Convert color to alternate data type and back again

[soev]

I need to convert a color from a ColorDialog to an appropriate data type and run it back into the program on the form load. Now it works good on selecting the color and loading any settings but the color will not load. I've looked around the internet but none of the threads I see help. Here's what I have so far:

Public C As Integer

        Dim cDialog As New ColorDialog()
        cDialog.FullOpen = True
        cDialog.Color = frmEx.BackColor
        If (cDialog.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK) Then
            frmEx.BackColor = cDialog.Color
            C = cDialog.Color.ToArgb
        End If

This returns an example color as: -12457079

I need to be able to convert this back to a color but have had no luck in doing so. Can anyone help?

[Shaggy Hiker]

What is C declared as? It should be a UInt for unsigned integer.

You used ToArgb to get the integer, so you should use FromArgb to get the color back from the integer.

It actually looks like C can be just a plain Integer, and as long as you are not bit-shifting with that value, that does seem reasonable. I think that a UInt makes a bit more sense, since the integer is really just holding the four byte values and isn't truly ever a negative number, but it doesn't appear to make much difference.

[Gruff]

Luck has nothing to do with it.

The color class contains a method to convert an Argb value into a color.

Ten seconds to type "vb.net argb to color" into Google and the first hits you get tell you how to do it.

Dim ArgbValue as integer = (Color.Blue).ToArgb
Dim oColor as Color = Color.FromArgb(ArgbValue)

[edit]
Beg pardon Shaggy.
[/edit]

[soev]

It's always something simple that I over think. Thank you both for the help and Shaggy, C was defined as an integer just for the record. Thanks again!