User-defined color implementation in windows console

Question

I have implemented an user defined colors enumerator, and if is possible I appreciate if I will get a code review. I want to know if my implementation is correctly or must improve it. If there exist a better alternative (color enumerator) to my code which is?

Usage example:

 HANDLE hConsole;
 setTextColor(hConsole,YELLOW_TEXT|PINK_BACKGROUND);
 std::cout << "YELLOW_TEXT|PINK_BACKGROUND";
 resetTextColor(hConsole);

Colors enumerator:

 enum COLOR
 {
 // Text foreground colors
 // Standard text colors
 GRAY_TEXT=8, BLUE_TEXT, GREEN_TEXT,
 TEAL_TEXT, RED_TEXT, PINK_TEXT,
 YELLOW_TEXT, WHITE_TEXT,
 // Faded text colors
 BLACK_TEXT=0, BLUE_FADE_TEXT, GREEN_FADE_TEXT,
 TEAL_FADE_TEXT, RED_FADE_TEXT, PINK_FADE_TEXT,
 YELLOW_FADE_TEXT, WHITE_FADE_TEXT,
 // Standard text background color
 GRAY_BACKGROUND=GRAY_TEXT<<4, BLUE_BACKGROUND=BLUE_TEXT<<4,
 GREEN_BACKGROUND=GREEN_TEXT<<4, TEAL_BACKGROUND=TEAL_TEXT<<4,
 RED_BACKGROUND=RED_TEXT<<4, PINK_BACKGROUND=PINK_TEXT<<4,
 YELLOW_BACKGROUND=YELLOW_TEXT<<4, WHITE_BACKGROUND=WHITE_TEXT<<4,
 // Faded text background color
 BLACK_BACKGROUND=BLACK_TEXT<<4, BLUE_FADE_BACKGROUND=BLUE_FADE_TEXT<<4,
 GREEN_FADE_BACKGROUND=GREEN_FADE_TEXT<<4, TEAL_FADE_BACKGROUND=TEAL_FADE_TEXT<<4,
 RED_FADE_BACKGROUND=RED_FADE_TEXT<<4, PINK_FADE_BACKGROUND=PINK_FADE_TEXT<<4,
 YELLOW_FADE_BACKGROUND=YELLOW_FADE_TEXT<<4, WHITE_FADE_BACKGROUND=WHITE_FADE_TEXT<<4
 };

Set and reset functions:

 BOOL resetTextColor(HANDLE h)
 {
 return SetConsoleTextAttribute(h,WHITE_FADE_TEXT);
 }
 BOOL setTextColor(HANDLE h, WORD c)
 {
 return SetConsoleTextAttribute(h,c);
 }

Capture: Program output

• HeavenHM: Here is full list of Background and ForeGround colors. Complete list of WinAPI colors

Answer 1

If there exist a better alternative (color enumerator) to my code which is?

You should use the constants defined in a Windows header file named Wincon.h, which are as follows:

#define FOREGROUND_BLUE 0x0001 // text color contains blue.
#define FOREGROUND_GREEN 0x0002 // text color contains green.
#define FOREGROUND_RED 0x0004 // text color contains red.
#define FOREGROUND_INTENSITY 0x0008 // text color is intensified.
#define BACKGROUND_BLUE 0x0010 // background color contains blue.
#define BACKGROUND_GREEN 0x0020 // background color contains green.
#define BACKGROUND_RED 0x0040 // background color contains red.
#define BACKGROUND_INTENSITY 0x0080 // background color is intensified.

For example, you could write:

enum COLOR
{
 // Text foreground colors
 // Standard text colors
 GRAY_TEXT=FOREGROUND_INTENSITY,
 BLUE_TEXT=FOREGROUND_BLUE,

The answers to C++ Win32 Console Color should be useful to you.

Alternatively here's a copy-and-paste of the equivalent .NET enum for C#, which I believe uses the same bit-values and assigns conventional color-names:

#region Assembly mscorlib.dll, v4.0.30319
// C:\Program Files\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework\v4.0\Profile\Client\mscorlib.dll
#endregion
namespace System
{
 // Summary:
 // Specifies constants that define foreground and background colors for the
 // console.
 [Serializable]
 public enum ConsoleColor
 {
 // Summary:
 // The color black.
 Black = 0,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color dark blue.
 DarkBlue = 1,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color dark green.
 DarkGreen = 2,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color dark cyan (dark blue-green).
 DarkCyan = 3,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color dark red.
 DarkRed = 4,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color dark magenta (dark purplish-red).
 DarkMagenta = 5,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color dark yellow (ochre).
 DarkYellow = 6,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color gray.
 Gray = 7,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color dark gray.
 DarkGray = 8,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color blue.
 Blue = 9,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color green.
 Green = 10,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color cyan (blue-green).
 Cyan = 11,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color red.
 Red = 12,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color magenta (purplish-red).
 Magenta = 13,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color yellow.
 Yellow = 14,
 //
 // Summary:
 // The color white.
 White = 15,
 }
}

---

If you're going to define your own enum then use it in your function declaration, i.e.:

BOOL setTextColor(HANDLE h, COLOR c)

... not ...

BOOL setTextColor(HANDLE h, WORD c)

I'd usually use mixed-case e.g. Color instead of COLOR for an enum; and I'd worry that it's already been defined in a header file.

Also I'd split it into two parameters instead of doubling the number of enum values, for example:

BOOL setTextColor(HANDLE h, ConsoleColor foregound, ConsoleColor background)
{
 WORD color = foregound | (background << 4);
 return SetConsoleTextAttribute(h, color);
}