Console.WriteLine() inside a Windows Service?

Question

I am currently using TopShelf with a Console Application to create a Windows Service. When I run the code as a console application I use a few Console.WriteLine() to output

Answer 1

Also want to display a help depending on command line.
My solution is to open a new console.

internal static class NativeMethods
{
    [DllImport("user32.dll")]
    internal static extern bool SetForegroundWindow(IntPtr hWnd);

    [DllImport("user32.dll")]
    internal static extern bool ShowWindowAsync(IntPtr hWnd, int nCmdShow);

    [DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
    internal static extern bool AllocConsole();

    [DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
    internal static extern IntPtr GetConsoleWindow();
}

public static void ShowWindow(IntPtr hWnd, ShowWindowCommand cmd = ShowWindowCommand.Restore)
{
    NativeMethods.SetForegroundWindow(hWnd);
    NativeMethods.ShowWindowAsync(hWnd, (int)cmd);
}

public static void ShowConsoleWindow()
{
    var handle = NativeMethods.GetConsoleWindow();

    if (handle == IntPtr.Zero)
        NativeMethods.AllocConsole();
    else
        ShowWindow(handle, ShowWindowCommand.Show);
}

ShowWindowCommand is just an enum built from here
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-showwindow