Close console in Hybrid application

Saulo Fonseca

Hi everyone,

I am developing a hybrid GUI/console application. If I give no arguments, it should opens the GUI version. Else, it should runs the console version. Everything works fine, but the GUI version also opens a console window. I want to close this console window so the GUI opens alone. Here is my .pro file:

QT       += core gui
greaterThan(QT_MAJOR_VERSION, 4): QT += widgets
TARGET = Test
TEMPLATE = app
CONFIG  += console  # Allows console activity
SOURCES += main.cpp\
	mainwindow.cpp
HEADERS  += mainwindow.h
FORMS    += \
	mainwindow.ui

And here is my main:

#include <QApplication>
#include <iostream>
#include "mainwindow.h"
using namespace std;
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
	// Start in GUI mode
	if (argc == 1)
	{
		QApplication a(argc, argv);
		MainWindow w;
		w.show(); // Here it shows both a console and GUI windows
                  // I want here only a GUI window
		return a.exec();
	}
	// Start in console mode
	else
	{
		QApplication a(argc, argv);
		MainWindow w; // Without show() there is only a console window
		cout << "Console" << endl;
		return a.exec();
	}
}

Is there a way to close this extra console window?

Thanks in advance.

Saulo Fonseca

I discovered that I can add use freeConsole() like this:

#include <QApplication>
#include <iostream>
#include <windows.h>  // freeConsole()
#include "mainwindow.h"
using namespace std;
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
	// Start in GUI mode
	if (argc == 1)
	{
		FreeConsole();  // Closes the console window,
                        // but it still shows for a small instant.
		QApplication a(argc, argv);
		MainWindow w;
		w.show();
		return a.exec();
	}
	// Start in console mode
	else
	{
		QApplication a(argc, argv);
		MainWindow w;
		cout << "Console" << endl;
		return a.exec();
	}
}

This solution works only on Windows and it's not perfect. It still shows the console window for a small instant. Does anyone has a better idea?

SGaist

Hi and welcome to devnet,

It's because you added QT += console in your pro file. However, if you don't want any GUI, why not use a QCoreApplication ?

Saulo Fonseca

Hi SGaist, thank you for your attention. You misunderstood my question. I want to have both GUI and console. If I provide no command line arguments, it will launch a GUI. If I provide a command line argument, it will run in console. That is my go.

JohanSolo

Why not creating two separate programs and use a launcher script which takes care of launching the one you need?

Saulo Fonseca

This would be my second option. I like the idea to have everything in one file. If this is possible, I want to use this option.