Hexagonny's Utilities

A lightweight, standalone utility built entirely in C++ with zero external dependencies — only requiring a C++ compiler to build and run. No third-party libraries, just pure C++ code. Made for simplicity and portability, the project relies solely on the C++ standard library without any additional frameworks or libraries.

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Requirements

• Operating System: The program is designed to run on Windows, Linux, or macOS, as long as the system supports C++17 or later.

• C++ Compiler: A C++17-compatible compiler such as GCC, Clang, or MSVC is required to compile and run the code.

• UTF-8 & ANSI Codes Support: These two requirements are necessary for the proper display of graphical bars (like █, ▓, ▒, or ▀) and colored text in the console.

Note: Some older CMD versions do not fully support ANSI colors without a third-party emulator like ConEmu or Cmder.

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Enabling UTF-8

By default, Windows CMD uses Code Page 437, which does not support special characters like Unicode symbols. To enable UTF-8:

Temporary Method

Run this command inside CMD before executing your program.

chcp 65001

Permanent Method

Option 1: Registry Edit

1. Open Run (Win + R), type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Nls\CodePage

4. Find OEMCP, double-click it, and change its value to:

65001

5. Restart your computer.

Option 2: Windows Settings (Windows 10/11)

1. Open Settings → Time & Language → Language & Region.
2. Scroll down and click Administrative language settings.
3. In the new window, go to Change system locale.
4. Check Beta: Use Unicode UTF-8 for worldwide language support.
5. Restart your computer.

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Enabling ANSI 256 Colors in CMD

Enable Virtual Terminal Processing

Run this command in CMD:

reg add HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Console /v VirtualTerminalLevel /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

• This enables ANSI escape sequences in CMD.
• Restart CMD after executing this command.

Using ANSI 256 Colors in CMD

After enabling ANSI support, you can use ANSI escape sequences in your C++ program:

std::cout << "\033[38;5;124m Red Text \033[0m\n"; // Foreground color (Red)
std::cout << "\033[48;5;46m Green Background \033[0m\n"; // Background color (Green)

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Verifying UTF-8 and ANSI Support

After setting up:

• Check UTF-8:

  chcp
  

  • If it returns 65001, UTF-8 is enabled.
• Check ANSI Colors: Try running this C++ snippet:

  #include <iostream>
  
  int main() {
      std::cout << "\033[38;5;124mRed Text\033[0m" << std::endl;
      std::cout << "\033[48;5;46mGreen Background\033[0m" << std::endl;
      return 0;
  }
  

  If you see colored text, ANSI colors are working.

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Final Notes

• Windows Terminal (from Microsoft Store) has built-in UTF-8 and ANSI support.
• Always test your settings with chcp and ANSI color codes before running your program.