the console window, in character columns and rows, given the current screen buffer size and font and the screen size. </summary>
internal CoOrd dwMaximumWindowSize;
}
/// <summary>
/// Defines the coordinates of a character cell in a console screen buffer.
/// The origin of the coordinate system (0,0) is at the top, left cell of the buffer.
/// </summary>
private struct CoOrd
{
/// <summary> The horizontal coordinate or column value. </summary>
internal Int16 X;
/// <summary> The vertical coordinate or row value. </summary>
internal Int16 Y;
}
/// <summary>
/// Defines file type values for use when retrieving the type of a specified file.
/// </summary>
private enum FileType
{
/// <summary> Either the type of the specified file is unknown, or the function failed. </summary>
Unknown,
/// <summary> The specified file is a disk file. </summary>
Disk,
/// <summary> The specified file is a character file, typically an LPT device or a console. </summary>
Char,
/// <summary> The specified file is a socket, a named pipe, or an anonymous pipe. </summary>
Pipe
};
/// <summary>
/// Gets a value that indicates whether the error output stream has been redirected from the standard error stream.
/// </summary>
internal static Boolean IsErrorRedirected
{
get { return FileType.Char != GetFileType(GetStdHandle(StdHandle.StdErr)); }
}
/// <summary>
/// Gets a value that indicates whether input has been redirected from the standard input stream.
/// </summary>
internal static Boolean IsInputRedirected
{
get { return FileType.Char != GetFileType(GetStdHandle(StdHandle.StdIn)); }
}
/// <summary>
/// Gets a value that indicates whether output has been redirected from the standard output stream.
/// </summary>
internal static Boolean IsOutputRedirected
{
get { return FileType.Char != GetFileType(GetStdHandle(StdHandle.StdOut)); }
}
/// <summary>
/// Gets the column position of the cursor within the buffer area.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="returnLeftIfNone">
/// In the event that there is no console, the value passed here will be the return value
/// </param>
/// <returns>
/// The current position, in columns, of the cursor
/// </returns>
internal static Int32 GetConsoleCursorLeft(Int32 returnLeftIfNone = 0)
{
if (!IsOutputRedirected) // if the output is not being redirected
return Console.CursorLeft; // return the current cursor [left] position
else
{ // try and get the Console Buffer details
ConsoleScreenBufferInfo csbi;
if (GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(GetStdHandle(StdHandle.StdOut), out csbi)) // if the console buffer exists
return csbi.dwCursorPosition.X; // return the cursor [left] position
}
return returnLeftIfNone; // no console; return the desired position in this event
}
/// <summary>
/// Gets the console screen buffer window height.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="windowHeight">
/// A System.Int32 property that will receive the console screen buffer height
/// </param>
/// <returns>
/// Returns a System.Boolean value of true if a console screen exists and the height retrieved; else false
/// </returns>
internal static Boolean GetConsoleWindowHeight(out Int32 windowHeight)
{
int discardWidth;
return GetConsoleWindowSize(out windowHeight, out discardWidth);
}
/// <summary>
/// Gets the console screen buffer window size.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="windowHeight">
/// A System.Int32 property that will receive the console screen buffer height
/// </param>
/// <param name="windowWidth">
/// A System.Int32 property that will receive the console screen buffer width
/// </param>
/// <returns>
/// Returns a System.Boolean value of true if a console screen exists and the information retrieved; else false
/// </returns>
internal static Boolean GetConsoleWindowSize(out Int32 windowHeight, out Int32 windowWidth)
{
windowHeight = 0;
windowWidth = 0;
if (!IsOutputRedirected)
{ // if the output is not being redirected
windowHeight = Console.WindowHeight; // out the current console window height
windowWidth = Console.WindowWidth; // out the current console window width
return true;
}
else
{ // try and get the Console Buffer details
ConsoleScreenBufferInfo csbi;
if (GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(GetStdHandle(StdHandle.StdOut), out csbi))
{ // if the console buffer exists
windowHeight = csbi.dwSize.Y; // out the current console window height
windowWidth = csbi.dwSize.X; // out the current console window width
return true;
}
}
return false; // no console
}
/// <summary>
/// Gets the console screen buffer window height.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="windowWidth">
/// A System.Int32 property that will receive the console screen buffer width
/// </param>
/// <returns>
/// Returns a System.Boolean value of true if a console screen exists and the width retrieved; else false
/// </returns>
internal static Boolean GetConsoleWindowWidth(out Int32 windowWidth)
{
int discardHeight;
return GetConsoleWindowSize(out discardHeight, out windowWidth);
}
/// <summary>
/// Retrieves information about the specified console screen buffer.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="hConsoleOutput">
/// A handle to the console screen buffer
/// </param>
/// <param name="lpConsoleScreenBufferInfo">
/// A pointer to a ConsoleScreenBufferInfo structure that receives the console screen buffer information
/// </param>
/// <returns>
/// If the information retrieval succeeds, the return value is nonzero; else the return value is zero
/// </returns>
[DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
private static extern Boolean GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(
IntPtr hConsoleOutput,
out ConsoleScreenBufferInfo lpConsoleScreenBufferInfo);
/// <summary>
/// Retrieves the file type of the specified file.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="hFile">
/// A handle to the file
/// </param>
/// <returns>
/// Returns one of the FileType enum values
/// </returns>
[DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
private static extern FileType GetFileType(IntPtr hFile);
/// <summary>
/// Retrieves a handle to the specified standard device (standard input, standard output, or standard error).
/// </summary>
/// <param name="nStdHandle">
/// The standard device
/// </param>
/// <returns>
/// Returns a value that is a handle to the specified device, or a redirected handle
/// </returns>
[DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
private static extern IntPtr GetStdHandle(StdHandle nStdHandle);
/// <summary>
/// Defines the coordinates of the upper left and lower right corners of a rectangle.
/// </summary>
private struct SmallRect
{
/// <summary> The x-coordinate of the upper left corner of the rectangle. </summary>
internal Int16 Left;
/// <summary> The y-coordinate of the upper left corner of the rectangle. </summary>
internal Int16 Top;
/// <summary> The x-coordinate of the lower right corner of the rectangle. </summary>
internal Int16 Right;
/// <summary> The y-coordinate of the lower right corner of the rectangle. </summary>
internal Int16 Bottom;
}
/// <summary>
/// Defines the handle type of a standard device.
/// </summary>
private enum StdHandle
{
/// <summary> The standard input device. Initially, this is the console input buffer, CONIN$. </summary>
StdIn = -10,
/// <summary> The standard output device. Initially, this is the active console screen buffer, CONOUT$. </summary>
StdOut = -11,
/// <summary> The standard error device. Initially, this is the active console screen buffer, CONOUT$. </summary>
StdErr = -12
};
/// <summary>
/// Writes the specified string value to the standard output stream.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="value">
/// The value to write
/// </param>
/// <param name="valueLength">
/// The length of the last line written from value
/// </param>
internal static void Write(String value, out Int32 valueLength)
{
string[] valueArray = value.Split(new char[] { '\r', '\n' }); // split the value by either carriage returns or a line feeds
valueLength = valueArray[valueArray.Count() - 1].Length; // out the length of the last line
Console.Write(value); // write the value to the output stream
}
}
... and I am happy to confirm that this works beautifully with a native console window, PsExec or when redirected to a file.
I hope someone else can make use of this :D