Coloring ProgressBar - C# Discussion Boards

16-Mar-09 3:01

Hi All,

I'm trying to chenge the color of my ProgressBar without building a new component from scratch.
I tried inheriting from System.Windows.Forms.ProgressBar and use the code below (which I found in several forums), but it's not working (if relevant, I'm working on vista 64).
Any ideas?

class MyProgressBar : ProgressBar
{
   [DllImport("User32.Dll")]
   public static extern int SendMessage(int hwnd, int wMsg, int wParam, int lParam);

   public const int PBM_SETBKCOLOR = 0x2001;
   public const int PBM_SETBARCOLOR = 0x409;

   public void SetProgressBackColor(Color c)
   {/// set the back color of the bar
       int a = Convert.ToInt32(c.R.ToString());
       int b = Convert.ToInt32(c.G.ToString());
       int d = Convert.ToInt32(c.B.ToString());
       int tot = Convert.ToInt32(ColorTranslator.ToOle(Color.FromArgb(a, b, d)).ToString());
       int j = this.Handle.ToInt32();
       SendMessage(j, PBM_SETBKCOLOR, 0, tot);
   }

   public void SetProgressForeColor(Color c)
   {/// set the forecolor of the bar
       int a = Convert.ToInt32(c.R.ToString());
       int b = Convert.ToInt32(c.G.ToString());
       int d = Convert.ToInt32(c.B.ToString());
       int tot = Convert.ToInt32(ColorTranslator.ToOle(Color.FromArgb(a, b, d)).ToString());
       int j = this.Handle.ToInt32();
       SendMessage(j, PBM_SETBARCOLOR, 0, tot);
   }
}

Thanks!

harold aptroot16-Mar-09 3:11

16-Mar-09 3:11

eyalbi007 wrote:
int a = Convert.ToInt32(c.R.ToString());

Seriously, why would you do that? Its effect is equivalent to that of int a = c.R;, but a lot slower.

Oh and your SendMessage signature is incorrect.
Use:

[DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError = false)]
static extern IntPtr SendMessage(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 Msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam);

musefan16-Mar-09 3:17

musefan

16-Mar-09 3:17

I think this would be the best option...

int a = (int)Double.Parse(Convert.ToInt32(c.R.ToString())).ToString();

... Actually that mind need a little work still Laugh | :laugh:

(wheres the 'ive wet myself with laughter' smiley???)

Life goes very fast. Tomorrow, today is already yesterday.

eyalbi00716-Mar-09 3:35

16-Mar-09 3:35

Give me a break, it's just a code I copied fom the web...
D'Oh! | :doh:

harold aptroot16-Mar-09 3:40

16-Mar-09 3:40

Well, change it..
It needs to be changed anyhow, because of the required IntPtr's. They are actually required here because you trying to run it in 64 bit mode which is expecting 64 bit arguments and you're passing 32 bit ones.
I wouldn't trust such badly written code at all

eyalbi00716-Mar-09 3:55

16-Mar-09 3:55

Well, still not working...

harold aptroot16-Mar-09 3:57

16-Mar-09 3:57

Well, show us the codez.. and tell us what it's doing (if anything)

eyalbi00716-Mar-09 4:48

16-Mar-09 4:48

Here's the code (that indeed does nothing).

What I was hopint it'll do is paint the prorgesss bar in different color than green (the Windows default color), by pressing button2. button1 simply advances the bar.

[DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto)]
private static extern int SendMessage(IntPtr hwnd, int wMsg, int wParam, int lParam);

public const Int32 PBM_SETBKCOLOR = 0x2001;
public const Int32 PBM_SETBARCOLOR = 0x0409;

public void SetProgressBackColor(Color c)
{/// set the back color of the bar
    int a = c.R;
    int b = c.G;
    int d = c.B;
    int tot = ColorTranslator.ToOle(Color.FromArgb(a, b, d));
    IntPtr j = this.progressBar1.Handle;
    SendMessage(j, PBM_SETBKCOLOR, 0, tot);
}

public void SetProgressForeColor(Color c)
{/// set the forecolor of the bar
    int a = c.R;
    int b = c.G;
    int d = c.B;
    int tot = ColorTranslator.ToOle(Color.FromArgb(a, b, d));
    IntPtr j = this.progressBar1.Handle;
    SendMessage(j, PBM_SETBKCOLOR, 0, tot);
}

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    this.progressBar1.Minimum = 1;
    this.progressBar1.Maximum = 10000;
    this.progressBar1.Step = 1;
    this.progressBar1.Value = 1;
    for (int i = progressBar1.Minimum; i <= progressBar1.Maximum; i++)
    {
        progressBar1.PerformStep();
    }
}

private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    SetProgressBackColor(System.Drawing.Color.BlueViolet);
    SetProgressForeColor(System.Drawing.Color.Red);
}

harold aptroot16-Mar-09 4:53

16-Mar-09 4:53

Well for one thing, the SendMessage signature still isn't correct. You absolutely have to use those annoying IntPtr's otherwise it won't work.
But then there's something else, I once heard (not sure how true it is) that progress bars in Vista may only be green yellow or red and that they have a special (different) message to change it. May be worth investigating.