Background color of a ListBox item (Windows Forms)
C#WinformsListboxColorsC# Problem Overview
How can I set the background color of a specific item in a System.Windows.Forms.ListBox?
I would like to be able to set multiple ones if possible.
C# Solutions
Solution 1 - C#
Thanks for the answer by Grad van Horck. It guided me in the correct direction.
To support text (not just background color), here is my fully working code:
//global brushes with ordinary/selected colors
private SolidBrush reportsForegroundBrushSelected = new SolidBrush(Color.White);
private SolidBrush reportsForegroundBrush = new SolidBrush(Color.Black);
private SolidBrush reportsBackgroundBrushSelected = new SolidBrush(Color.FromKnownColor(KnownColor.Highlight));
private SolidBrush reportsBackgroundBrush1 = new SolidBrush(Color.White);
private SolidBrush reportsBackgroundBrush2 = new SolidBrush(Color.Gray);
//custom method to draw the items, don't forget to set DrawMode of the ListBox to OwnerDrawFixed
private void lbReports_DrawItem(object sender, DrawItemEventArgs e)
{
e.DrawBackground();
bool selected = ((e.State & DrawItemState.Selected) == DrawItemState.Selected);
int index = e.Index;
if (index >= 0 && index < lbReports.Items.Count)
{
string text = lbReports.Items[index].ToString();
Graphics g = e.Graphics;
//background:
SolidBrush backgroundBrush;
if (selected)
backgroundBrush = reportsBackgroundBrushSelected;
else if ((index % 2) == 0)
backgroundBrush = reportsBackgroundBrush1;
else
backgroundBrush = reportsBackgroundBrush2;
g.FillRectangle(backgroundBrush, e.Bounds);
//text:
SolidBrush foregroundBrush = (selected) ? reportsForegroundBrushSelected : reportsForegroundBrush;
g.DrawString(text, e.Font, foregroundBrush, lbReports.GetItemRectangle(index).Location);
}
e.DrawFocusRectangle();
}
The above adds to the given code and will show the proper text plus highlight the selected item.
Solution 2 - C#
Probably the only way to accomplish that is to draw the items yourself.
Set the DrawMode
to OwnerDrawFixed
and code something like this on the DrawItem event:
private void listBox_DrawItem(object sender, DrawItemEventArgs e)
{
e.DrawBackground();
Graphics g = e.Graphics;
g.FillRectangle(new SolidBrush(Color.Silver), e.Bounds);
// Print text
e.DrawFocusRectangle();
}
The second option would be using a ListView, although they have an other way of implementations (not really data bound, but more flexible in way of columns).
Solution 3 - C#
// Set the background to a predefined colour
MyListBox.BackColor = Color.Red;
// OR: Set parts of a color.
MyListBox.BackColor.R = 255;
MyListBox.BackColor.G = 0;
MyListBox.BackColor.B = 0;
If what you mean by setting multiple background colors is setting a different background color for each item, this isn't possible with a ListBox, but it is with a ListView, with something like:
// Set the background of the first item in the list
MyListView.Items[0].BackColor = Color.Red;
Solution 4 - C#
public MainForm()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.listbox1.DrawItem += new DrawItemEventHandler(this.listbox1_DrawItem);
}
private void listbox1_DrawItem(object sender, System.Windows.Forms.DrawItemEventArgs e)
{
e.DrawBackground();
Brush myBrush = Brushes.Black;
var item = listbox1.Items[e.Index];
if(e.Index % 2 == 0)
{
e.Graphics.FillRectangle(new SolidBrush(Color.Gold), e.Bounds);
}
e.Graphics.DrawString(((ListBox)sender).Items[e.Index].ToString(),
e.Font, myBrush,e.Bounds, StringFormat.GenericDefault);
e.DrawFocusRectangle();
}
}