Change bg color of editbox.

[acerunner316]

Is there a simple way to change the BG color (and maybe text color also) of an editbox? I only need two colors to be toggled by clicking a button. I wanted to toggle the color of the button, but found out that it can only be done using images as buttons, which seemed too complicated for me.

[Christian Graus]

Not really. An edit box is really nasty, as it paints itself outside the normal WM_PAINT method, so any owner drawing tends to get erased as you type. It can be done, but not without flicker, and not as trivially as, say, a button. To change the color of a button, you can derive a class from the button class, and draw the background yourself. No bitmap needed.

Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog

[acerunner316]

"To change the color of a button, you can derive a class from the button class, and draw the background yourself. No bitmap needed." Can you explain furthur please?

[Mark Salsbery]

acerunner316 wrote:

Is there a simple way to change the BG color (and maybe text color also) of an editbox?

Check out the WM_CTLCOLOREDIT message.

[Mark Salsbery]

Here's a Christmas edit box (adjust colors for your region/season/religion/etc): (This is MFC code but API calls are similar)

CBrush RedBrush; //class member in MyDlg.h
...
// in CMyDlg consructor
RedBrush.CreateSolidBrush(RGB(0xFF,0x00,0x00));
...
HBRUSH CMyDlg::OnCtlColor(CDC* pDC, CWnd* pWnd, UINT nCtlColor)
{
HBRUSH hbr = CDialog::OnCtlColor(pDC, pWnd, nCtlColor);

if (nCtlColor == CTLCOLOR\_EDIT)
{
	pDC->SetTextColor(RGB(0x00,0xFF,0x00));
	pDC->SetBkColor(RGB(0xFF,0x00,0x00));
	hbr = RedBrush;
}

return hbr;

}

-- modified at 11:25 Tuesday 5th December, 2006

[ThatsAlok]

Mark Salsbery wrote: Christmas edit box he he he

"Opinions are neither right nor wrong. I cannot change your opinion. I can, however, change what influences your opinion." - David Crow cheers, Alok Gupta VC Forum Q&A :- I/ IV Support CRY- Child Relief and you

[vikas amin]

No way " Nothing is easy , u have to work hard "

Vikas Amin EATON PUNE

[realJSOP]

This doesn't work when you've also changed the background color of the dialog box itself.

"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

[Mark Salsbery]

No no no... That's "Ho Ho Ho" :)

[Mark Salsbery]

John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:

This doesn't work when you've also changed the background color of the dialog box itself.

ummm. no :) Maybe you are thinking of WM_ERASEBKND? Try it. I posted an MFC example below.

[digitalmythology]

As soon as I can, I'll get you a working, practical piece of real-worl code. For now though, try this from MSDN : http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/shellcc/platform/commctls/editcontrols/editcontrolreference/editcontrolmessages/wm_ctlcoloredit.asp[^]

-digitalmythology -dm