ConsoleZ

This is a modified version of Console 2 for a better experience under Windows Vista/7/8/10 and a better visual rendering.

This fork supports:

• Splitting Tabs into views (horizontally and vertically)
• Grouping views (so input sent to one goes to all of them)
• Windows Vista aero glass theme
• Windows 7 jump list
• Windows 7 wallpaper positions and slideshow
• Windows 8 wallpapers on dual screen
• Zooming with Ctrl-Mouse
• Quake style console animation
• Strict monospace font rendering
• Settable opacity of text background color
• Full screen
• High DPI (per monitor)
• Localization
• Snippets
• Workspaces
• and more...

Downloads

See the download wiki page.

Changelog

! changed
- removed
+ added
* fixed

Changes in 1.19.0 (14 Apr 2019)

! Ignore tab flashing if console view age is less than 3 seconds.
+ Named instances.
+ "-attach" command line switch.
+ Move current view into a new tab.
+ Record which tab had focus when saving workspace.
+ Clone the whole current tab.
+ Organize tabs within submenus.
* Selection length was not refreshed in status bar.
* Fix tab bar showing in full screen mode.
* Fix crash when spliting then selecting another pane.
* Tab background position was not preserved.
* Tabs menu doesn't switch to a tab after the 10th choice.
* If OpenClipboard fails, retry for 10 times with a 100ms delay.

Changes in 1.18.3 (30 Apr 2018)

! WTL 10.0.7336
! GDI+ replaces FreeImage library in aero version.
+ Maximize/Restore a view in a tab.
+ Support for animated background pictures.
+ Support for alternate desktop wallpaper pictures.
* Fix duplicated "Switch to next tab" and "Switch to previous tab"
  commands in hotkeys settings.

Changes in 1.18.2 (29 Sep 2017)

! Display an error dialog when seeking settings of an undefined tab.
! Detect if ConsoleZ is hooked (ConsoleHook/ConsoleHook32).
+ "New Tab" button in tabs area.
+ Save "Switch On/Off Transparency" state.
* Fix startup directory consistency.
* Fix retrieving of last process ID attached to the console.
* Fix sliders in transparency settings dialog.
* Refresh tab title when last process ID attached to the console changes.
* Fix bing image copyright displayed into status bar.
* Fix external command saving into settings file.

Changes in 1.18.1 (27 Mar 2017)

+ Transparency settings per windowed/full screen mode.
+ Print code page (for each shell) in diagnostic report.
* Fix ALT-SPACE menu.
* Fix "Attach Consoles" failure.
* Fix split bar size.
* Start a safe console when no console started.
* Standardize hotkeys modifiers and order (mouse).

Changes in 1.18.0 (17 Feb 2017)

! Update tab title current directory in realtime.
! Renaming a tab title to empty is no longer allowed
  (empty string is replaced by tab title from settings).
! Backup settings file using a timestamp (unique backup filename).
! Tabbing framework localization.
+ Workspaces.
+ Option to hide the "close tab" button.
+ Split bar size is configurable.
+ Allow merging tabs (horizontally or vertically).
+ Allow view keeping background, colors and cursor
  when it moved into another tab.
+ Support for reversed video (swap foreground and background).
+ Allow mouse events forwarding.
+ Show Bing image copyright in status bar.
* GDI leaks (thanks to char101).
* Allow choosing environment variables inheritance method.
* Improve Windows 10 glass transparency.
* PowerShell progress bar is fixed on Windows 10.

Changes in 1.17.2 (18 Nov 2016)

! New Icons (a gift from BlazenBundy).
! Use icon defined in appearance settings as default tab icon.
+ Allow configuration of icon size.
+ Option to prevent exiting ConsoleZ on closing of last tab.
+ Support for underlined text.
* Fix "snap to edges" feature.
* Fix rebar auto sizing bug.
* Fix docking bug when showing/hiding bar.
* Update window icon after settings edition.
* Update tab icons after settings edition.
* German localization (thanks to sskopnik).

Changes in 1.17.1 (22 Sep 2016)

! Handle XML parsing errors (configuration file and snippets).
+ "Toggle always on top" hotkey command.
+ New high dpi icons (250%, 300%, 400% and 500%).
+ Bing image of the day as background.
* ConsoleZ no longer closes without explanation on bad config.
* Start a safe console when no console started.
* Fix scroll bars position in hidden tabs.
* System environment variables no longer override local environment variables.
* Japanese localization (thanks to ys-nuem).
* Link files are also resolved when text is copied in shell text box.

Changes in 1.17.0 (08 may 2016)

! Rebuild FreeImage 3.17.0 (static link without OpenMP)
- ConsoleZ no longer sets the current Windows console font to "Lucidia Console" size 5.
  (DBCS code page requires a specific font)
+ Snippets manager.
+ "Resume scrolling" command.
+ Configure initial window state (appearance settings).
+ Japanese localization (thanks to rosolino).
* Mono-instance is no longer forced in jump lists.
* User profile is fully created when running a shell with another user credentials.
* Scrolling during selection does not properly refresh.

Changes in 1.16.1 (08 mar 2016)

! Upgrade FreeImage version from 3.15.4 to 3.17.0.
! Show BMP/DIB/GIF/JPEG/PNG files in Browse background image dialog.
+ Detect new docking positions with "snap to desktop edges"
  (top/bottom/left/right middle).
+ ConsoleZ sets the current Windows console font to "Lucidia Console" size 5.
  Windows console should support UNICODE characters.
  Number of rows/columns should not be limited.
+ Support UNICODE picture filename.
+ German localization (thanks to cruzzer).
* Fix placement problem with "snap to desktop edges" when cursor is in another monitor.
* Fix crash when wallpaper picture loading fails.
* When you configured a background with relative picture then wallpaper was drawn.
* Fix the word selection: right delimiters was not used.
* "Click Link" does no longer launch an empty string.
  This was launching explorer in the current working directory.
* Fix highlighting color setting saving.
* Fix wallpaper display.

Changes in 1.16.0 (07 feb 2016)

! PowerShell progressbar detection is disabled.
! ConsoleZ hook can detect if the shell is not a Win32 console application.
+ Command-line switch to toggle window visibility.
+ Select text/column with keyboard.
+ Per-monitor DPI awareness.
+ Arrange tabs using keyboard.
+ Allow distinct controls settings for full screen
  and windowed application.
+ Environment inheritance is coming back.
  Inheritance works now with mono-instance.
  There is no inheritance when the shell run as administrator
  or whith another user credentials!
+ Glass effect transparency on Windows 10.
+ Specific ConsoleZxxx environment variables:
  ConsoleZBaseDir = folder containing console.exe
  ConsoleZVersion = current version of ConsoleZ
* Hide, when loosing focus, only if the new foreground window
  is not owned by our application.
* Fix crash when screen buffer size is reduced.
* Fix dpi scaling of some GUI parts.
* Fix activation by hotkey.

Changes in 1.15.0 (10 sep 2015)

+ Hide when loosing focus.
+ Support localization.
+ New command "paste selection".
+ Support %D (current directory leaf) in text formatting.
+ Support PowerShell progress bar.
+ Support typographic ligatures.
+ Support missing font smoothings: antialiased and "natural" ClearType.
+ Support localization.
+ French localization.
+ Russian localization.
* Fix "Clone in new Tab" inverts initial directory and tab's title.
* Fix incomplete shell title.
* Fix touch scrolling broken on Win10.
* Fix "Browse..." button for icon change causes program "Not Responding".
* Fix repaint failure when background is a relative image
  and the application is minimized.
* Fix hook can crash during resizing.

Changes in 1.14.0 (08 May 2015)

! Limit frame rate to avoid unresponsive application.
! Use IDesktopWallpaper to retrieve monitors' wallpaper (Win8).
! Update title even without text modification.
! Double-click on scroll buttons do nothing.
+ 'Tabs' entry in the menubar.
+ -n command arg to set startup tab title.
* Fix bad cursor display in tabs settings.
* Fix console cursor color.
* Fix a crash in diagnostic report writing.
* Call DoDataExchange(DDX_SAVE) before modifiying values
  in browse shell/initial dir buttons.
* Prevent from infinite waiting when the shell is terminated
  during a mouse forwarding or a text selection.
* Fix program does not respond by opening the setting dialog.
* Fix toolbar does not work from remote desktop.

Changes in 1.13.0 (14 Feb 2015)

! Visual Studio 2013
! WTL 9.4140 final
! Legacy 32 bits version is compatible with Windows XP.
! Support high DPI.
! Create HOMEDRIVE, HOMEPATH and HOMESHARE environment variables
  when launching shell as different user.
! Expand environment strings using environment bloc
                                 + HOMEDRIVE/HOMEPATH/HOMESHARE
                                 + variables defined in tab.
+ Switch on/off transparency.
+ CTRL-C event can be generated by configured hotkey.
+ Diagnose and get font information.
* "Snap to desktop edge" is ignored when Win key is down.
* Active auto horizontal scroll in search combobox.
* Fix restoring with "Snap to desktop edge".
* Fix crash when attaching a console with a screen bigger than ConsoleZ's view.
* Docking is ignored when ConsoleZ is full screen.
* Fix elevated process detection.

Changes in 1.12.0 (09 Oct 2014)

! The tab's title is now modified when you drag & drop a shortcut.
  The title is set with shortcut filename.
! The default colors map is no longer displayed in Settings/Console
! Mouse command "drag window" has no effect when application is maximized or runs
  in fullscreen mode.
+ Tab's background can be inherited.
+ Tab's cursor can be inherited.
+ Tab Base Priority.
+ "Click link" mouse command.
+ Set environment variables per tabs.
+ Clear and Reset Scrollback.
* Use impersonated user's environment block.

Changes in 1.11.0 (23 Jun 2014)

! Window columns limit is now 300.
! buffer columns limit is now 9999.
! Word selection is no longer limited to the window.
! Minimize to systray when taskbar button is unchecked and systray icon is checked.
! Changing docking position in settings no longer require restart.
! Redesign the tabbar (flat style).
! Allow starting a new selection when current selection is not cleared.
+ Attach consoles.
+ Detach view.
+ Add horizontal bar cursor.
+ Add %d to text formatting syntax: current directory.
+ Add %P to text formatting syntax: ID of last process attached to the console.
+ Support external commands (syntax uses title formatting).
+ Support credential providers (allowing integration of additional authentication
  mechanisms such as biometrics and smart cards).
+ New docking positions: top middle, bottom middle, left middle and right middle.
+ Quake like animation time is settable.
+ Add search bar.
+ Allow disabling RTF in settings.
* Fix aero toolbar drawing.
* Docking no longer affects maximized application.

Changes in 1.10.0 (30 Mar 2014)

! Tab number is now full part of the title.
! Main title format can be defined by user.
! Tab title format can be defined by user.
! Remove "Administrator:" prefix.
+ Input Method Editor (IME) support.
+ Allow selection by column.
+ Clone current view in a new tab.
+ Clone/Split using the current directory.
* Fix "pinned to desktop" mode on Windows 7 and more.
* Fix paste inconsistency on multiple lines.
* Fix Quake like show/hide animation.
* Tab text was hidden when less than 12 pixels.
* Fix Quake like show/hide.
* Fix some crashes.
* Fix starting directory.
* Fix VIM dead char.

Changes in 1.09.1 (17 Dec 2013)

! In settings, check if a hotkey is already assigned.
* Fix the new keyboard handling.

Changes in 1.09.0 (01 Dec 2013)

! Title options are more consistent.
! Activate ConsoleZ (global) hotkey minimizes the application if active.
! Quake like: activates the previous application when hiding.
! Buffer rows limit increased to 32766.
! Can configure the number of spaces used to detect an end of line.
+ Focus follows mouse.
+ New actions in "File" menu:
  "Close All Tabs BUT This"
  "Close All Tabs to the Left"
  "Close All Tabs to the Right"
+ Right click on tabs: selects the tab and displays a popup menu.
+ New cursor that mimics the Windows console's one.
+ Can specify an initial application window size (in pixels).
+ Can save the application window size (in pixels) on exit.
+ Allow multiple instances (or single instance).
+ Blinking XTerm Cursor.
+ Support of drag and drop in settings.
+ Can hide icons in tabs bar.
* Fix problem with dead chars sent to multiple consoles (new keyboard handling).
* Fix icon extraction with negative index.
* Fix a visual bug when caption and resize are removed.
* Transmit the current working directory when application instance is reused.
* Maximized application was restored at wrong position.
* If the scroll bar is unnecessary, disable the scroll bar instead of removing it.

Changes in 1.08.0 (28 Sep 2013)

! prettier split bar (aero only).
+ displays intensified colors in bold.
+ displays intensified colors in italic.
+ user can configure an extra width added to the fixed width of the font.
+ shell can be launched with elevated priviledges (run as administrator).
+ supports shell link files (.lnk) in tabs settings.
  Icon, program's path, arguments, working directory and "run as administrator"
  option are extracted from the link.
* Some cursors was hidden with black color.
* Fade cursor was blinking when console was inactive.
* Fix DBCS rendering.
* Fix DBCS selection.
* Fix DBCS cursor.
* Fix hang when starting with multiple startup tabs.
* Pressing alt key will switch the menu bar visibility only if menu bar is not
  permanently on.
* Fix pasting to multiple views when views are grouped.
* Inputs are no longer sent to views do not belong to the group.
* Active view cannot be painted (and 100% cpu).

Changes in 1.07.1 (05 Jul 2013)

* Sometimes the application could not start with multiple tabs.
  The delay between initial tabs was uninitialized.
* Icons missing in tabs menu popup.

Changes in 1.07.0 (26 May 2013)

! Limits the maximized windows size on monitors with taskbar
  so ConsoleZ, with no border, no longer overlaps the taskbar when WIN+UP is pressed
! Changing tabbar position in settings no longer require restart.
! Settings edition no longer modifies the zoom factor
+ Full screen support
+ Full screen button in taskbar
+ Full screen hot key (default: F11)
+ Full screen settings: can start in full screen and select the full screen monitor
+ Left and right delimiters for word selection can be set
+ View can be closed from the menu
+ New behavior settings:
  "Allow closing the last tab/view"
  "Confirm before closing multiple tabs/views"
+ Color map per tab
+ Color map can be imported from another configuration file
+ 3 context menus can be configured in mouse settings:
  Context menu #1 = full menu
  Context menu #2 = configured tabs
  Context menu #3 = opened tabs
+ Zoom factor in status bar
+ New hotkeys:
  "Zoom 100%"      (default: CTRL+0 NUM KEYPAD)
  "Zoom increment" (default: CTRL++ NUM KEYPAD)
  "Zoom decrement" (default: CTRL+- NUM KEYPAD)
* Caption was removed when border was unchecked
* Display of hotkey '&' in menu was truncated
* Press ALT key, with mouse action, no longer shows/hides the menu

Changes in 1.06.0 (24 Mar 2013)

! The cloned tab title is suffixed with (2).
! about dialog box improvement
! Hotkeys are displayed in the menu
! Restart is no longer needed for these appearance settings:
  "Caption"
  "Resizable"
  "Border"
  "Taskbar button"
+ new option "Net Only" to "Run as user"
  the user credentials are used only to access network resources
  the user is displayed in tab title surrounded with braces
+ "Run as user" supports UPN format (user@domain).
+ new buttons in the toolbar:
  "Rename tab"
  "Split Horizontally"
  "Split Vertically"
+ new hotkeys:
  "New Tab 11"            (default: CTRL+F11)
  "New Tab 12"            (default: CTRL+F12)
  "Switch to left view"   (default: ALT+LEFT)
  "Switch to right view"  (default: ALT+RIGHT)
  "Switch to top view"    (default: ALT+UP)
  "Switch to bottom view" (default: ALT+DOWN)
+ Windows key can be used in global hotkeys.
+ The glass frame extended in client area (toolbar and tabs) can be used to
  move the window.
+ The glass frame extended in client area (tabs only) can be used to
  maximize or restore the window by double clicking.
* If the only one tab was cloned, the "delete" button remained disabled.
* Under Windows 8, the call to GetTextMetrics function failed with some fonts.
  The return code wasn't checked and char metrics wasn't correctly initialized.
* wrong tabs scrolling
* close button drawing
* background of tab was black with basic Windows theme
* error handling and return code checking
* Re-add tray icon if Windows Explorer restarts.
* When files are dropped on a view, this view gets the focus.
* Title was not updated when view changed.

Changes in 1.05.0 (2 Feb 2013)

! FreeImage 3.15.4
! Visual Studio 2012
! WTL 8.1.12085
! Forces monospace displaying
  by adjusting the size of chars larger than average width font.
! Limits vertical scrolling to the furthest buffer location viewed.
+ Windows 8 can use a wallpaper per monitor.
+ Displays a closing confirmation when there is only one tab
  but multiple views.
+ Improves the status bar with:
  console buffer size, console screen size,
  selection size and console PID
* Dropping a file affects all views in a group.
* Aero glass margins are resetted when composition change
  (hibernation disables DWM, at wakeup ConsoleZ was fully transparent).