How to create a command-line progress bar in C/C++

The task is to write a C/C++ program to draw a command-line progress bar.

Approach: To create a progress bar the idea is to use system() function which will give colored output. Below is the illustration of how to use system() function.

The system function accepts the following parameters for colouring the output screen:

1. keyword: color
2. Background color
3. Foreground color

Color Codes:

Color	Color Code
BLACK	0
BLUE	1
GREEN	2
CYAN	3
RED	4
MAGENTA	5
BROWN	6
LIGHT GRAY	7
DARK GRAY	8
LIGHT BLUE	9
LIGHT GREEN	10
LIGHT CYAN	11
LIGHT RED	12
LIGHT MAGENTA	13
YELLOW	14
WHITE	15
BRIGHT GREEN	A
BRIGHT CYAN	B
BRIGHT RED	C
BRIGHT MAGENTA	D
BRIGHT YELLOW	E
WHITE	F

Syntax: 

system(“color 9F”); 
The above code will give White Color output with Bright Blue color on Background. 

Below is the program to draw the progress bar in the command line in C/C++: 

C

// C program to create loading bar
#include <stdio.h>
#include <windows.h>

// Function to creating loading bar
void loadingBar()
{
    // 0 - black background,
    // A - Green Foreground
    system("color 0A");

    // Initialize char for printing
    // loading bar
    char a = 177, b = 219;

    printf("\n\n\n\n");
    printf("\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t"
           + "Loading...\n\n");
    printf("\t\t\t\t\t");

    // Print initial loading bar
    for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++)
        printf("%c", a);

    // Set the cursor again starting
    // point of loading bar
    printf("\r");
    printf("\t\t\t\t\t");

    // Print loading bar progress
    for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++) {
        printf("%c", b);

        // Sleep for 1 second
        Sleep(1000);
    }
}

// Driver Code
int main()
{
    // Function Call
    loadingBar();
    return 0;
}

C++

// C++ program to create loading bar
#include <iostream>
#include <windows.h>
using namespace std;

// Function to creating loading bar
void loadingBar()
{
    // 0 - black background,
    // A - Green Foreground
    system("color 0A");

    // Initialize char for printing
    // loading bar
    char a = 177, b = 219;

    printf("\n\n\n\n");
    printf("\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t"
           + "Loading...\n\n");
    printf("\t\t\t\t\t");

    // Print initial loading bar
    for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++)
        printf("%c", a);

    // Set the cursor again starting
    // point of loading bar
    printf("\r");
    printf("\t\t\t\t\t");

    // Print loading bar progress
    for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++) {
        printf("%c", b);

        // Sleep for 1 second
        Sleep(1000);
    }
}

// Driver Code
int main()
{
    // Function Call
    loadingBar();
    return 0;
}

Output:
Below is the output of the above program: