Urgent Question: Hiding Status Window

[mark01]

seems like I can't find a solution to this simple task. I want to hide the status window which displays the texture loading and other details during the whole loading process.

I searched the whole forum but didn't find a answer to this.
how is this possible?

[CuteAlien]

Do you mean the console window which you see on windows?

The trick to hide that is to use another entrypoint into the application. Instead of working with main() you must work with WinMain.

I do it somewhat like this:

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#ifdef WIN32

#include <windows.h>
int main(int argc, char *argv[]);  // forward declaration

// entry point for windows gui applications
int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hinstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow)
{
        // we don't really use it, so just call the usual main
	return main(__argc, __argv);
}

// not sure right now, why I used that here. Maybe not necessary.
#pragma warning( disable : 4786 ) 

#endif	// WIN32

// here comes the usual main, which you can use as hithero
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
return 0;
}

Now it's hidden whenever you compile with WIN32 (which you either set as define or in the preprocessor definitions section in VS).

But you certainly also no longer see the error messages and all the informations send to stdout and stderr.

[Bob Finnie]

or if you want to still want to work with main() and you are using Visual Studio you can add this near the top of your code:

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#pragma comment(linker, "/SUBSYSTEM:windows /ENTRY:mainCRTStartup")

[JP]

Certainly in devcpp there's options in the project settings to hide the console. Though i think that's just by changing the project type to GUI from console.

[Ico]

I'm always using this way:

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#ifdef _WIN32 
int APIENTRY WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR pCmdLine,  int nCmdShow) 
#else 
int main() 
#endif 
{ 
...

Then I just set the release build's subsystem to 'windows' (similar to bob's snippet).

This way I've got the console in debug mode and a clean window/appearance in my release build.

[CuteAlien]

@Ico: That's nearly the same as I did in my code. It certainly also works, but you have different command line parameters as the WinMain parameters have another format than main. I use those parameters so I prefered having them the same format, to avoid writing two parsers :-)

[rogerborg]

Incidentally, you can set the subsystem with a pragma, so you can switch it entirely within the source based on the state of NDEBUG.

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#pragma comment(linker,"/subsystem:console")

#pragma comment(linker,"/subsystem:windows")

[MasterGod]

Incidentally, you can set the subsystem with a pragma, so you can switch it entirely within the source based on the state of NDEBUG.

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#pragma comment(linker,"/subsystem:console")

#pragma comment(linker,"/subsystem:windows")

You mean if I add both of these lines before main() I'll see the console only on debug build?
If not could you show an example of how to use it cause it sounds the most simple way of all that was said above.

[FuzzYspo0N]

for debug console add :

#pragma comment(linker,"/subsystem:console")

if you dont want one add :

#pragma comment(linker,"/subsystem:windows")




it tells the compiler what to use main as, so yea.

[Ico]

Incidentally, you can set the subsystem with a pragma, so you can switch it entirely within the source based on the state of NDEBUG.

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#pragma comment(linker,"/subsystem:console")

#pragma comment(linker,"/subsystem:windows")

You mean if I add both of these lines before main() I'll see the console only on debug build?
If not could you show an example of how to use it cause it sounds the most simple way of all that was said above.

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#ifdef _DEBUG
#pragma comment(linker,"/subsystem:console")
#else
#pragma comment(linker,"/subsystem:windows")
#endif

(You could also replace the define and use NDEBUG, RELEASE or whatever is defined only in debug or release build.)

[MasterGod]

It asks for WinMain..

error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol _WinMain@16

I fixed it by changing this line

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#pragma comment(linker,"/subsystem:windows")

with this

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#pragma comment(linker, "/subsystem:windows /ENTRY:mainCRTStartup")

[rogerborg]

I tend to use NDEBUG (to indicate a release build) as it's specified in the ANSI standard for <assert.h>, but whatever works for you.

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#include <stdio.h>
#include <windows.h>

// To see this working, ensure that you pass some command line arguments.

int main(int argc, char * argv[])
{
	// Just show the command line arguments
	char arguments[1024] = {0};

	for(int arg = 0; arg < argc; ++arg)
	{
		(void)strcat_s(arguments, sizeof(arguments), argv[arg]);
		(void)strcat_s(arguments, sizeof(arguments), "\n");

		(void)printf("%s\n", argv[arg]); // This will only appear on the debug console
	}

	(void)MessageBoxA(NULL, arguments, "Arguments", MB_OK);

	return 0;
}

#if defined(NDEBUG)
// In a release build, use the Windows subsystem so that we don't get a console
// and call through to the common main() from WinMain
#pragma comment(linker, "/subsystem:windows")

int APIENTRY WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR pCmdLine, int nCmdShow)
{
	// Unfortunately there's no CommandLineToArgvA() so I'll extract the args manually.
	char * nextToken;
	char * token = strtok_s(GetCommandLineA(), " ", &nextToken);
	int argc = 0;
	char * argv[256]; // If there's more than 256 arguments, expect mayhem.

	while(token)
	{
		argv[argc++] = token;
		token = strtok_s(NULL, " ", &nextToken);
	}

	return main(argc, argv);
}
#else // NDEBUG
#pragma comment(linker, "/subsystem:console")
// And main() will be used implicitly
#endif // NDEBUG

[mark01]

thanks very much
After half a year of work I finally finished my highschool project

some Impressions:








Presentation will be next week

[Ico]

Looks interesting, but I'd try to change that blank wall in the second pic - even some light greyish texture might look better imo. Maybe it's the pic but it looks like unfinished/a bug.

[mark01]

I know, this is an error. I had some texture on it but somehow it isnt possible to display the texture like it should be. Ill see what I can do until next week