# OutputWindow
## Description
Display the output window if hidden. The **Output window** appears at the bottom of IDA's interface by default and serves two key purposes:
* Displays various IDA messages and notifications.
* Provides a command line interface (CLI) for executing IDC or IDAPython commands.
If closed, you can reopen it via **Windows -> Output window**.
## Context Menu Options
Right-click in the Output window to access these options:
* **Select All**: Selects all content in the window
* **Find/Find next**: Searches for a specific string
* **Clear**: Removes all previous messages from the window
* **Copy to CLI**: Places selected text into CLI field
* **Save to file**: Exports window content to a .log file
* **Show timestamps**: Displays time information with each message
* **Font...**: Customizes the text appearance (font, style, size)
You can duplicate all messages appearing in this window to a file. To do this, you have to define an environment variable before starting IDA:
```
set IDALOG=logfile
```
### Command Line Providers
Currently, the following command line providers exist:
* [IDC](/developer/idc/core-concepts.md)
* [Python](https://python.docs.hex-rays.com/)
* Bochs debugger
* WinDbg debugger
* GDB debugger
When these plugins are active, they will process the entered commands. The current command language can be changed by clicking the button to the left of the input field. The current language can be set as default by choosing "Default CLI" from the context menu of the command line.
The command-line input field can be activated by pressing ., while Esc switches back to the previous window.
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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:
```
GET https://docs.hex-rays.com/ida-actions/outputwindow.md?ask=
```
The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.