In a C# console app, can you make one part of a message one color, and a different part another color?

Question

I want to print to the console a message with multiple colors.

For example: (red) error: (white) command not found

Is this possible?

Maybe this could help you https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2743260/is-it-possible-to-write-to-the-console-in-colour-in-net — Aaron Parrilla, Oct 21 '21 at 10:13
You can use ANSI color codes as well: https://www.jerriepelser.com/blog/using-ansi-color-codes-in-net-console-apps/ — RB., Oct 21 '21 at 10:17

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 21 '21 at 11:09

0

You can try Console.Write() to continue on the same line with different colors.

Code goes like this -

var originalColor = Console.ForegroundColor;
Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Red;
Console.Write("error: ");
Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.White;
Console.Write("command not found");
Console.ForegroundColor = originalColor;

Output -

answered Oct 21 '21 at 11:09

dark_cypher

68
7

Would using [this](https://github.com/silkfire/Pastel) be more or less efficient? I found it a while after asking the question. – Tal Oct 22 '21 at 15:08
It will be efficient if you are considering your code writing efforts. Also, if your application is very small and not a large scale application, using a packaged library will only increase the load on your project. There is always a trade-off when we are talking about efficiency. A wise decision depends on what your application requirements are or how are they going to be extended in future. – dark_cypher Oct 22 '21 at 19:01

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 21 '21 at 11:12

0

Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Green;
Console.Write("Hello,");
Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Yellow;
Console.WriteLine(" World!");

answered Oct 21 '21 at 11:12

Petter Hesselberg

5,062
2
24
42

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited Oct 21 '21 at 11:40

You can set Console.ForegroundColor property.
First, create a class representing a fragment of your string See the example below:

public string StringFragment { get; set; }

public ConsoleColor StringFragmentColor { get; set; }

public SpecialString(string wordFragment, ConsoleColor color)
{
    this.StringFragment = wordFragment;
    this.StringFragmentColor = color;
}

public void Display()
{
    Console.ForegroundColor = this.StringFragmentColor;
    Console.Write(this.StringFragment);
}

And then, just call them in your code...

var wordFragment1 = new SpecialString("Hello", ConsoleColor.Green);
var wordFragment2 = new SpecialString(" World", ConsoleColor.Yellow);

wordFragment1.Display();
wordFragment2.Display();

Result:
enter image description here

In a C# console app, can you make one part of a message one color, and a different part another color?

3 Answers3