[WinAPI] Developing a color customizable program

I am trying to make my program fully color customizable. There´s a "Config Color" window where the user can click to open a ChooseColor common dialog to select TXT and BG color for all the controls. This color config is saved into a ini file.

Until now, i was able to change the color of all the Static Controls, ListBoxes, Edit Controls and CheckBoxes via intercepting WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC, WM_CTLCOLORLISTBOX, WM_CTLCOLOREDIT and WM_CTLCOLORBTN.

Looks good, but I got some problems thou: There´s really no point on changing BG and TXT color fo all the controls without changing my MainWindow BG and TABS BG.

Well i have absolutely no idea on how to change the Main Window BG color yet, so any help will be fantastic.

About changing the TABS BG color, someone told me that the only way would be to create an Owner Drawn Tab Control.
I would like to know if there´s really no other way cause i´ve never done it Owner Drawn, it will be a pain in the ass to create it.


If there´s no other way, does anyone knows where to find a good example of how to implement and use Owner-Drawn Tabs using WinAPI? All I could find on my googling are VB and MFC examples. English is not my native language so maybe I skip something good. MSDN stuff on that was not clear enough for me.

But please, tell me there´s an easier way :)

Just to make everything clear I am using my Tab Control like this right now:

Code:

---

static int tabnumber;
TCITEM tci;
NMHDR *nmptr;

hwndTab = CreateWindowEx(0, WC_TABCONTROL, "",
      WS_CHILD | TCS_RIGHTJUSTIFY | TCS_MULTILINE | /WS_VISIBLE,
      3, 0, 358, 383, mainWindow, (HMENU) 10, ((LPCREATESTRUCT) lParam)->hInstance,  NULL);

      tci.mask=TCIF_TEXT;
      tci.iImage=-1;
      tci.pszText = "Status:";
      TabCtrl_InsertItem(hwndTab,0,&tci);
      tci.pszText = "Servers/Logging Setup:";
      TabCtrl_InsertItem(hwndTab,1,&tci);
      tci.pszText = "Looks:";
      TabCtrl_InsertItem(hwndTab,2,&tci);
      tci.pszText = "Info:";
      TabCtrl_InsertItem(hwndTab,3,&tci);

---

And I am intercepting TCN_SELCHANGE at WM_NOTIFY to catch the number of the active tab and calling functions at each os this cases to Show/Hide/Enable/Disable controls at each tab change:

Code:

---

case WM_NOTIFY:     
      nmptr=(LPNMHDR)lParam;
      switch(nmptr->code) {
        case TCN_SELCHANGE: 
          updatetooltips();
          tabnumber = TabCtrl_GetCurSel((HWND)nmptr->hwndFrom);
          switch(tabnumber) {
            case 0:
            showStatusTab();
            break;
           
            case 1:
            if (mwsize==0){
              setsize();
            }
            showServersTab();
            break;
           
            case 2:
            if (mwsize==0){
              setsize();
            }
            showLooksTab();
            break;         
         
            case 3:
            if (mwsize==0){
              setsize();
            }
            showInfoTab();
            break;
          }
        default:
        return DefWindowProc (mainWindow, messages, wParam, lParam);
      }

---

Once i add the 'TCS_OWNERDRAWFIXED' style to the Tab Control, the app compiles normally (with MingW, GCC 3.2) and the program works ok. The Tabs are displayed and work ok (I can change between them, so the TCN_SELCHANGE stuff is working). Only problem is that the Title in each TAB disappear and the TAB has some glitches. I really don´t know how to handle this Owner Drawn Tab...

That´s it, hope someone can help me on that :)
Thanks!

What about this one?

Q179909 - HOWTO: Change the Background Color of a Tab Control

Hey Rpet,

Thanks for the link, lt has helped a lot!
I have already adapted my code to it, now i can change the TAB CONTROL TXT and BG colors. I´m now trying to find a way to change the BG color of the TABS theirselves.

And if anyone else wants to help me, i still could not find a way to change the MainWindow BG color.

Thanks :)

Ok so the Tab dividers now are totally color customizable and that is great.

But i can´t find a way to set a BG color for the tab 'pages' (sorry i don´t know how to name it, but i´m sure you all understand).

Can anyone please at least confirm me that it is possible to do that? I would freak out if i found out that all the time searching and trying stuff was just a time loss...

I can´t even remember one app that allows the user to set the BG color for the tab pages, that´s why i´m worried.

Thanks :)

that will take care of your main window bkcolor;

u will use like this;

routin;

Code:

---

CHOOSECOLOR cc;
static HBRUSH hbrush;
static COLORREF cr ;

cr  = cc.rgbResult;

hbrush = CreateSolidBrush(cr);

SetClassLong(hwnd, GCL_HBRBACKGROUND, (LONG)hbrush);

---

I have seen some discussion here and at other forums about using WM_CTLCOLORBTN and i know i should not use it to change the colors of a PUSHBUTTON but what about a GroupBox?

I am trying to set the color of the text of a button with a BS_GROUPBOX style with absolutely no success.

Look, at WM_CREATE...

Code:

---

      FirstGroup = CreateWindowEx (0, TEXT ("button"), TEXT("Status:"),
      WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | BS_GROUPBOX,
        9, 238, 346, 143, mainWindow, (HMENU) 1200, hInstance, NULL) ;

---

At WM_COMMAND i deal with all my buttons, including one that selects a color for that GroupBox...

Code:

---

case IDC_BUTTONSTATUSGROUPTXTCOLOR:
MessageBox (NULL, TEXT ("Step 1 ok!"), "DEBUGGING", MB_ICONERROR) ;
if(ChooseColor(&choosecolor)) {
currentcolorref = choosecolor.rgbResult;
statusgrouptxtcolorref = currentcolorref;
InvalidateRect(mainWindow, NULL, TRUE);         
return 0; 
}

---

And i´m taking care of WM_CTLCOLORBTN here:

Code:

---

        case WM_CTLCOLORBTN:     
        if(colorhwnd==FirstGroup) {
        MessageBox (NULL, TEXT ("Step 2 ok!"), "DEBUGGING", MB_ICONERROR) ;

        SetTextColor((HDC)wParam, statusgrouptxtcolorref);
        SetBkMode((HDC)wParam, OPAQUE);
        SetBkColor((HDC)wParam, tabbgcolorref);
        logbrush.lbColor=tabbgcolorref;
        DeleteObject(hbrush);
        hbrush=CreateBrushIndirect(&logbrush);
        return (long)hbrush;
        return 0;
      }

---

Up to now i can change the color of everything in my app except for the groupboxes text, you guys have any idea?

Solved: To change the text color on a button with a BS_GROUPBOX style you have to intercept case WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC not WM_CTLCOLORBTN.

Don´t ask me why, it sux but it works :)