Open Cons

Opens the console's standard input (stdin) or output (stdout) streams for 
use in file operations.

Syntax
   Open Cons As [#]filenumber
   Open Cons For Input As [#]filenumber
   Open Cons For Output As [#]filenumber

Usage
   result = Open Cons( [For {Input|Output}[,]] As filenumber )
      (or using the QB-like syntax,)
   Open Cons [For {Input|Output}] As filenumber

Parameters
   filenumber
      An available file number to bind to the stdin or stdout stream, which 
      can be found with FreeFile.

Return Value
   In the first usage, Open Cons() returns a 32 bit Long: a zero (0) on 
   success and a non-zero error code otherwise.

Description
   Open Cons opens the console's stdin or stdout streams for reading or 
   writing. A file number is bound to the stream, which is used in 
   subsequent file operations, such as Input #. An available file number 
   can be retrieved with FreeFile.

   The Input file mode opens the stdin stream for reading file operations, 
   such as Line Input #, while the Output file mode opens the stdout stream 
   for writing file operations, such as Print #. The Output file mode is 
   the default if not specified.

   The stdin and stdout streams are the ones used when the calling process' 
   input or output is redirected (piped) by OS commands, or when it is 
   opened with Open Pipe.

   To open both the stdin and stdout streams for file operations, a process 
   must use multiple file numbers.

   The normal screen commands, such as Color and Locate, do not work in 
   this mode, because they do not accept a file number.
   The Tab keyword, regardless of the given column number, is always 
   interpreted as a simple comma (,) (next output will take place at the 
   next 14 column boundary).

   The error code returned by Open Cons can be checked using Err in the 
   next line. The function version of  Open Cons returns directly the error 
   code as a 32 bit Long.

   Warning: Presently, Open Cons does not work as described above. Without 
   any file mode specifier, a runtime error 1 (illegal function call) 
   occurs. With the Input file mode specifier, the only input mode is well 
   supported. But with the Output file mode specifier, input and output 
   modes are simultaneously supported.

Runtime errors:
   Open Cons throws one of the following runtime errors:

   (1) Illegal function call
      * filenumber was not free at the time. use FreeFile to ensure that 
        filenumber is free.

Example
   Dim a As String

   Open Cons For Input As #1
   Open Cons For Output As #2

   Print #2,"Please write something and press ENTER"
   Line Input #1,a
   Print #2, "You wrote : ";a

   Close
   Sleep

Differences from QB
   * In QB the syntax was OPEN "CON:" FOR INPUT|OUTPUT AS [#] filenumber

See also
   * Open
   * Open Scrn
   * Open Err
   * FreeFile

