How to Include the Conio Library into Cygwin

The Conio library is a popular choice among developers due to its ability to easily access video modes and leverage screen regions, making it an ideal solution for creating console applications. One of the most common questions that arise when working with Conio is how to include it into Cygwin. In this article, we will explore the steps required to incorporate the Conio library into your Cygwin project.

First, let's take a look at what Conio has to offer. The Conio library provides several functions that allow developers to access and manipulate console input and output. For instance, you can use the `_setvideomode` function to set the video mode of your program. This function takes one of several possible values, with `_DEFAULTMODE` being a common choice for most programs.

Another important aspect of Conio is its ability to reset the video mode back to whatever values it had before. This ensures that when you're done with your program and ready to exit back to DOS, you can return to the original settings.

One of the benefits of using Conio over other libraries like ncurses is that everything runs on hardware in DOS, which means that any changes made are immediately displayed on-screen via hardware. This is different from Linux ncurses, where everything is displayed through terminal emulation.

If you're looking for a popular implementation of the Conio library, look no further than OpenWatcom. The OpenWatcom C Compiler has been around for years and has been used by many developers, making it a well-established choice in the development community. In fact, FreeDOS included the OpenWatcom C Compiler in its standard distributions for a long time.

To get started with OpenWatcom Conio functions, you'll need to set the video mode using the `_setvideomode` function. This will allow you to access and manipulate console input and output. You can also use the `conio.h` header file, which provides additional functionality such as setting colors and performing other manipulations.

In conclusion, including the Conio library into your Cygwin project is a straightforward process that requires minimal setup. By following the steps outlined above, you'll be able to take advantage of the many features offered by Conio and create console applications with ease.

How to include the conio library into cygwin