C# console messages

Question

In both a C# 2008 and C# 2010 console applications that I am writing and enhancing, a dos prompt window shows up with values at different times. I am assuming these messages should be saved in a log file.
Thus can you tell me the following:
1. How can I tell when these messages will show up so I know when I can save these messages?
2. When I do find these kind of error messages can you tell me how to write these messages to a log file?
3. Can you show me in code how to setup write the messages to a log file? For example, a certain namespace is needed?

Vulpes · Answer

Off-hand, I can't think of anything that would alert you immediately when something is written to the console's ouput or error streams. However, you can redirect the console output and error streams to a log file as the following example shows: using System; using System.IO; class Test { static void Main() { TextWriter stdOut = Console.Out; // save standard outpur TextWriter stdErr = Console.Error; // save standard error FileStream fs = new FileStream("test.log", FileMode.Append); StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(fs); sw.AutoFlush = true; Console.SetOut(sw); // redirect ouput to file Console.SetError(sw); // redirect error to file for(int i = 1; i { Console.Out.WriteLine("Output redirected - line {0}", i); Console.Error.WriteLine("Error redirected - line {0}", i); } sw.Close(); Console.SetOut(stdOut); Console.SetError(stdErr); Console.Out.WriteLine("Output now going back to console"); Console.Error.WriteLine("Error now going back to console"); Console.ReadKey(); } }