MessageBox producing different output than Cout C++

Question

I am trying to load the name of an image using its VM address by calling GetModuleFileName() which seems to return the value correctly into a TCHAR[] array. I am able to display the data correctly using MessageBox() but cout << seems to display some funky hexadecimal number.

TCHAR buf[MAX_PATH];
HMODULE hProc = LoadLibrary(TEXT("kernel32.dll"));
GetModuleFileName(hProc, buf, MAX_PATH);
cout << buf; //Produces the odd number
MessageBox(NULL, buf, NULL, MB_OK); //Produces correct filepath
FreeLibrary(hProc);

Am I supposed to set a flag for cout so it knows to print it correctly? Thank you!

In modern Windows programming (as of after the year 2000), don't use TCHAR. Use e.g. wchar_t. Then you know better what you're doing and what you're dealing with. — Cheers and hth. - Alf
– Cheers and hth. - Alf, Commented Dec 3, 2011 at 21:42
TCHAR is a macro (pure text substitution) that is defined as either char or wchar_t, depending on whether the symbol UNICODE was defined when you included the relevant header, usually <windows.h>. Similarly, TEXT adds L prefix or not. This means that code that works with UNICODE defined, may and probably will not compile when UNICODE is not defined. The T scheme originally supported Windows 9x, but as of 2011 it is just a problematic extra layer of obfuscation. For example, it prevented you from knowing that you dealt with wchar_t. Cheers & hth., — Cheers and hth. - Alf
– Cheers and hth. - Alf, Commented Dec 3, 2011 at 22:52

Michael Krelin - hacker · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-03 21:41:01Z

5

Probably you need to use wcout, because your TCHAR might be unicodish. Or convert it.

answered Dec 3, 2011 at 21:41

Michael Krelin - hacker

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4 Comments

llk Over a year ago

Had a feeling it was something simple like that. Never knew about wcout until now, thanks!

Roman Byshko Over a year ago

Sorry, I haven't seen your answer, when posting mine.. and I cannot delete it, because I've already deleted 5 my posts today....

cHao Over a year ago

Is there a tcout or something in Windows, that'd be cout for ANSI and wcout for Unicode?

Michael Krelin - hacker Over a year ago

There should be no TCHAR instead :) Actually, I don't know, I don't use windows for eons now. If there's nothing like that, you can #define it, perhaps.

Roman Byshko · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-03 21:43:22Z

2

Maybe you will have better luck with

std::wcout << buf;

answered Dec 3, 2011 at 21:43

Roman Byshko

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