Binaryworld - Console Application in VB (part 1) ... [ VB -> Console ]

Private Const FOREGROUND_BLUE = &H1
Private Const FOREGROUND_GREEN = &H2
Private Const FOREGROUND_RED = &H4
Private Const BACKGROUND_BLUE = &H10
Private Const BACKGROUND_GREEN = &H20
Private Const BACKGROUND_RED = &H40
Private Const BACKGROUND_INTENSITY = &H80&
Private Const BACKGROUND_SEARCH = &H20&
Private Const FOREGROUND_INTENSITY = &H8&
Private Const FOREGROUND_SEARCH = (&H10&)
Private Const ENABLE_LINE_INPUT = &H2&
Private Const ENABLE_ECHO_INPUT = &H4&
Private Const ENABLE_MOUSE_INPUT = &H10&
Private Const ENABLE_PROCESSED_INPUT = &H1&
Private Const ENABLE_WINDOW_INPUT = &H8&
Private Const ENABLE_PROCESSED_OUTPUT = &H1&
Private Const ENABLE_WRAP_AT_EOL_OUTPUT = &H2&
Private Const STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE = -11&
Private Const STD_INPUT_HANDLE = -10&
Private Const STD_ERROR_HANDLE = -12&
Private Const INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE = -1&
Private Declare Function AllocConsole Lib "kernel32" () As Long
Private Declare Function FreeConsole Lib "kernel32" () As Long
Private Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hObject As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetStdHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal nStdHandle As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function WriteConsole Lib "kernel32" Alias "WriteConsoleA" (ByVal hConsoleOutput As Long, lpBuffer As Any, ByVal nNumberOfCharsToWrite As Long, lpNumberOfCharsWritten As Long, lpReserved As Any) As Long
Private Declare Function ReadConsole Lib "kernel32" Alias "ReadConsoleA" (ByVal hConsoleInput As Long, ByVal lpBuffer As String, ByVal nNumberOfCharsToRead As Long, lpNumberOfCharsRead As Long, lpReserved As Any) As Long
Private Declare Function SetConsoleTextAttribute Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hConsoleOutput As Long, ByVal wAttributes As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function SetConsoleTitle Lib "kernel32" Alias "SetConsoleTitleA" (ByVal lpConsoleTitle As String) As Long
Private hConsoleOut As Long, hConsoleIn As Long, hConsoleErr As Long
Private Sub Form_Load()
  'KPD-Team 2001
  'URL: http://www.allapi.net/
  'E-Mail: KPDTeam@Allapi.net
  'Create console
  If AllocConsole() Then
    hConsoleOut = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE)
    If hConsoleOut = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE Then MsgBox "Unable to get STDOUT"
    hConsoleIn = GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE)
    If hConsoleOut = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE Then MsgBox "Unable to get STDIN"
  Else
    MsgBox "Couldn't allocate console"
  End If
  'Set the caption of the console window
  SetConsoleTitle "The KPD-Team 2001"
  'Set the background color of the text in the console to bright YELLOW text
  'on a BLUE background
  SetConsoleTextAttribute hConsoleOut, FOREGROUND_RED Or FOREGROUND_GREEN Or FOREGROUND_INTENSITY Or BACKGROUND_BLUE
  'Write something in the console
  ConsoleWriteLine "Hello World!"
  ConsoleWrite "Please enter your name: "
  'Ask for user input and show it in the caption
  Me.Caption = "Your name: " + ConsoleReadLine()
End Sub
Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
  'Delete console
  CloseHandle hConsoleOut
  CloseHandle hConsoleIn
  FreeConsole
End Sub
Sub ConsoleWriteLine(sInput As String)
   ConsoleWrite sInput + vbCrLf
End Sub
Sub ConsoleWrite(sInput As String)
   Dim cWritten As Long
   WriteConsole hConsoleOut, ByVal sInput, Len(sInput), cWritten, ByVal 0&
End Sub
Function ConsoleReadLine() As String
  Dim ZeroPos As Long
  'Create a buffer
  ConsoleReadLine = String(10, 0)
  'Read the input
  ReadConsole hConsoleIn, ConsoleReadLine, Len(ConsoleReadLine), vbNull, vbNull
  'Strip off trailing vbCrLf and Chr$(0)'s
  ZeroPos = InStr(ConsoleReadLine, Chr$(0))
  If ZeroPos > 0 Then ConsoleReadLine = Left$(ConsoleReadLine, ZeroPos - 3)
End Function