SetConsoleOutputCP

SetConsoleOutputCP is a function in the Windows API that sets the output code page used by the console window. A code page is a mapping between a set of characters and their corresponding numeric values. This function allows developers to specify which code page the console should use for displaying text, which can be particularly useful for applications that need to display characters from different languages or character sets.

The function prototype for SetConsoleOutputCP is as follows:

BOOL SetConsoleOutputCP(

UINT wCodePageID

);

The function takes a single parameter, wCodePageID, which is an unsigned integer representing the code page identifier. The function returns a BOOL value, which is TRUE if the function succeeds and FALSE if it fails.

Common code page identifiers include 437 for the original IBM PC character set, 850 for the Multilingual character set, and 65001 for UTF-8. By default, the console uses the OEM code page, which is typically 437 for English-speaking regions.

Setting the output code page can be done at any time during the execution of a program. However, it is important to note that changing the code page may affect the display of characters in the console window, and it may not be compatible with all applications or environments. Therefore, it is recommended to use this function with caution and to test the behavior of the application in different code page settings.