Problems with the input of non-English characters into a C# console app

Question

I'm trying to build a console C# application with Visual Studio 2010 on the English Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. When I try to copy a path with non-ASCII characters and then paste it into my console app the non-ASCII characters turn into ???. Is there any way to fix this?

Here's what I'm copying: C:\Test Folder\документи

And this is the code (after a suggested link above):

Console.OutputEncoding = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8;
string strLineUserInput = Console.ReadLine();

But even if I change the font, the C:\Test Folder\документи still becomes C:\Test Folder\????????? in strLineUserInput variable when I test it with a debugger.

Also note that unlike the link "duplicate post", I need these characters on the input.

So if I do this then:

Console.InputEncoding = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8;
string strLineUserInput = Console.ReadLine();

My strLineUserInput becomes null if I read the text above.

Yes, go to console window settings and change the font to one which supports extended characters. Lucida console should do. — Wiktor Zychla, Feb 19 '13 at 23:52
possible duplicate of [How to write unicode chars to console?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5750203/how-to-write-unicode-chars-to-console) — Jeremy Thompson, Feb 19 '13 at 23:52
Can you clarify on where you're pasting the characters to? i.e. is it going into your C# source code or is it going into the Console window as input to your application whilst it's running? — Stephen Quan, Feb 19 '13 at 23:57
@StephenQuan: I copy it from a Windows explorer address bar, then run my app and paste it there into stdin, I guess. Then press enter and check the code above with a debugger. — c00000fd, Feb 20 '13 at 00:02
@JeremyThompson that isn't quite a duplicate, but close enough. — Nik Bougalis, Feb 20 '13 at 00:11
Jeez, are people more concerned about marking duplicates here, or actually helping? — c00000fd, Feb 20 '13 at 00:13
@c00000fd - Telling us why the possible dupes aren't helping you would go a long way in limiting accusations of duplication — System Down, Feb 20 '13 at 00:24

Alex Filipovici · Answer 1 · 2013-02-20T12:00:33.993

Follow these steps:

Change the console window font to Lucida Console for both when debugging / not debugging.

Execute the following code:

public static void Main(String[] args)
{
    Console.OutputEncoding = System.Text.Encoding.GetEncoding("Cyrillic");
    Console.InputEncoding = System.Text.Encoding.GetEncoding("Cyrillic");

    Console.WriteLine(@"C:\Test Folder\документи");
    // input C:\Test Folder\документи
    string strLineUserInput = Console.ReadLine();
    Console.WriteLine(strLineUserInput);
}

The output should be:

C:\Test Folder\документи
C:\Test Folder\документи
C:\Test Folder\документи

[UPDATE]

Maybe you would like to use the ReadKey method in order to have it working (you still have to use the Lucida Console font):

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    Console.OutputEncoding = Encoding.UTF8;
    Console.InputEncoding = Encoding.UTF8;

    string s = @"C:\Test Folder\документи";
    Console.WriteLine(s);

    // input C:\Test Folder\документи
    var strInput = ReadLineUTF();

    Console.WriteLine(strInput);
}

static string ReadLineUTF()
{
    ConsoleKeyInfo currentKey;

    var sBuilder = new StringBuilder();
    do
    {
        currentKey = Console.ReadKey();
        // avoid capturing newline
        if (currentKey.Key != ConsoleKey.Enter)
            sBuilder.Append(currentKey.KeyChar);

    }
    // check if Enter was pressed
    while (currentKey.Key != ConsoleKey.Enter);

    // move on the next line
    Console.WriteLine();

    return sBuilder.ToString();
}

I get `System.IO.IOException: The parameter is incorrect.` on the `Console.OutputEncoding = System.Text.Encoding.Unicode` line. — c00000fd, Feb 20 '13 at 01:08
Again, it should be UTF-8. I gave you a Cyrillic example just because I was testing with it. — c00000fd, Feb 20 '13 at 01:24

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 29 '20 at 13:29

the code below helps me. Please use Encoding.Unicode instead of Encoding.UTF8

  Console.OutputEncoding = Console.InputEncoding = Encoding.Unicode;
  Console.Write("Введите свое имя: ");
  string name = Console.ReadLine(); 
  Console.WriteLine($"Привет {name}");

c00000fd · Answer 3 · 2013-02-20T01:35:45.807

This seems like a complete overkill for C# but it worked for me:

using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

[DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
static extern IntPtr GetStdHandle(int nStdHandle);

[DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
static extern bool ReadConsoleW(IntPtr hConsoleInput, [Out] byte[]
    lpBuffer, uint nNumberOfCharsToRead, out uint lpNumberOfCharsRead,
    IntPtr lpReserved);

public static IntPtr GetWin32InputHandle()
{
    const int STD_INPUT_HANDLE = -10;
    IntPtr inHandle = GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE);
    return inHandle;
}

public static string ReadInputLineAsUTF8()
{
    //I can't seem to find a way not to hardcode the size here???
    const int bufferSize = 1024 * 2;
    byte[] buffer = new byte[bufferSize];

    uint charsRead = 0;
    ReadConsoleW(GetWin32InputHandle(), buffer, bufferSize, out charsRead, (IntPtr)0);

    //Make new array of data read
    byte[] buffer2 = new byte[charsRead * 2];
    for (int i = 0; i < charsRead * 2; i++)
    {
        buffer2[i] = buffer[i];
    }

    //Convert string to UTF-8
    return Encoding.UTF8.GetString(Encoding.Convert(Encoding.Unicode, Encoding.UTF8, buffer2)).Trim();
}

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 20 '13 at 09:23

0

Your text looks like it is in Russian.

File Explorer is in Unicode.

Console application probably isn't in Unicode.

When you paste into your Console window your Unicode characters will convert to a non-Unicode system based on your current system locale. If your system locale doesn't support Russian, your characters will convert to "?'.

Try reviewing your Control Panel > Region and Language settings:

Open Control Panel
Select Region and Language
Review Current language for non-Unicode
If it's not set to Russian, try "Change system locale" and set to Russian.

answered Feb 20 '13 at 09:23

Stephen Quan

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I don't know what language it is. I did it via Google translate for testing purposes. Shouldn't the console app be built as Unicode and technically support any character set independent of the system language settings? – c00000fd Feb 20 '13 at 10:55
Not all applications are Unicode. Setting the system locale applies to non-Unicode applications. The appearance of "?" is indicative of your application behaving like a non-Unicode app. – Stephen Quan Feb 20 '13 at 12:13
I know that not all are, but I should be able to control how I want to build mine -- Unicode or ASCII. – c00000fd Feb 21 '13 at 02:49

score -1 · Answer 5 · answered Oct 15 '14 at 05:11

Its very easy if you just want to have input copy pasted into your text box . Have a check Box Control in your application and you can have code to changed your font something like this .

enter code here
 private void checkBox1_CheckedChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (checkBox1.Checked)
        {
            textBox1.Font = new Font("Your font", 10);
        }
        else 
        {
            textBox1.Font = new Font("Times New Roman", 10);
        }
    }

Or if You are pasting non-english always then you can change the font property of the text box.

Problems with the input of non-English characters into a C# console app

5 Answers5