Retrieves a handle to the specified standard device (standard input, standard output, or standard error).
Syntax
HANDLE WINAPI GetStdHandle(
_In_ DWORD nStdHandle
);
Parameters
nStdHandle [in]
The standard device. This parameter can be one of the following values.
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| STD_INPUT_HANDLE (DWORD)-10 | The standard input device. Initially, this is the console input buffer, CONIN$. |
| STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE (DWORD)-11 | The standard output device. Initially, this is the active console screen buffer, CONOUT$. |
| STD_ERROR_HANDLE (DWORD)-12 | The standard error device. Initially, this is the active console screen buffer, CONOUT$. |
Return value
If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the specified device, or a redirected handle set by a previous call to SetStdHandle. The handle has GENERIC_READ and GENERIC_WRITE access rights, unless the application has used SetStdHandle to set a standard handle with lesser access.
If the function fails, the return value is INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.
If an application does not have associated standard handles, such as a service running on an interactive desktop, and has not redirected them, the return value is NULL.
Remarks
Handles returned by GetStdHandle can be used by applications that need to read from or write to the console. When a console is created, the standard input handle is a handle to the console's input buffer, and the standard output and standard error handles are handles of the console's active screen buffer. These handles can be used by the ReadFile and WriteFile functions, or by any of the console functions that access the console input buffer or a screen buffer (for example, the ReadConsoleInput, WriteConsole, or GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo functions).
The standard handles of a process may be redirected by a call to SetStdHandle, in which case GetStdHandle returns the redirected handle. If the standard handles have been redirected, you can specify the CONIN$ value in a call to the CreateFile function to get a handle to a console's input buffer. Similarly, you can specify the CONOUT$ value to get a handle to a console's active screen buffer.
Attach/detach behavior
When attaching to a new console, standard handles are always replaced with console handles unless STARTF_USESTDHANDLES was specified during process creation.
If the existing value of the standard handle is NULL, or the existing value of the standard handle looks like a console pseudohandle, the handle is replaced with a console handle.
When a parent uses both CREATE_NEW_CONSOLE and STARTF_USESTDHANDLES to create a console process, standard handles will not be replaced unless the existing value of the standard handle is NULL or a console pseudohandle.
Examples
For an example, see Reading Input Buffer Events.
Requirements
Minimum supported client |
Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only] |
Minimum supported server |
Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only] |
Header |
Winbase.h (include Windows.h) |
Library |
Kernel32.lib |
DLL |
Kernel32.dll |