[RESOLVED] Read custom colors from a file , then load custom colors into color dialog box.

[sdowney1]

  Dim ColorDialog1 As New ColorDialog
  Dim cMyCustomColors(16) As Color

  'read custom colors out of file and load into custom color array
  If IO.File.Exists(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini") Then
      ' Step 1: read lines from the file.
      For Each line In File.ReadLines(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini")
          ' Step 2: separate each line on the comma char.
          Dim parts = line.Split(","c)
          ' Step 3: print out the parts of the line.
          For Each value In parts
              cMyCustomColors(parts(0)) = Color.FromArgb(parts(1), parts(2), parts(3)) 'RGB color values
          Next
      Next
  End If

  'Convert colors to integers
  Dim colorBlue As Integer
  Dim colorGreen As Integer
  Dim colorRed As Integer
  Dim iMyCustomColor As Integer
  Dim iMyCustomColors(cMyCustomColors.Length - 1) As Integer

  For index = 0 To cMyCustomColors.Length - 1
      'cast to integer
      colorBlue = cMyCustomColors(index).B
      colorGreen = cMyCustomColors(index).G
      colorRed = cMyCustomColors(index).R
      'shift the bits
      iMyCustomColor = colorBlue << 16 Or colorGreen << 8 Or colorRed
      iMyCustomColors(index) = iMyCustomColor
  Next

  ColorDialog1.CustomColors = iMyCustomColors
  
 If ColorDialog1.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK Then
    ' Me.BackColor = ColorDialog1.Color
End If

The file values for all 16 boxes as index, RGB values in comma delimited file called 'customcolors2.ini'

0,139,155,184
1,188,213,254
2,115,172,183
3,200,249,198
4,189,194,253
5,200,249,255
6,108,213,210
7,236,164,236
8,40,181,124
9,126,107,203
10,189,87,162
11,65,77,160
12,143,143,143
13,255,255,255
14,255,255,255
15,155,155,155

Screenshot attached as the result

[sdowney1]

Next, I need to know how to save the custom colors to that file.
If anyone wants to show me that, thanks

Looks to be an array of integers, which would be converted to RGB values

Will ask question in the forum

?ColorDialog1.CustomColors
{Length=16}
    (0): 12098443
    (1): 16700860
    (2): 12037235
    (3): 13040072
    (4): 16630461
    (5): 16775624
    (6): 13817196
    (7): 15508716
    (8): 8172840
    (9): 13331326
    (10): 10639293
    (11): 10505537
    (12): 9408399
    (13): 16777215
    (14): 16777215
    (15): 10197915

?ColorDialog1.CustomColors(0)
12098443

Editing

Ok, I got it, finally!
This gives me the RGB values

What is the A attribute?
Except I don't need it AFAIK.

Easy enough then to output all the custom colors back to a file, once you have the RGB values of the custom colors.

        For xx = 0 To 15
            colorBlue = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(xx)).B
            colorGreen = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(xx)).G
            colorRed = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(xx)).R
            'colorwwww = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(xx)).A
        Next

[sdowney1]

This is my code for a public sub to the color of something, whatever control you want
Colornumber is the color
Boolcancel is if a user hits the cancel button
Owner, I don't need at all.

'colornumber is the color chosen,
'boolcancel user pressed the cancel button,
'owner is who called the dialog.
Public Sub modNumberColor(ByRef Colornumber As Color, ByRef BoolCancel As Boolean, ByRef Owner As Integer)

	Dim ColorDialog1 As New ColorDialog
	Dim cMyCustomColors(16) As Color
	'Dim XX As Short = 0

	'cc.hWndOwner = Owner
	'read custom colors out of file and load into custom color array
	If IO.File.Exists(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini") Then
		' Step 1: read lines from the file.
		For Each line In File.ReadLines(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini")
			' Step 2: separate each line on the comma char.
			Dim parts = line.Split(","c)
			' Step 3: print out the parts of the line.
			For Each value In parts
				cMyCustomColors(parts(0)) = Color.FromArgb(parts(1), parts(2), parts(3)) 'RGB color values
			Next
		Next
	End If

	'Convert colors to integers

	Dim colorBlue As Integer
	Dim colorGreen As Integer
	Dim colorRed As Integer
	Dim iMyCustomColor As Integer
	Dim iMyCustomColors(cMyCustomColors.Length - 1) As Integer

	For index = 0 To cMyCustomColors.Length - 1
		'cast to integer
		colorRed = cMyCustomColors(index).R
		colorGreen = cMyCustomColors(index).G
		colorBlue = cMyCustomColors(index).B
		'shift the bits
		iMyCustomColor = colorBlue << 16 Or colorGreen << 8 Or colorRed
		iMyCustomColors(index) = iMyCustomColor
	Next

	ColorDialog1.CustomColors = iMyCustomColors
	If ColorDialog1.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK Then
		BoolCancel = False
		Colornumber = ColorDialog1.Color
		'Dim c As Color = ColorDialog1.Color
		'Dim valuec As Integer = ColorDialog1.Color.ToArgb()
		'Colornumber = ColorDialog1.Color.ToArgb()

	Else
		'user hit cancel
		' this will tell calling sub to exit and not set the color
		BoolCancel = True

		'Dim c As Color = ColorDialog1.Color
		'Dim valuec As Integer = c.ToArgb()
		'Label7.ForeColor = ColorTranslator.FromOle(valuec)

	End If

	'write these back to customcolors2.ini
	'If IO.File.Exists(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini") Then Kill(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini")
	Using wr = New StreamWriter(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini", False)
		For XX = 0 To 15
			colorBlue = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(XX)).B
			colorGreen = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(XX)).G
			colorRed = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(XX)).R
			'colorwwww = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(xx)).A??
			wr.WriteLine(String.Format("{0},{1},{2},{3}", XX, colorBlue, colorGreen, colorRed))
		Next
		wr.Flush()
	End Using

End Sub

This is what comes before calling sub? for the public sub.

Anyhow the whole thing has been working well.
I have extra unused lines in here as part of my testing.

Private Colorstuff as color is the dim statement.

Label1.forecolor = Colorstuff will assign the colordialog.color to a control, etc...

    Private Sub ColorView()
        On Error GoTo errhandler
        If frmlogonlog = False Then BoolCancel = True : Exit Sub 'Not authorized To change color
        Owner_Renamed = Me.Handle.ToInt32
        modNumberColor(Colorstuff, BoolCancel, Owner_Renamed) 'module2


        If BoolCancel = True Then Exit Sub
        'Colorstuff = Colornumber.Color.fromArgb()
        'Colorstuff = ColorTranslator.FromOle(Colornumber)
        'CommonDialog1Color.Color = ColorTranslator.FromOle(Colornumber)
        Exit Sub
errhandler:
        'color is not right has to be assigned
    End Sub

This sub on a right click of Label1, will run colorview, which runs the public sub to open the colordialog
The value is returned in var Colorstuff and assigned to the Label1.forecolor

    Private Sub Label1_MouseUp(ByVal eventSender As System.Object, ByVal eventArgs As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles Label1.MouseUp
        'search the catalog

        If eventArgs.Button = MouseButtons.Right Then
            ColorView()
            If BoolCancel = True Then BoolCancel = False : Exit Sub
            ' Set the form's background color to selected color
            Label1.ForeColor = Colorstuff

            Exit Sub
        End If

    End Sub

And that's the whole code needed right there.
It is how I did it.

All I need to do now is deal with if the file customcolors2.ini does not exist.
The public sub will always write a new file of all 16 custom colors

[sdowney1]

Ok, here is the complete module including TRY error handling and all dims
I needed to add that incase the custom color file is badly hosed.

If the file is wiped and totally rebuilt, of course all custom colors will be gone. But if it that messed up, can't be used.
Can just restore from a backup file too.

On a catch, it will run a colordialog box to get a color without all the custom color coding loading.
Subsequent color dialogs will load that file with no custom colors as in they will be all the same, which a user would have to reestablish those colors.
Which they can do in the catch block.

Option Strict Off
Option Explicit On
Imports System.IO
Module Module2

	Private CustomColors() As Byte
	'colornumber is the color chosen,
	'boolcancel user pressed the cancel button,
	'owner is who called the dialog. Here not needed.
	Public Sub modNumberColor(ByRef Colornumber As Color, ByRef BoolCancel As Boolean, ByRef Owner As Integer)

		Try

			Dim ColorDialog1 As New ColorDialog
			Dim cMyCustomColors(16) As Color
			Dim colorBlue As Integer
			Dim colorGreen As Integer
			Dim colorRed As Integer

			'read custom colors out of file and load into custom color array
			If IO.File.Exists(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini") Then
				' Step 1: read lines from the file.
				For Each line In File.ReadLines(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini")
					' Step 2: separate each line on the comma char.
					Dim parts = line.Split(","c)
					' Step 3: print out the parts of the line.
					For Each value In parts
						cMyCustomColors(parts(0)) = Color.FromArgb(parts(1), parts(2), parts(3)) 'RGB color values
					Next
				Next

				'Convert colors to integers

				Dim iMyCustomColor As Integer
				Dim iMyCustomColors(cMyCustomColors.Length - 1) As Integer

				For index = 0 To cMyCustomColors.Length - 1
					'cast to integer
					colorRed = cMyCustomColors(index).R
					colorGreen = cMyCustomColors(index).G
					colorBlue = cMyCustomColors(index).B
					'shift the bits
					iMyCustomColor = colorBlue << 16 Or colorGreen << 8 Or colorRed
					iMyCustomColors(index) = iMyCustomColor
				Next

				ColorDialog1.CustomColors = iMyCustomColors

			End If

			If ColorDialog1.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK Then
				BoolCancel = False
				Colornumber = ColorDialog1.Color
			Else
				'user hit cancel, this will tell calling sub to exit and not set the color
				BoolCancel = True
				'Dim c As Color = ColorDialog1.Color
				'Dim valuec As Integer = c.ToArgb()

			End If

			'write these back to customcolors2.ini
			'If IO.File.Exists(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini") Then Kill(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini")
			Using wr = New StreamWriter(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini", False)
				For XX = 0 To 15
					colorBlue = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(XX)).B
					colorGreen = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(XX)).G
					colorRed = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(XX)).R
					'colorwwww = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(xx)).A??
					wr.WriteLine(String.Format("{0},{1},{2},{3}", XX, colorBlue, colorGreen, colorRed))
				Next
				wr.Flush()
			End Using

		Catch ex As Exception
			'do it again as the file could be badly mangled
			If IO.File.Exists(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini") Then Kill(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini")
			'if an error boolcancel TRUE, then message, then try open again but no file involved
			BoolCancel = True
			Dim msg = ex.ToString()
			MsgBox(msg,  , "Error")

			Dim ColorDialog1 As New ColorDialog
			Dim colorBlue As Integer
			Dim colorGreen As Integer
			Dim colorRed As Integer
			If ColorDialog1.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK Then
				BoolCancel = False
				Colornumber = ColorDialog1.Color
			Else
				'user hit cancel, this will tell calling sub to exit and not set the color
				BoolCancel = True
			End If

			'write these back to customcolors2.ini
			Using wr = New StreamWriter(My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath & "\customcolors2.ini", False)
				For XX = 0 To 15
					colorBlue = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(XX)).B
					colorGreen = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(XX)).G
					colorRed = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(XX)).R
					'colorwwww = Color.FromArgb(ColorDialog1.CustomColors(xx)).A??
					wr.WriteLine(String.Format("{0},{1},{2},{3}", XX, colorBlue, colorGreen, colorRed))
				Next
				wr.Flush()
			End Using
		End Try
	End Sub

End Module