How to mask console password input

[julianmoors]

Hey,

Currently I'm writing a VB.NET/1.1 app and I need to mask the input for
the password field. Does anyone know how to do this in VB? I've seen a
C# example, but wouldn't know how to convert it myself. Here's the URL:
http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/ConsolePasswordInput.asp

 

[Pritcham]

Hi Julian

One of the comments in the codeproject entry you've listed points to a
blog entry that does exactly what you're asking for using SecureString
- take a look at
http://blogs.msdn.com/shawnfa/archive/2004/05/27/143254.aspx which
seems to be what you're after.

hope that helps
Martin

 

[julianmoors]

Hi Pritcham,

Thanks for replying to my message, but the example in the MSDN blog
seems to be describing a Whidbey (VB.NET 2005) sample and I'm currently
using VB.NET 2003. The code on there doesn't make any sense to me.
Could you possibly convert this to VB.NEt 2003 for me? I just need the
masking part from below such as:

while(nextKey.Key != ConsoleKey.Enter)
{
if(nextKey.Key == ConsoleKey.BackSpace)
{
if(password.Length > 0)
{
password.RemoveAt(password.Length - 1);

// erase the last * as well
Console.Write(nextKey.KeyChar);
Console.Write(" ");
Console.Write(nextKey.KeyChar);
}
}
else
{
password.AppendChar(nextKey.KeyChar);
Console.Write("*");
}

nextKey = Console.ReadKey(true);
}

.... and below is the full example:

public static SecureString GetPassword()
{
SecureString password = new SecureString();

// get the first character of the password
ConsoleKeyInfo nextKey = Console.ReadKey(true);

while(nextKey.Key != ConsoleKey.Enter)
{
if(nextKey.Key == ConsoleKey.BackSpace)
{
if(password.Length > 0)
{
password.RemoveAt(password.Length - 1);

// erase the last * as well
Console.Write(nextKey.KeyChar);
Console.Write(" ");
Console.Write(nextKey.KeyChar);
}
}
else
{
password.AppendChar(nextKey.KeyChar);
Console.Write("*");
}

nextKey = Console.ReadKey(true);
}

Console.WriteLine();

// lock the password down
password.MakeReadOnly();
return password
}

 

[Pritcham]

How about something like the following:

Public Shared Function GetPassword() As SecureString
Dim password As New SecureString()

' get the first character of the password
Dim nextKey As ConsoleKeyInfo = Console.ReadKey(True)

Do While nextKey.Key <> ConsoleKey.Enter
If nextKey.Key = ConsoleKey.BackSpace Then
If password.Length > 0 Then
password.RemoveAt(password.Length - 1)

' erase the last * as well
Console.Write(nextKey.KeyChar)
Console.Write(" ")
Console.Write(nextKey.KeyChar)
End If
Else
password.AppendChar(nextKey.KeyChar)
Console.Write("*")
End If

nextKey = Console.ReadKey(True)
Loop

Console.WriteLine()

' lock the password down
password.MakeReadOnly()
Return password

Hope that helps
Martin