/*Some non-Microsoft versions of C++ provide a clrscr function for clearing the screen in a DOS application.

However, there is no Win32 Application Programming Interface (API) or C-Runtime function that will perform this function.

 

There are two ways to accomplish this task for a Win32 console application. The first method is to use the system function as follows:*/

 

#include <stdlib.h>

 

void main()

{

   system("cls");

}

                

 

/*

The second method is to write a function that will programmatically clear the screen.

That method is described in the More Information section which follows.

MORE INFORMATION

The following function clears the screen: */

 

 /* Standard error macro for reporting API errors */

 #define PERR(bSuccess, api){if(!(bSuccess)) printf("%s:Error %d from %s \

    on line %d\n", __FILE__, GetLastError(), api, __LINE__);}

 

 void cls( HANDLE hConsole )

 {

    COORD coordScreen = { 0, 0 };    /* here's where we'll home the

                                        cursor */

    BOOL bSuccess;

    DWORD cCharsWritten;

    CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO csbi; /* to get buffer info */

    DWORD dwConSize;                 /* number of character cells in

                                        the current buffer */

 

    /* get the number of character cells in the current buffer */

 

    bSuccess = GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo( hConsole, &csbi );

    PERR( bSuccess, "GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo" );

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

 

    /* fill the entire screen with blanks */

 

    bSuccess = FillConsoleOutputCharacter( hConsole, (TCHAR) ' ',

       dwConSize, coordScreen, &cCharsWritten );

    PERR( bSuccess, "FillConsoleOutputCharacter" );

 

    /* get the current text attribute */

 

    bSuccess = GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo( hConsole, &csbi );

    PERR( bSuccess, "ConsoleScreenBufferInfo" );

 

    /* now set the buffer's attributes accordingly */

 

    bSuccess = FillConsoleOutputAttribute( hConsole, csbi.wAttributes,

       dwConSize, coordScreen, &cCharsWritten );

    PERR( bSuccess, "FillConsoleOutputAttribute" );

 

    /* put the cursor at (0, 0) */

 

    bSuccess = SetConsoleCursorPosition( hConsole, coordScreen );

    PERR( bSuccess, "SetConsoleCursorPosition" );

    return;

 }