Console Class in C#

A console is an operating system window through which a user can communicate with the operating system or we can say a console is an application in which we can give text as an input from the keyboard and get the text as an output from the computer end. The command prompt is an example of a console in the windows and which accept MS-DOS commands. The console contains two attributes named as screen buffer and a console window.
In C#, the Console class is used to represent the standard input, output, and error streams for the console applications. You are not allowed to inherit Console class. This class is defined under System namespace. This class does not contain any constructor. Instead of the constructor, this class provides different types of properties and methods to perform operations.

Properties

Property	Description
BackgroundColor	Gets or sets the background color of the console.
BufferHeight	Gets or sets the height of the buffer area.
BufferWidth	Gets or sets the width of the buffer area.
CapsLock	Gets a value indicating whether the CAPS LOCK keyboard toggle is turned on or turned off.
CursorLeft	Gets or sets the column position of the cursor within the buffer area.
CursorSize	Gets or sets the height of the cursor within a character cell.
CursorTop	Gets or sets the row position of the cursor within the buffer area.
CursorVisible	Gets or sets a value indicating whether the cursor is visible.
Error	Gets the standard error output stream.
ForegroundColor	Gets or sets the foreground color of the console.
In	Gets the standard input stream.
InputEncoding	Gets or sets the encoding the console uses to read input.
IsErrorRedirected	Gets a value that indicates whether the error output stream has been redirected from the standard error stream.
IsInputRedirected	Gets a value that indicates whether input has been redirected from the standard input stream.
IsOutputRedirected	Gets a value that indicates whether output has been redirected from the standard output stream.
KeyAvailable	Gets a value indicating whether a key press is available in the input stream.
LargestWindowHeight	Gets the largest possible number of console window rows, based on the current font and screen resolution.
LargestWindowWidth	Gets the largest possible number of console window columns, based on the current font and screen resolution.
NumberLock	Gets a value indicating whether the NUM LOCK keyboard toggle is turned on or turned off.
Out	Gets the standard output stream.
OutputEncoding	Gets or sets the encoding the console uses to write output.
Title	Gets or sets the title to display in the console title bar.
TreatControlCAsInput	Gets or sets a value indicating whether the combination of the Control modifier key and C console key (Ctrl+C) is treated as ordinary input or as an interruption that is handled by the operating system.
WindowHeight	Gets or sets the height of the console window area.
WindowLeft	Gets or sets the leftmost position of the console window area relative to the screen buffer.
WindowTop	Gets or sets the top position of the console window area relative to the screen buffer.
WindowWidth	Gets or sets the width of the console window.

Example:

// C# program to illustrate how to get
// Background and Foreground color
// of the console
using System;

public class GFG {

    static public void Main()
    {

        // Get the Background and foreground
        // color of Console Using BackgroundColor
        // and ForegroundColor property of Console
        Console.WriteLine("Background color  :{0}",
                        Console.BackgroundColor);

        Console.WriteLine("Foreground color : {0}",
                        Console.ForegroundColor);
    }
}

Output:

Background color : Black
Foreground color : Black

Methods

Method	Description
Beep()	Plays the sound of a beep through the console speaker.
Clear()	Clears the console buffer and corresponding console window of display information.
MoveBufferArea()	Copies a specified source area of the screen buffer to a specified destination area.
OpenStandardError()	Acquires the standard error stream.
OpenStandardInput()	Acquires the standard input stream.
OpenStandardOutput()	Acquires the standard output stream.
Read()	Reads the next character from the standard input stream.
ReadKey()	Obtains the next character or function key pressed by the user. The pressed key is displayed in the console window.
ReadLine()	Reads the next line of characters from the standard input stream.
ResetColor()	Sets the foreground and background console colors to their defaults.
SetBufferSize(Int32, Int32)	Sets the height and width of the screen buffer area to the specified values.
SetCursorPosition(Int32, Int32)	Sets the position of the cursor.
SetError(TextWriter)	Sets the Error property to the specified TextWriter object.
SetIn(TextReader)	Sets the In property to the specified TextReader object.
SetOut(TextWriter)	Sets the Out property to the specified TextWriter object.
SetWindowPosition(Int32, Int32)	Sets the position of the console window relative to the screen buffer.
SetWindowSize(Int32, Int32)	Sets the height and width of the console window to the specified values.
Write()	Writes the text representation of the specified value or values to the standard output stream.
WriteLine()	Writes the specified data, followed by the current line terminator, to the standard output stream.

Example:

// C# program to illustrate the concept
// of WriteLine(String) method in console
using System;

public class GFG {

    static public void Main()
    {

        // WriteLine(String) method is used
        // to display the string
        Console.WriteLine("Welcome to GeeksforGeeks");
        Console.WriteLine("This is a tutorial of Console Class");
    }
}

Output:

Welcome to GeeksforGeeks
This is a tutorial of Console Class

Events

Event	Description
CancelKeyPress	Occurs when the Control modifier key (Ctrl) and either the C console key (C) or the Break key are pressed simultaneously (Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Break).

Reference:

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.console?view=netframework-4.7.2#definition