Password in C# Console Application

Question

I'm prompting the user to key in his id and password in console application.
How do I hide or change the password to 'xxxxx' when the user keys in ?

Console.WriteLine("Pls key in your Login ID");
loginid = Console.ReadLine();
Console.WriteLine("Pls key in your Password");
password = Console.ReadLine();

Vulpes · Answer

As you'll be lucky to get an answer from the original poster after all this time I've incorporated the ReadPassword() method into a simple console application which might assist you in building it into your own application: using System; using System.Threading; class Program { static void Main(string[] args) { Console.Write(Enter your user name : ); string userName = Console.ReadLine(); Console.Write(Enter your password : ); string password = ReadPassword(); Console.WriteLine(
If nobody's looking over your shoulder); Console.WriteLine(I'm going to confirm the password you gave); Console.WriteLine(All input will be erased after 10 seconds); Console.WriteLine(
Press any key to see it now); Console.ReadKey(true); Console.Write(
The password entered is :  + password); Thread.Sleep(10000); Console.Clear(); Console.ReadKey(true); } public static string ReadPassword() { string password = ; ConsoleKeyInfo info = Console.ReadKey(true); while (info.Key != ConsoleKey.Enter) { if (info.Key != ConsoleKey.Backspace) { Console.Write(*); password += info.KeyChar; } else if (info.Key == ConsoleKey.Backspace) { if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(password)) { // remove one character from the list of password characters password = password.Substring(0 password.Length - 1); // get the location of the cursor int pos = Console.CursorLeft; // move the cursor to the left by one character Console.SetCursorPosition(pos - 1 Console.CursorTop); // replace it with space Console.Write( ); // move the cursor to the left by one character again Console.SetCursorPosition(pos - 1 Console.CursorTop); } } info = Console.ReadKey(true); } // add a new line because user pressed enter at the end of their password Console.WriteLine(); return password; } }

Parth Shah · Answer

I tweaked the code posted by Alex a little bit. Instead of showing the * after the user has typed the entire password this version will show the * as the user enters characters. public static string ReadPassword() { string password = ; ConsoleKeyInfo info = Console.ReadKey(true); while (info.Key != ConsoleKey.Enter) { if (info.Key != ConsoleKey.Backspace) { Console.Write(*); password += info.KeyChar; } else if (info.Key == ConsoleKey.Backspace) { if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(password)) { // remove one character from the list of password characters password = password.Substring(0 password.Length - 1); // get the location of the cursor int pos = Console.CursorLeft; // move the cursor to the left by one character Console.SetCursorPosition(pos - 1 Console.CursorTop); // replace it with space Console.Write( ); // move the cursor to the left by one character again Console.SetCursorPosition(pos - 1 Console.CursorTop); } } info = Console.ReadKey(true); } // add a new line because user pressed enter at the end of their password Console.WriteLine(); return password; }

Alex · Answer

Here's an example taken from msdn [http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms733131.aspx] that does exactly what you want: public static string Returnpassword() { Console.WriteLine( Provide a valid machine or domain account. [domain\user] ); Console.WriteLine(  Enter username: ); string username = Console.ReadLine(); Console.WriteLine(  Enter password: ); string password =  ; ConsoleKeyInfo info = Console.ReadKey( true ); while (info.Key != ConsoleKey.Enter) { if (info.Key != ConsoleKey.Backspace) { password += info.KeyChar; info = Console.ReadKey( true ); } else if (info.Key == ConsoleKey.Backspace) { if (! string .IsNullOrEmpty(password)) { password = password.Substring (0 password.Length - 1); } info = Console.ReadKey( true ); } } for ( int i = 0; i Console.Write( * ); return password; } Alex

Pisi Can · Answer

Dear Keith Do you have any idea how can I limit the number of the user's attemps for password entering? Thanks

Vulpes · Answer

As you've started a new thread for this I've answered on there so we don't bore the previous posters with this new problem :)

Darren Duffy · Answer

Thanks Vulpes thought it was worth a shot cheers man.

Darren Duffy · Answer

Hi Parth Shah I just starting out learning C# and I found your password program very useful. Unfortunately when I try to run the code it gives me an error must declare a body because it is not marked abstract or extern I understand that I need to declare a body for ReadPassword() buthow do I do this?