Background color of a ListBox item (Windows Forms)

Question

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.

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

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).