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Hi there, thanks for taking the time to read this. :)
I was wondering if it was possible to make each line of a listbox a different colour. This would greatly improve my design for an AI chatbox I was designing in VB6. The way it should function is this:
When the user inputs their text into the listbox, it should be green.
I then have some pre-set outputs in my code to allow the AI to respond straightaway, however, the text should be red.
How can I integrate this into my code?
I don't think this is possible with a listbox. Use ListView instead.
You can use the ownerdraw style (just select Style = Checked). You can use this wrapper to redraw each line.
Put List1 and List2 on a Form and make their Style = Checkbox
Form Code
.BAS CodeCode:Private Sub Form_Load()
Dim I As Integer
For I = 15 To 0 Step -1
'Load a List of 0 to 15 with the Item Data
'Set to the QBColors 0 - 15
List1.AddItem "Color " & I
List1.itemData(List1.NewIndex) = QBColor(I)
Next
For I = 0 To 15
'Load a List of 0 to 15 with the Item Data
'Set to the QBColors 0 - 15
List2.AddItem "Color " & I
List2.itemData(List2.NewIndex) = QBColor(I)
Next
'Subclass the "Form", to Capture the Listbox Notification Messages
lPrevWndProc = SetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_WNDPROC, AddressOf SubClassedList)
End Sub
Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
'Release the SubClassing, Very Import to Prevent Crashing!
Call SetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_WNDPROC, lPrevWndProc)
End Sub
Code:Option Explicit
Public Type RECT
Left As Long
Top As Long
Right As Long
Bottom As Long
End Type
Public Type DRAWITEMSTRUCT
CtlType As Long
CtlID As Long
itemID As Long
itemAction As Long
itemState As Long
hwndItem As Long
hdc As Long
rcItem As RECT
itemData As Long
End Type
Public Declare Sub CopyMemory Lib "kernel32" Alias "RtlMoveMemory" (Destination As Any, Source As Any, ByVal Length As Long)
Public Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowLongA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal nIndex As Long, ByVal dwNewLong As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function CallWindowProc Lib "user32" Alias "CallWindowProcA" (ByVal lpPrevWndFunc As Long, ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal Msg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, ByVal lParam As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
Public Declare Function CreateSolidBrush Lib "gdi32" (ByVal crColor As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function FillRect Lib "user32" (ByVal hdc As Long, lpRect As RECT, ByVal hBrush As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function DeleteObject Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hObject As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function SetBkColor Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hdc As Long, ByVal crColor As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function SetTextColor Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hdc As Long, ByVal crColor As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function TextOut Lib "gdi32" Alias "TextOutA" (ByVal hdc As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, ByVal lpString As String, ByVal nCount As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function DrawFocusRect Lib "user32" (ByVal hdc As Long, lpRect As RECT) As Long
Public Declare Function GetSysColor Lib "user32" (ByVal nIndex As Long) As Long
Public Const COLOR_HIGHLIGHT = 13
Public Const COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT = 14
Public Const COLOR_WINDOW = 5
Public Const COLOR_WINDOWTEXT = 8
Public Const LB_GETTEXT = &H189
Public Const WM_DRAWITEM = &H2B
Public Const GWL_WNDPROC = (-4)
Public Const ODS_FOCUS = &H10
Public Const ODT_LISTBOX = 2
Public lPrevWndProc As Long
Public Function SubClassedList(ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal Msg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, ByVal lParam As Long) As Long
Dim tItem As DRAWITEMSTRUCT
Dim sBuff As String * 255
Dim sItem As String
Dim lBack As Long
If Msg = WM_DRAWITEM Then
'Redraw the listbox
'This function only passes the Address of the DrawItem Structure, so we need to
'use the CopyMemory API to Get a Copy into the Variable we setup:
Call CopyMemory(tItem, ByVal lParam, Len(tItem))
'Make sure we're dealing with a Listbox
If tItem.CtlType = ODT_LISTBOX Then
'Get the Item Text
Call SendMessage(tItem.hwndItem, LB_GETTEXT, tItem.itemID, ByVal sBuff)
sItem = Left(sBuff, InStr(sBuff, Chr(0)) - 1)
If (tItem.itemState And ODS_FOCUS) Then
'Item has Focus, Highlight it, I'm using the Default Focus
'Colors for this example.
lBack = CreateSolidBrush(GetSysColor(COLOR_HIGHLIGHT))
Call FillRect(tItem.hdc, tItem.rcItem, lBack)
Call SetBkColor(tItem.hdc, GetSysColor(COLOR_HIGHLIGHT))
Call SetTextColor(tItem.hdc, GetSysColor(COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT))
TextOut tItem.hdc, tItem.rcItem.Left, tItem.rcItem.Top, ByVal sItem, Len(sItem)
DrawFocusRect tItem.hdc, tItem.rcItem
Else
'Item Doesn't Have Focus, Draw it's Colored Background
'Create a Brush using the Color we stored in ItemData
lBack = CreateSolidBrush(tItem.itemData)
'Paint the Item Area
Call FillRect(tItem.hdc, tItem.rcItem, lBack)
'Set the Text Colors
Call SetBkColor(tItem.hdc, tItem.itemData)
Call SetTextColor(tItem.hdc, IIf(tItem.itemData = vbBlack, vbWhite, vbBlack))
'Display the Item Text
TextOut tItem.hdc, tItem.rcItem.Left, tItem.rcItem.Top, ByVal sItem, Len(sItem)
End If
Call DeleteObject(lBack)
'Don't Need to Pass a Value on as we've just handled the Message ourselves
SubClassedList = 0
Exit Function
End If
End If
SubClassedList = CallWindowProc(lPrevWndProc, hwnd, Msg, wParam, lParam)
End Function
You could also use a richtextbox or a MSHFlexgrid to do the job.
Hi there,Quote:
Originally Posted by jmsrickland
Sorry for the late reply. I was able to test this code and it works fine, however, I don't think you understood my initial brief. I will repeat:
I only have one listbox, not two. When the user inputs their text, it should be red and the AI's response should be green.
Thank you for taking the time to help me with this and I hope we can figure this out together. :bigyello:
The listbox is limited in what it can do. Trying to alter how it works is an ugly business IMHO.
The Listview or MSHFlexGrid controls allow you to change colors per line. They are also part of VB6.
You just have to add them to your VB6 toolbox by selecting them from the main menu
Projects | Components. Scroll down and check the one you want.
The Microsoft Heirarchical Flexgrid Control (MSHFlexGrid) can even have different background colors per line if you like.
It also has the added benefit of having multiple columns should you choose to use them.
You can access every cell as a simple 2D coordinate of rows and columns.
It schrolls as well.
The Listview can do some of the same but does not have background colors per line.
Also I found it a bit different to get use to.
Both also allow icons per line if you need them.
All of these features are built into the controls. You do not have to resort to anything more complex.
Here is a MSHFlexGrid example.
Attachment 139413
I understood your request. The code was not written especially for you and common sense tells you that you only need to use one of the Listboxes. However, I don't think you read my signature since if you had you will note that I state if what I post will be useful then it is up to you to make whatever changes you feel necessaryQuote:
Originally Posted by johnbobby