Console.BackgroundColor Property

Definition

Namespace:

System

Assembly:

System.Console.dll

Source:

Console.cs

Gets or sets the background color of the console.

public:
 static property ConsoleColor BackgroundColor { ConsoleColor get(); void set(ConsoleColor value); };

[System.Runtime.Versioning.UnsupportedOSPlatform("browser")]
[System.Runtime.Versioning.UnsupportedOSPlatform("android")]
[System.Runtime.Versioning.UnsupportedOSPlatform("ios")]
[System.Runtime.Versioning.UnsupportedOSPlatform("tvos")]
public static ConsoleColor BackgroundColor { get; set; }

[<System.Runtime.Versioning.UnsupportedOSPlatform("browser")>]
[<System.Runtime.Versioning.UnsupportedOSPlatform("android")>]
[<System.Runtime.Versioning.UnsupportedOSPlatform("ios")>]
[<System.Runtime.Versioning.UnsupportedOSPlatform("tvos")>]
static member BackgroundColor : ConsoleColor with get, set

Public Shared Property BackgroundColor As ConsoleColor

Property Value

ConsoleColor

A value that specifies the background color of the console; that is, the color that appears behind each character. The default is black.

Attributes

UnsupportedOSPlatformAttribute

Exceptions

ArgumentException

The color specified in a set operation is not a valid member of ConsoleColor.

SecurityException

The user does not have permission to perform this action.

IOException

An I/O error occurred.

Examples

The following example saves the values of the ConsoleColor enumeration to an array and stores the current values of the BackgroundColor and ForegroundColor properties to variables. It then changes the foreground color to each color in the ConsoleColor enumeration except to the color that matches the current background, and it changes the background color to each color in the ConsoleColor enumeration except to the color that matches the current foreground. (If the foreground color is the same as the background color, the text isn't visible.) Finally, it calls the ResetColor method to restore the original console colors.

using System;

class Example
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      // Get an array with the values of ConsoleColor enumeration members.
      ConsoleColor[] colors = (ConsoleColor[]) ConsoleColor.GetValues(typeof(ConsoleColor));
      // Save the current background and foreground colors.
      ConsoleColor currentBackground = Console.BackgroundColor;
      ConsoleColor currentForeground = Console.ForegroundColor;

      // Display all foreground colors except the one that matches the background.
      Console.WriteLine("All the foreground colors except {0}, the background color:",
                        currentBackground);
      foreach (var color in colors) {
         if (color == currentBackground) continue;

         Console.ForegroundColor = color;
         Console.WriteLine("   The foreground color is {0}.", color);
      }
      Console.WriteLine();
      // Restore the foreground color.
      Console.ForegroundColor = currentForeground;

      // Display each background color except the one that matches the current foreground color.
      Console.WriteLine("All the background colors except {0}, the foreground color:",
                        currentForeground);
      foreach (var color in colors) {
         if (color == currentForeground) continue;

         Console.BackgroundColor = color;
         Console.WriteLine("   The background color is {0}.", color);
      }

      // Restore the original console colors.
      Console.ResetColor();
      Console.WriteLine("\nOriginal colors restored...");
   }
}
//The example displays output like the following:
//    All the foreground colors except DarkCyan, the background color:
//       The foreground color is Black.
//       The foreground color is DarkBlue.
//       The foreground color is DarkGreen.
//       The foreground color is DarkRed.
//       The foreground color is DarkMagenta.
//       The foreground color is DarkYellow.
//       The foreground color is Gray.
//       The foreground color is DarkGray.
//       The foreground color is Blue.
//       The foreground color is Green.
//       The foreground color is Cyan.
//       The foreground color is Red.
//       The foreground color is Magenta.
//       The foreground color is Yellow.
//       The foreground color is White.
//
//    All the background colors except White, the foreground color:
//       The background color is Black.
//       The background color is DarkBlue.
//       The background color is DarkGreen.
//       The background color is DarkCyan.
//       The background color is DarkRed.
//       The background color is DarkMagenta.
//       The background color is DarkYellow.
//       The background color is Gray.
//       The background color is DarkGray.
//       The background color is Blue.
//       The background color is Green.
//       The background color is Cyan.
//       The background color is Red.
//       The background color is Magenta.
//       The background color is Yellow.
//
//    Original colors restored...

open System

// Get an array with the values of ConsoleColor enumeration members.
let colors = ConsoleColor.GetValues<ConsoleColor>()

// Save the current background and foreground colors.
let currentBackground = Console.BackgroundColor
let currentForeground = Console.ForegroundColor

// Display all foreground colors except the one that matches the background.
printfn $"All the foreground colors except {currentBackground}, the background color:"

for color in colors do
    if color <> currentBackground then
        Console.ForegroundColor <- color
        printfn $"   The foreground color is {color}."
printfn ""

// Restore the foreground color.
Console.ForegroundColor <- currentForeground;

// Display each background color except the one that matches the current foreground color.
printfn $"All the background colors except {currentForeground}, the foreground color:"

for color in colors do
    if color <> currentForeground then
        Console.BackgroundColor <- color
        printfn $"   The background color is {color}."

// Restore the original console colors.
Console.ResetColor()
printfn "\nOriginal colors restored..."


//The example displays output like the following:
//    All the foreground colors except DarkCyan, the background color:
//       The foreground color is Black.
//       The foreground color is DarkBlue.
//       The foreground color is DarkGreen.
//       The foreground color is DarkRed.
//       The foreground color is DarkMagenta.
//       The foreground color is DarkYellow.
//       The foreground color is Gray.
//       The foreground color is DarkGray.
//       The foreground color is Blue.
//       The foreground color is Green.
//       The foreground color is Cyan.
//       The foreground color is Red.
//       The foreground color is Magenta.
//       The foreground color is Yellow.
//       The foreground color is White.
//
//    All the background colors except White, the foreground color:
//       The background color is Black.
//       The background color is DarkBlue.
//       The background color is DarkGreen.
//       The background color is DarkCyan.
//       The background color is DarkRed.
//       The background color is DarkMagenta.
//       The background color is DarkYellow.
//       The background color is Gray.
//       The background color is DarkGray.
//       The background color is Blue.
//       The background color is Green.
//       The background color is Cyan.
//       The background color is Red.
//       The background color is Magenta.
//       The background color is Yellow.
//
//    Original colors restored...

Public Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      ' Get an array with the values of ConsoleColor enumeration members.
      Dim colors() As ConsoleColor = ConsoleColor.GetValues(GetType(ConsoleColor))
      ' Save the current background and foreground colors.
      Dim currentBackground As ConsoleColor = Console.BackgroundColor
      Dim currentForeground As ConsoleColor = Console.ForegroundColor
      
      ' Display all foreground colors except the one that matches the background.
      Console.WriteLine("All the foreground colors except {0}, the background color:",
                        currentBackground)
      For Each color In colors
         If color = currentBackground Then Continue For
          
         Console.ForegroundColor = color
         Console.WriteLine("   The foreground color is {0}.", color)
      Next 
      Console.WriteLine()
      
      ' Restore the foreground color.
      Console.ForegroundColor = currentForeground
      
      ' Display each background color except the one that matches the current foreground color.
      Console.WriteLine("All the background colors except {0}, the foreground color:",
                        currentForeground)
      For Each color In colors
         If color = currentForeground  then Continue For
         Console.BackgroundColor = color
         Console.WriteLine("   The background color is {0}.", color)
      Next
      ' Restore the original console colors.
      Console.ResetColor
      Console.WriteLine()
      Console.WriteLine("Original colors restored...")
   End Sub
End Module
'The example displays output like the following:
'       The background color is DarkCyan.
'       The background color is DarkRed.
'       The background color is DarkMagenta.
'       The background color is DarkYellow.
'       The background color is Gray.
'       The background color is DarkGray.
'       The background color is Blue.
'       The background color is Green.
'       The background color is Cyan.
'       The background color is Red.
'       The background color is Magenta.
'       The background color is Yellow.
'    
'    Original colors restored...

Remarks

A change to the BackgroundColor property affects only output that is written to individual character cells after the background color is changed. To change the background color of the console window as a whole, set the BackgroundColor property and call the Clear method. The following example provides an illustration.

using System;

public class Example
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      WriteCharacterStrings(1, 26, true);
      Console.MoveBufferArea(0, Console.CursorTop - 10, 30, 1,
                             Console.CursorLeft, Console.CursorTop + 1);
      Console.CursorTop = Console.CursorTop + 3;
      Console.WriteLine("Press any key...");
      Console.ReadKey();

      Console.Clear();
      WriteCharacterStrings(1, 26, false);
   }

   private static void WriteCharacterStrings(int start, int end,
                                             bool changeColor)
   {
      for (int ctr = start; ctr <= end; ctr++) {
         if (changeColor)
            Console.BackgroundColor = (ConsoleColor) ((ctr - 1) % 16);

         Console.WriteLine(new String((char)(ctr + 64), 30));
      }
   }
}

open System

let writeCharacterStrings start end' changeColor =
    for i = start to end' do
        if changeColor then
            Console.BackgroundColor <- (i - 1) % 16 |> enum

        Console.WriteLine(String(char (i + 64), 30))

writeCharacterStrings 1 26 true
Console.MoveBufferArea(0, Console.CursorTop - 10, 30, 1, Console.CursorLeft, Console.CursorTop + 1)
Console.CursorTop <- Console.CursorTop + 3
Console.WriteLine "Press any key..."
Console.ReadKey() |> ignore

Console.Clear()
writeCharacterStrings 1 26 false

Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      WriteCharacterStrings(1, 26, True)
      Console.MoveBufferArea(0, Console.CursorTop - 10, 30, 1, Console.CursorLeft, Console.CursorTop + 1)
      Console.CursorTop = Console.CursorTop + 3
      Console.WriteLine("Press any key...") : Console.ReadKey()

      Console.Clear()
      WriteCharacterStrings(1, 26, False)
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub WriteCharacterStrings(start As Integer, _end As Integer, 
                                     changeColor As Boolean)
      For ctr As Integer = start To _end
         If changeColor Then
            Console.BackgroundColor = CType((ctr - 1) Mod 16, ConsoleColor)
         End If      
         Console.WriteLine(New String(Convert.ToChar(ctr + 64), 30))
      Next   
   End Sub
End Module

A get operation for a Windows-based application, in which a console does not exist, returns ConsoleColor.Black. Unix systems don't provide any general mechanism to fetch the current console colors. Because of that, BackgroundColor returns (ConsoleColor)-1 until it is set in explicit way (using the setter).