Common controls are not properly painted with WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC handler after I set Visual Styles on

Question

INTRODUCTION AND RELEVANT INFORMATION:

I have 2 dialog boxes created via Resource editor. Since I use Microsoft Visual Studio Express edition, I had to download free resource editor to create them. In my program, I have Visual Styles enabled like this:

#include <commctrl.h>

#pragma comment( lib, "comctl32.lib")

#pragma comment( linker, "/manifestdependency:\"type='win32' \
        name='Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls' version='6.0.0.0' \
        processorArchitecture='*' publicKeyToken='6595b64144ccf1df' \
        language='*'\"")

As far as I know, check box, radio button, and group box get WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC message for painting their text.

This is what I have coded for the first and second dialog box:

case WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC:
    {
        SetBkMode( (HDC)wParam, TRANSPARENT );
        SetTextColor( (HDC)wParam, RGB( 0, 0, 0 ) );
        return (INT_PTR)( (HBRUSH)GetStockObject(NULL_BRUSH) );
    }

I want those controls to have transparent text background and black color of their text.

THE PROBLEM:

On Windows XP, here is the result image for first dialog:

Group box has blue text, and brown border, while check box has everything black. On Windows 7, after starting the same program, I get this:

Here, group box and check box have proper text color, yet background of the check box and the border of the group box are wrong. In my dialog box, I have static controls and they are painted properly both on Windows 7 and Windows XP.

WHAT HAVE I TRIED SO FAR:

I have browsed through SO archive, but haven't found anything I could use to modify my WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC handler.

I have found a workaround which removes Visual Styles from those controls, so it can achieve the desired result, but I need to keep the Visual Styles and make the background of the text transparent, thus this solution can not satisfy me.

After looking through Visual Styles reference and a little experimenting, I have found a workaround for radio button and check box ( but not for group box ) with the following code:

case WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC:
    if( (HWND)lParam == GetDlgItem( hwnd, IDC_RADIO1 ) ) 
    {
        RECT r;
        GetClientRect( hwnd, &r );
        DrawThemeParentBackground( (HWND)lParam, (HDC)wParam, &r );
    }
    else
    {
        SetTextColor( (HDC)wParam, RGB( 0, 0, 0 ) );
        SetBkMode( (HDC)wParam, TRANSPARENT );
    }
    return (INT_PTR)( (HBRUSH)GetStockObject(NULL_BRUSH) );

Still, I have "hit the wall" with this:

In my dialog box there is a treeview and once I select node and press spacebar ( or any other key for that matter ) dialog's background bitmap gets on top of my static controls.

After I comment out DrawThemeParentBackground(), recompile and start program again everything works fine ( when I select tree's node and press spacebar ) but then I am "at square one".

THE QUESTIONS:

1. How can I modify my WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC handler to fix my problem ?

2. If the above is not possible, can I get the desired effect with NM_CUSTOMDRAW ?

NOTE:

I think that I will have to draw group box using GDI. If that is the case, I will accept this solution too, as my main concern is checkbox and radio button.

EDITED WITH SUBMITTED EXAMPLE PROJECT:

On request, I am submitting a SSCCE. To create the project follow these steps:

1.) Create default Win32 project in Visual Studio.

2.) In the stdafx.h copy/paste the following directives, below #include <windows.h>:

#include <commctrl.h>
#include <Uxtheme.h>

#pragma comment( linker, "/manifestdependency:\"type='win32' \ 
                    name='Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls' version='6.0.0.0' \
                    processorArchitecture='*' publicKeyToken='6595b64144ccf1df' \
                    language='*'\"")

#pragma comment( lib, "comctl32.lib")
#pragma comment( lib,"Msimg32.lib")    // needed for GradientFill(...) API
#pragma comment( lib, "UxTheme.lib")

3.) In the resource editor, alter About dialog box by adding a 2 radio buttons, 2 checkboxes and a group box enclosing them ( see the above pictures too see what I mean ) and add a treeview control ( this control will "trigger" the problem ).

4.) In your main cpp file, add the helper function for drawing the custom background:

void GradientTriangle( HDC MemDC, 
    LONG x1, LONG y1, 
    LONG x2, LONG y2, 
    LONG x3, LONG y3, 
    COLORREF top, COLORREF bottom )
{
    TRIVERTEX vertex[3];

    vertex[0].x     = x1;
    vertex[0].y     = y1;
    vertex[0].Red   = GetRValue(bottom) << 8;
    vertex[0].Green = GetGValue(bottom) << 8;
    vertex[0].Blue  = GetBValue(bottom) << 8;
    vertex[0].Alpha = 0x0000;

    vertex[1].x     = x3;
    vertex[1].y     = y3; 
    vertex[1].Red   = GetRValue(bottom) << 8;
    vertex[1].Green = GetGValue(bottom) << 8;
    vertex[1].Blue  = GetBValue(bottom) << 8;
    vertex[1].Alpha = 0x0000;

    vertex[2].x     = x2;
    vertex[2].y     = y2;
    vertex[2].Red   = GetRValue(top) << 8;
    vertex[2].Green = GetGValue(top) << 8;
    vertex[2].Blue  = GetBValue(top) << 8;
    vertex[2].Alpha = 0x0000;

    // Create a GRADIENT_TRIANGLE structure that
    // references the TRIVERTEX vertices.

    GRADIENT_TRIANGLE gTriangle;

    gTriangle.Vertex1 = 0;
    gTriangle.Vertex2 = 1;
    gTriangle.Vertex3 = 2;

    // Draw a shaded triangle.

    GradientFill( MemDC, vertex, 3, &gTriangle, 1, GRADIENT_FILL_TRIANGLE);
}

5.) Initiate common controls in _tWinMain:

// initialize common controls

INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX iccex;
iccex.dwSize = sizeof(INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX);
iccex.dwICC = ICC_LISTVIEW_CLASSES | ICC_UPDOWN_CLASS | ICC_STANDARD_CLASSES ;
InitCommonControlsEx(&iccex);

6.) Insert some items in the treeview in the WM_INITDIALOG :

case WM_INITDIALOG:
    {
        HWND TreeView = GetDlgItem( hDlg, IDC_TREE1 );

        // add root item

        TVINSERTSTRUCT tvis = {0};

        tvis.item.mask = TVIF_TEXT;
        tvis.item.pszText = L"This is root item";
        tvis.hInsertAfter = TVI_LAST;
        tvis.hParent = TVI_ROOT;

        HTREEITEM hRootItem = reinterpret_cast<HTREEITEM>( SendMessage( TreeView , 
            TVM_INSERTITEM, 0, reinterpret_cast<LPARAM>( &tvis ) ) );

        // add firts subitem for the hTreeItem

        memset( &tvis, 0, sizeof(TVINSERTSTRUCT) );

        tvis.item.mask = TVIF_TEXT;
        tvis.item.pszText = L"This is first subitem";
        tvis.hInsertAfter = TVI_LAST;
        tvis.hParent = hRootItem;

        HTREEITEM hTreeSubItem1 = reinterpret_cast<HTREEITEM>( SendMessage( TreeView , 
            TVM_INSERTITEM, 0, reinterpret_cast<LPARAM>( &tvis ) ) );

        // now we insert second subitem for hRootItem

        memset( &tvis, 0, sizeof(TVINSERTSTRUCT) );

        tvis.item.mask = TVIF_TEXT | TVIF_STATE; // added extra flag
        tvis.item.pszText = L"This is second subitem";
        tvis.hInsertAfter = TVI_LAST;
        tvis.hParent = hRootItem;

        HTREEITEM hTreeSubItem2 = reinterpret_cast<HTREEITEM>( SendMessage( TreeView , 
            TVM_INSERTITEM, 0, reinterpret_cast<LPARAM>( &tvis ) ) );
    }
    return (INT_PTR)TRUE;

7.) Paint the custom background of the dialog:

case WM_ERASEBKGND:
    {
        RECT r;
        GetClientRect( hDlg, &r );

        GradientTriangle( (HDC)wParam, r.right, r.bottom - r.top, 
            r.left, r.bottom - r.top,
            r.left, r.top,
            RGB( 0x0, 0x0, 0xFF ), RGB( 0xFF, 0xFF, 0x0 ) );

        GradientTriangle( (HDC)wParam, r.right, r.bottom - r.top, 
            r.right, r.top,
            r.left, r.top, 
            RGB( 0xFF, 0x0, 0x0 ), RGB( 0x0, 0xFF, 0x0 ) );
    }
    return TRUE;

8.) Add the handler for WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC:

case WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC:
    if( ( (HWND)lParam == GetDlgItem( hDlg, IDC_RADIO1 ) )       
        || ( (HWND)lParam == GetDlgItem( hDlg, IDC_CHECK1 ) ) ) 
    {
        RECT r;
        GetClientRect( hDlg, &r );
        DrawThemeParentBackground( (HWND)lParam, (HDC)wParam, &r );
    }
    else
    {
        SetTextColor( (HDC)wParam, RGB( 0, 0, 0 ) );
        SetBkMode( (HDC)wParam, TRANSPARENT );
    }
    return (INT_PTR)( (HBRUSH)GetStockObject(NULL_BRUSH) );

That would be all required steps and information to create minimal program that demonstrates the problem. Now run the application and observe the differences:

Radio button with IDC_RADIO1 and checkbox with IDC_CHECK1 will be properly painted ( transparent text with black color ), while other checkbox and radio button will not. Furthermore, after you click on a treeview and press spacebar you will see the problem with dialogs background.

END OF EDIT

Thank you.

Best regards.

Answer 1

I have made your dialog and run it in both xp and 7 and everything went fine. What you should do is the following:

Create a bitmap in memory and do all your drawings there. This should be the dialog background.

HDC hdc = CreateIC(TEXT("DISPLAY"), NULL, NULL, NULL);
hdcMemDialogBackground = CreateCompatibleDC(hdc);
hBitmap = CreateCompatibleBitmap(hdc, dialogWidth, dialogHeight);
hBitmapOld = SelectObject(hdcMemDialogBackground , hBitmap);
DeleteDC(hdc);

For creating radiobutton and checkbox use "button" class not static with

WS_VISIBLE | WS_CHILD | BS_AUTOCHECKBOX
WS_VISIBLE | WS_CHILD | BS_AUTORADIOBUTTON

styles.

In your dialog you should include

WS_CLIPCHILDREN

style. This will solve you the background overlaping the controls upon space press.

You should not draw the background of dialog in WM_ERASEBKGND message but WM_PAINT

case WM_PAINT:
        RECT r, rt;
        GetUpdateRect(hDlg, &rt, false);

        GetClientRect( hDlg, &r );

        GradientTriangle( hdcMemDialogBackground, r.right, r.bottom - r.top, 
        r.left, r.bottom - r.top,
        r.left, r.top,
        RGB( 0x0, 0x0, 0xFF ), RGB( 0xFF, 0xFF, 0x0 ) );

        GradientTriangle( hdcMemDialogBackground, r.right, r.bottom - r.top, 
        r.right, r.top,
        r.left, r.top, 
        RGB( 0xFF, 0x0, 0x0 ), RGB( 0x0, 0xFF, 0x0 ) );

        hdc = BeginPaint(hDlg, &ps);

        BitBlt(hdc, rt.left, rt.top, rt.right - rt.left, rt.bottom - rt.top, hdcMemDialogBackground, rt.left, rt.top, SRCCOPY);

        EndPaint(hDlg, &ps);

        break;

And finaly for the transparent background, in WM_NOTIFY:

case WM_NOTIFY:
    NMHDR *nmr;
    NMCUSTOMDRAW *nmcd;

    nmr = (NMHDR *)lParam;
    nmcd = (NMCUSTOMDRAW *)lParam;

    if(nmr->idFrom == IDC_RADIO1 && nmr->code == NM_CUSTOMDRAW){
        if(nmcd->dwDrawStage == CDDS_PREERASE){
            BitBlt(nmcd->hdc, 0, 0, radioButton1Width, radioButton1Height, hdcMemDialogBackground, radioButton1PosX, radioButton1PosY, SRCCOPY);

            return CDRF_SKIPDEFAULT;
        }
    }

    if(nmr->idFrom == IDC_RADIO2 && nmr->code == NM_CUSTOMDRAW){
        //the same
    }

    if(nmr->idFrom == IDC_CHECK1 && nmr->code == NM_CUSTOMDRAW){
        //the same
    }

    if(nmr->idFrom == IDC_CHECK2 && nmr->code == NM_CUSTOMDRAW){
        //the same
    }

    break;

In the end dispose your resources:

SelectObject(hdcMemDialogBackground, hBitmapOld);
DeleteObject(hBitmap);
hBitmap = NULL;
DeleteDC(hdcMemDialogBackground);
hdcMemDialogBackground= NULL;

EDIT

POINT pt;
RECT rt;
GetClientRect(hwndRadioButton1, &rt);
pt.x = 0;
pt.y = 0;
ClientToScreen(hwndRadioButton1, &pt);
ScreenToClient(hDlg, &pt);

BitBlt(nmcd->hdc, 0, 0, rt.right, rt.bottom, hdcMemDialogBackground, pt.x, pt.y, SRCCOPY);

EDIT2 (for resizing)

Change WM_PAINT:

case WM_PAINT:
    GetUpdateRect(hDlg, &rt, false);
    hdc = BeginPaint(hDlg, &ps);

    BitBlt(hdc, rt.left, rt.top, rt.right - rt.left, rt.bottom - rt.top, hdcMemDialogBackground, rt.left, rt.top, SRCCOPY);

    EndPaint(hDlg, &ps);

    break;

In WM_SIZE:

case WM_SIZE:
    r.left = 0;
    r.top = 0;
    r.right = LOWORD(lParam);;
    r.bottom = HIWORD(lParam);

    GradientTriangle(hdcMemDialogBackground, r.right, r.bottom - r.top, 
                r.left, r.bottom - r.top,
                r.left, r.top,
                RGB( 0x0, 0x0, 0xFF ), RGB( 0xFF, 0xFF, 0x0 ) );

    GradientTriangle(hdcMemDialogBackground, r.right, r.bottom - r.top, 
                r.right, r.top,
                r.left, r.top, 
                RGB( 0xFF, 0x0, 0x0 ), RGB( 0x0, 0xFF, 0x0 ) );

    InvalidateRect(hwndRadioButton1, NULL, false);
    InvalidateRect(hwndRadioButton2, NULL, false);
    InvalidateRect(hwndCheck11, NULL, false);
    InvalidateRect(hwndCheck2, NULL, false);
    InvalidateRect(hDlg, NULL, false);

    break;

For the resizing to work you need to create hdcMemDialogBackground with the maximum dimensions dialogbox will have eg 1280x1024 or 1680x1050 or any other.

Thats it.

valter

Answer 2

In the WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC handler you can only change BG of static controls.

Push buttons, radio buttons and check buttons are the same control - button. To change it BG you need to handle WM_CTLCOLORBTN. An example may be found here.