An old simple wrapper I've used in a few old tools to get cross-platform coloring in console

conext.hpp

/**
 * @file conext.h
 * @author Mario Liebisch <mario.liebisch@gmail.com>
 * @section LICENSE
 *
 * © 2011 All rights reserved.
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
 *
 * - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
 *   this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
 *
 * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
 * AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
 * IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
 * ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE
 * LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
 * CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF
 * SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
 * INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN
 * CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
 * ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
 * POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 *
 * @section DESCRIPTION
 *
 * Simple console control extension
 *
 */

#pragma once
#ifndef _CONEXT_H
#define _CONEXT_H
#include <cstdio>
#ifdef _WIN32
#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
#include <windows.h>
#endif

/// Simple console control extension
namespace conext
{
/// Console colors
enum CON_COLOR
{
#ifndef _WIN32
    BLACK    = 0,
    RED      = 1,
    GREEN    = 2,
    YELLOW   = 3,
    BLUE     = 4,
    MAGENTA  = 5,
    CYAN     = 6,
    WHITE    = 7,
    FDEFAULT = 9,
    BDEFAULT = 9
#else
    BLACK    = 0,
    RED      = FOREGROUND_RED,
    GREEN    = FOREGROUND_GREEN,
    YELLOW   = RED | GREEN,
    BLUE     = FOREGROUND_BLUE,
    MAGENTA  = RED | BLUE,
    CYAN     = BLUE | GREEN,
    WHITE    = RED | BLUE | GREEN,
    FDEFAULT = WHITE,
    BDEFAULT = BLACK
#endif
};

/// Class to support colored console output
class Color
{
private:
#ifndef _WIN32
	char tmp[16]; //< Buffer to store the escape codes to be written
	wchar_t wtmp[16]; //< Buffer to store the escape codes to be written
#endif
	CON_COLOR fcode; //< Set foreground color
	CON_COLOR bcode; //< Set background color
public:
	/**
	 * Constructor
	 *
	 * @param front Foreground color (see ::CON_COLOR)
	 * @param back Background color (see ::CON_COLOR)
	 */
	Color(CON_COLOR front = FDEFAULT, CON_COLOR back = BDEFAULT) : fcode(front), bcode(back)
	{
#ifndef _WIN32
		tmp[0] = wtmp[0] = 0;
		snprintf(tmp, 15, "\x1b[%d;%dm", 30 + fcode, 40 + bcode);
		swprintf(wtmp, 15, L"\x1b[%d;%dm", 30 + fcode, 40 + bcode);
#endif
	}

	/**
	 * Toggles console color (Windows) or returns the escape sequence to be written to console (other OSs)
	 * This method is meant to be used with stream objects.
	 *
	 * @return Empty string (Windows) or escape sequence (other OSs)
	 */
	inline operator const char *()
	{
#ifndef _WIN32
		return tmp;
#else
		SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), fcode | bcode);
		return "";
#endif
	}

	/**
	 * Toggles console color (Windows) or returns the escape sequence to be written to console (other OSs)
	 * This method is meant to be used with stream objects.
	 *
	 * @return Empty string (Windows) or escape sequence (other OSs)
	 */
	inline operator const wchar_t *()
	{
#ifndef _WIN32
		return wtmp;
#else
		SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), fcode | bcode);
		return L"";
#endif
	}

	/**
	 * Sets the color scheme represented by this object
	 */
	inline void set(void)
	{
#ifndef _WIN32
		printf("%s", tmp);
#else
		SetConsoleTextAttribute(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), fcode | bcode);
#endif
	}
};
}
#endif