Winform: allow user to change colors of the app

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Hi! I am new in the big programming community, and got a small issue with my app.
I'd like the users to be able to click on a button and set the colors of the ENTIRE APP, like a theme. Here is how it looks right now, and some snippets of code I tried:

What the form looks like[^]

As you can see, the button on the left using color1 (in Form1.cs), and even the button in the childform (Form_Settings.cs) don't change color at all.

Form_Settings.cs

C#

private void trackBarR_Scroll(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            buttonRGB1.BackColor = Color.FromArgb(trackBarR1.Value, trackBarG1.Value, trackBarB1.Value);
        }
// my click event not working
private void buttonRGB1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            ColorThemePicker.RGBColors.color1 = buttonRGB1.BackColor; // change variable from struct to the color set but doesn't work
            ActiveForm.Update(); // I tried to update the form but this doesn't seem to work
        }

ColorThemePicker.cs

C#

public struct RGBColors
            {
            // RGBColors.color1
            public static Color color1 = Color.FromArgb(173, 112, 133); // (Color 1) Very dark pink
            }

Am I missing something, or doing something wrong? All reference of the color I want to change are set as color1, example here of the button in the childform (Form_Settings.cs):

Form_Settings.Designer.cs

C#

this.color1.BackColor = RGBColors.color1; // here you can see it's set as the color1 from the struct and not the usual system colors
this.color1.FlatAppearance.BorderColor = System.Drawing.Color.Silver;
this.color1.FlatStyle = System.Windows.Forms.FlatStyle.Flat;
this.color1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(407, 297);
this.color1.Name = "btn_color1";
this.color1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 67);
this.color1.TabIndex = 12;
this.color1.Text = "I\'m Color1";
this.color1.UseVisualStyleBackColor = false;

What I have tried:

A ton of googling, stackoverflow, youtube, and some research here as well, but nothing.
Tried to Reset(), Update(), etc the form to see any change: doesn't work.
Tried to set the new struct value to the trackbars values Color.FromArgb(trackBarR1.Value, trackBarG1.Value, trackBarB1.Value)
doesn't work either

Posted 13-Feb-21 23:41pm

Opalie

Updated 14-Feb-21 6:36am

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Comments

RickZeeland 14-Feb-21 6:30am

Did you try to set ActiveForm.BackColor or this.BackColor ?

Opalie 14-Feb-21 7:58am

I did! It doesn't work either, but thank you

Maciej Los 14-Feb-21 7:54am

How many windows/forms contains your application? Only one or more?

Opalie 14-Feb-21 7:58am

many: a main Form (Form1) + child forms to have inside of it (here, Form_Setting)

RickZeeland 14-Feb-21 8:46am

Hope you are not using a "form in a form" that is a bad idea!

Maciej Los 14-Feb-21 9:57am

Is it MDI apllication?

2 solutions

Solution 1

Try this:
WinForms Form Skin[^]
Or this:
Winforms SkinFramework[^]
Or this:
GUI Skinning System for Windows Forms .NET[^]
But Google will find you loads of other examples!

Posted 14-Feb-21 0:48am

OriginalGriff

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Maciej Los · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-14T06:36:00

As to the comments to to question...

Maciej Los wrote:

How many windows/forms contains your application? Only one or more?

Opalie wrote:

many: a main Form (Form1) + child forms to have inside of it (here, Form_Setting)

If you would like to update BackColor for each loaded form, you need to loop through the collection of opened forms:

C#

foreach(Form f in Application.OpenForms)
  f.BackColor = aVariableWhichHoldsColor;

As to the aVariableWhichHoldsColor...
I'd suggest to define this variable in Program.cs:

C#

public static Color MyThemeColor = Color.FromArgb(173, 112, 133);

or create static class:

C#

public static class MyHelper
{
   //set default color
   public static Color MyThemeColor = Color.FromArgb(173, 112, 133);
}

Finally, in Form_Settings class you have to call method responsible for changing BackColor for each opened form:

C#

MyHelper.MyThemeColor = buttonRGB1.BackColor;
foreach(Form f in Application.OpenForms)
  f.BackColor = MyHelper.MyThemeColor;

Without knowing more details, it's hard to tell what you have to do to resolve your issue.

Good luck!