C / C++ / MFC

HDITEM headerItem;
headerItem.mask = HDI_FORMAT;
CHeaderCtrl* pHeaderCtrl = GetHeaderCtrl();

if(iColumn != m_iCurrentSortItem) {
    pHeaderCtrl->GetItem(m_iCurrentSortItem, &headerItem);
    headerItem.fmt &= ~(HDF_IMAGE | HDF_BITMAP_ON_RIGHT);
    pHeaderCtrl->SetItem(m_iCurrentSortItem, &headerItem);
    m_iCurrentSortItem = iColumn;
    m_imlHeaderCtrl.DeleteImageList();
}

//place new arrow unless we were given an invalid column
if(iColumn >= 0 && pHeaderCtrl->GetItem(iColumn, &headerItem)) {
    m_atSortArrow = atType;

    HINSTANCE hInstRes = AfxFindResourceHandle(MAKEINTRESOURCE(m_atSortArrow), RT_BITMAP);
    if (hInstRes != NULL){
        HBITMAP hbmSortStates = (HBITMAP)::LoadImage(hInstRes, MAKEINTRESOURCE(m_atSortArrow), IMAGE_BITMAP, 0, 0, LR_CREATEDIBSECTION | LR_LOADMAP3DCOLORS);
        if (hbmSortStates != NULL){
            CBitmap bmSortStates;
            bmSortStates.Attach(hbmSortStates);

            CImageList imlSortStates;
            if (imlSortStates.Create(14, 14, ILC_COLOR32 | ILC_MASK, 1, 0)){
                VERIFY( imlSortStates.Add(&bmSortStates, RGB(255, 0, 255)) != -1 );

                //imlSortStates.SetBkColor(GetSysColor(COLOR_BTNFACE));

                (void)pHeaderCtrl->SetImageList(&imlSortStates);
                m_imlHeaderCtrl.DeleteImageList();
                m_imlHeaderCtrl.Attach(imlSortStates.Detach());
            }
        }
    }
    headerItem.mask |= HDI_IMAGE;
    headerItem.fmt |= HDF_IMAGE | HDF_BITMAP_ON_RIGHT;
    headerItem.iImage = 0;
    pHeaderCtrl->SetItem(iColumn, &headerItem);
}