starred/terminal
1
0
Fork 0
mirror of https://github.com/microsoft/terminal.git synced 2026-02-15 21:27:13 +00:00
Code Issues 19.0k Packages Projects Releases 20 Wiki Activity

Feature request: API function for adding text lines to console history #369

New Issue
Closed
opened 2026-01-30 21:50:11 +00:00 by claunia · 6 comments
claunia commented 2026-01-30 21:50:11 +00:00
Owner
Copy Link

Originally created by @HBelusca on GitHub (Aug 31, 2018).

While there are existing console-helper API functions to set and retrieve command aliases,
and functions to retrieve or reset the command history (aka. strings read through the ReadConsole() function): GetConsoleCommandHistoryLength() and GetConsoleCommandHistory(), etc...,
there is NO function for adding a string to the history.

I have attempted to program such a functionality using only the existing APIs for that, see for example:
https://github.com/HBelusca/reactos/blob/cmd_improvements/sdk/lib/conutils/history.c#L369
and associated helpers,
which basically simulates console line input (using WriteConsoleInput()) by injecting key events, ending with ENTER keypress, then reading this input immediately via ReadConsole() while the console is in ENABLE_LINE_INPUT | ENABLE_ECHO_INPUT mode, in order to add a new string into the history.
But this method has its drawbacks, amongst which its slowness.

A proposition for the feature, based on the existing alias APIs and the history getter functions, would be:

BOOL
AddToConsoleHistory(
    _In_ LPCTSTR lpExeName,
    _In_ LPCTSTR lpString
);

which appends the string pointed by lpString to the current console history (selected via the lpExeName), and would return TRUE on success, FALSE on failure and sets a win32 last error.
If the history grows larger than its max size (specified by existing API) it would then trim the oldest strings in it.

This feature, together with the already-existing GetConsoleCommandHistoryLength() and GetConsoleCommandHistory() functions, would allow third-party console programs to load and save their own history files (similar to e.g. bash with its .bash_history file), while using ReadConsole() for command input (and TAB-completion).

(NOTE: It could also be used by doskey.exe if an additional option to load history files -- much similar to the one that loads "macros" (aka. aliases) files -- is implemented.)

Originally created by @HBelusca on GitHub (Aug 31, 2018). While there are existing console-helper API functions to set and retrieve command aliases, and functions to retrieve or reset the command history (aka. strings read through the ReadConsole() function): GetConsoleCommandHistoryLength() and GetConsoleCommandHistory(), etc..., there is NO function for adding a string to the history. I have attempted to program such a functionality using only the existing APIs for that, see for example: https://github.com/HBelusca/reactos/blob/cmd_improvements/sdk/lib/conutils/history.c#L369 and associated helpers, which basically simulates console line input (using WriteConsoleInput()) by injecting key events, ending with ENTER keypress, then reading this input immediately via ReadConsole() while the console is in ENABLE_LINE_INPUT | ENABLE_ECHO_INPUT mode, in order to add a new string into the history. But this method has its drawbacks, amongst which its slowness. A proposition for the feature, based on the existing alias APIs and the history getter functions, would be: ```c BOOL AddToConsoleHistory( _In_ LPCTSTR lpExeName, _In_ LPCTSTR lpString ); ``` which appends the string pointed by `lpString` to the current console history (selected via the `lpExeName`), and would return TRUE on success, FALSE on failure and sets a win32 last error. If the history grows larger than its max size (specified by existing API) it would then trim the oldest strings in it. This feature, together with the already-existing GetConsoleCommandHistoryLength() and GetConsoleCommandHistory() functions, would allow third-party console programs to load and save their own history files (similar to e.g. bash with its .bash_history file), while using ReadConsole() for command input (and TAB-completion). (NOTE: It could also be used by doskey.exe if an additional option to load history files -- much similar to the one that loads "macros" (aka. aliases) files -- is implemented.)
claunia added the Issue-FeatureProduct-ConhostNeeds-Tag-FixArea-Server labels 2026-01-30 21:50:11 +00:00
claunia commented 2026-01-30 21:50:12 +00:00
Author
Owner
Copy Link

@ysc3839 commented on GitHub (Sep 1, 2018):

I think you should use third-party line editing library like readline.

@ysc3839 commented on GitHub (Sep 1, 2018): I think you should use third-party line editing library like readline.
claunia commented 2026-01-30 21:50:12 +00:00
Author
Owner
Copy Link

@HBelusca commented on GitHub (Sep 1, 2018):

I'm talking here about regular win32 console applications, not *nix ones (I just mentioned bash as an illustrative example) nor .Net or whatever else. And if you point to me any "readline" library for win32, these kind of libraries just reimplement the whole readline stuff (not only the history feature) by doing as many similar convoluted maneuvers as the ones I described above (i.e. dealing with key events to implement the whole thing).
I clearly don't intend to use such a library for simple console applications, where similar results could be obtained by using the regular ReadConsole() plus the existing history functions AND a single new one history function to add user-specified lines to the history.

@HBelusca commented on GitHub (Sep 1, 2018): I'm talking here about regular win32 console applications, not *nix ones (I just mentioned bash as an illustrative example) nor .Net or whatever else. And if you point to me any "readline" library for win32, these kind of libraries just reimplement the **whole** readline stuff (not only the history feature) by doing as many similar convoluted maneuvers as the ones I described above (i.e. dealing with key events to implement the whole thing). I clearly don't intend to use such a library for simple console applications, where similar results could be obtained by using the regular ReadConsole() plus the existing history functions *AND* a single new one history function to add user-specified lines to the history.
claunia commented 2026-01-30 21:50:12 +00:00
Author
Owner
Copy Link

@ysc3839 commented on GitHub (Sep 2, 2018):

I suggest this because it takes long time waiting for Microsoft add this feature and old systems still can't use such feature.
A readline library solves this problem while compatible with old systems.

@ysc3839 commented on GitHub (Sep 2, 2018): I suggest this because it takes long time waiting for Microsoft add this feature and old systems still can't use such feature. A readline library solves this problem while compatible with old systems.
claunia commented 2026-01-30 21:50:13 +00:00
Author
Owner
Copy Link

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Sep 4, 2018):

Great suggestion, however, we have no plans to extend the current console client application API at the time.

I do really like the idea of a readline library on windows that people can use without needing to rely on the console history APIs, though implementing it ourselves would be pretty far down the backlog unfortunately :/

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Sep 4, 2018): Great suggestion, however, we have no plans to extend the current console client application API at the time. I do really like the idea of a readline library on windows that people can use without needing to rely on the console history APIs, though implementing it ourselves would be pretty far down the backlog unfortunately :/
claunia commented 2026-01-30 21:50:13 +00:00
Author
Owner
Copy Link

@HBelusca commented on GitHub (Sep 4, 2018):

Hi, thanks for the feedback!

I do really like the idea of a readline library on windows that people can use without needing to rely on the console history APIs [...]

There is either the port of the GNU readline, or clink ; for the latter it is actually more targeting cmd.exe (via hooking ReadConsole() and WriteConsole()), but a fork could be developed to transform it into a separate library. And there are certainly all the separate readline ports used by win32 ports of originally *nix apps...

@HBelusca commented on GitHub (Sep 4, 2018): Hi, thanks for the feedback! > I do really like the idea of a readline library on windows that people can use without needing to rely on the console history APIs [...] There is either the port of the [GNU readline](http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/readline.htm), or [clink](https://mridgers.github.io/clink/) ; for the latter it is actually more targeting cmd.exe (via hooking ReadConsole() and WriteConsole()), but a fork could be developed to transform it into a separate library. And there are certainly all the separate readline ports used by win32 ports of originally *nix apps...
claunia commented 2026-01-30 21:50:13 +00:00
Author
Owner
Copy Link

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Nov 22, 2021):

This has been sitting open for a while, but honestly, we're not planning on making any changes to the Console API surface any time soon. I've added this to our internal note of "commandline/readline API ideas", but that's more of a vague idea than something that's anywhere near shipping. Thanks for the suggestion though!

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Nov 22, 2021): This has been sitting open for a while, but honestly, we're not planning on making any changes to the Console API surface any time soon. I've added this to our internal note of "commandline/readline API ideas", but that's more of a vague idea than something that's anywhere near shipping. Thanks for the suggestion though!
Sign in to join this conversation.
No Branch/Tag Specified
Branches Tags
Labels
Clear labels
⛺ Reserved
A11yCO
A11yMAS
A11ySev1
A11ySev2
A11ySev3
A11yTTValidated
A11yUsable
A11yVoiceAccess
A11yWCAG
Area-Accessibility
Area-AtlasEngine
Area-AzureShell
Area-Build
Area-Build
Area-Chat
Area-CmdPal
Area-CodeHealth
Area-Commandline
Area-CookedRead
Area-DefApp
Area-Extensibility
Area-Fonts
Area-GroupPolicy
Area-i18n
Area-Input
Area-Interaction
Area-Interop
Area-Localization
Area-Output
Area-Performance
Area-Portable
Area-Quality
Area-Remoting
Area-Rendering
Area-Schema
Area-Server
Area-Settings
Area-SettingsUI
Area-ShellExtension
Area-ShellExtension
Area-ShellExtension
Area-Suggestions
Area-Suggestions
Area-TerminalConnection
Area-TerminalControl
Area-Theming
Area-UserInterface
Area-VT
Area-Windowing
Area-WPFControl
AutoMerge
Blocking-Ingestion
Culprit-Centennial
Culprit-WinUI
Disability-All
Disability-Blind
Disability-LowVision
Disability-Mobility
External-Blocked-WinUI3
Fixed
Gathering-Data
good first issue
HCL-E+D
HCL-WindowsTerminal
Help Wanted
Impact-Compatibility
Impact-Compliance
Impact-Correctness
Impact-Visual
In-PR
InclusionBacklog
InclusionBacklog-Windows TerminalWin32
InclusionCommitted-202206
Issue-Bug
Issue-Docs
Issue-Feature
Issue-Feature
Issue-Question
Issue-Samples
Issue-Scenario
Issue-Task
Needs-Attention
Needs-Author-Feedback
Needs-Bisect
Needs-Discussion
Needs-Repro
Needs-Tag-Fix
Needs-Tag-Fix
Needs-Triage
No-Recent-Activity
Priority-0
Priority-1
Priority-2
Priority-3
Product-Cmd.exe
Product-Colortool
Product-Colortool
Product-Colortool
Product-Conhost
Product-Conpty
Product-Meta
Product-Powershell
Product-Terminal
Product-WSL
pull-request
Mirrored from GitHub Pull Request
 Resolution-Answered
Resolution-By-Design
Resolution-Duplicate
Resolution-External
Resolution-Fix-Available
Resolution-Fix-Committed
Resolution-No-Repro
Resolution-Won't-Fix
Severity-Blocking
Severity-Crash
Severity-DataLoss
spam
this-will-be-a-breaking-change
Tracking-External
WindowsTerminal_Win32
Work-Item
zAskModeBug
zInbox-Bug
No Label Area-Server Issue-Feature Needs-Tag-Fix Product-Conhost
Milestone
No items
No Milestone
Projects
Clear projects
No project
Assignees
Clear assignees
claunia
No Assignees
1 Participants
Notifications
Due Date
No due date set.
Dependencies

No dependencies set.

Reference: starred/terminal#369
Delete Branch "%!s()"

Deleting a branch is permanent. Although the deleted branch may continue to exist for a short time before it actually gets removed, it CANNOT be undone in most cases. Continue?