ComboBoxRenderer does not look like Windows 7 ComboBox

Question

Hi,

When I call Application.EnableVisualStyles in WinForms application on Windows 7, a ComboBox looks "modern" - it is a white background with a black arrow.  When I do not call EnableVisualStyles, the ComboBox is "legacy" - a gray background.

However, ComboBoxRenderer.DrawDropDownButton always looks "legacy" - it always draws it with a gray background.  I also tried ControlPaint methods but it also looked "legacy."

How do I draw custom combo box button that is "modern" in C# (or even p/Invoke to GDI or GDI+)?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi tballard,

Can you provide a simple sample about what you have done to set DrawDropDownButton?

I recommend you check the property here http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/System.Windows.Forms.VisualStyles.VisualStyleElement.ComboBox.DropDownButton_properties(v=vs.110).aspx and check this blog to see about how you can custom combobox button:

http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/18172/Appearance-Customizable-ComboBox

Regards,

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Barry Wang
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Answer 2

Hello,

You know that you are asking this in the forum for the desktop user interface Windows Forms classes and api's.

"Modern" is the official Microsoft name of the Microsoft Store Apps interface, therefore about what user interface are you talking? 

Visit for "Modern" controls the forum of that interface.

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Success
Cor

Answer 3

Hi Cor,

Well, for this case op doesn't mean that modern control. He just mean a style with looks more fashionable. I've just build my Win 7 test machine and test what he mentioned. You can think his modern is like Win 7 Aero and his legacy is XP style.

What he mentioned in my mind is just like change the style of a combobox dropdown button. However, in my test result,common style of ComboBoxRenderer.DrawDropDownButton is a white background with a black arrow. When you put your mouse on it, it will grey. This behavior is alright in my mind, to change it he can check the blog I showed.

Regards,

---

Barry Wang
We are trying to better understand customer views on social support experience, so your participation in this interview project would be greatly appreciated if you have time. Thanks for helping make community forums a great place.
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Answer 4

To the OP, Barry told me that you maybe with Modern does not mean the Microsoft meaning for it. 

In the forum person try to help others. They do that on Information they get. Therefore try to give information instead of your opinion. Words like "modern" and "legacy" have for almost everybody another meaning.

The word modern for instance starts with the discovery of America by the Europeans. I assume you does not mean that either, legacy is for many the use of programming in a punch card way, that is also not something you mean I guess.

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Success
Cor

Answer 5

Too many, I appreciate your help for those moderation replies.

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Barry Wang
We are trying to better understand customer views on social support experience, so your participation in this interview project would be greatly appreciated if you have time. Thanks for helping make community forums a great place.
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Answer 6

I don't think this problem is actually solved.  I believe I am seeing the same problem as the OP.

When I place an unaltered ComboBox on a form from the toolbox, the normal state of the dropdown button has no border and a white background.  The only thing shown is a down arrow.  In Windows 7 it's a black triangle pointing down, and in Windows 8 it's a V.

When I draw the combobox dropdownbutton using a VisualStyleRenderer or a ComboBoxRenderer I don't get that white background with any of the four possible states: Disabled, Normal, Hot, or Pressed.  I expect Normal to be the one I'm after, but it's got a grey background and a border.  Hot and Pressed do look as I'd expect.  Disabled doesn't look like when a combobox.Enabled = false either, but I'm not really after that one.

It seems like a problem to me.  Can you show me how to get that same white background but still have the correct triangle or V depending on the OS?  I'd hate to think I should draw it myself based on the OS/theme?

You can use the code example in the link provided by Barry to experience the problem.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/System.Windows.Forms.VisualStyles.VisualStyleElement.ComboBox.DropDownButton_properties(v=vs.110).aspx

Drag a plain combobox from the toolbox onto your form to compare.
Thank you for any help.
Buzz

Answer 7

By looking at Microsoft's Reference Source, I can see the problem.
The ComboBoxRender DrawDropDownButton() method does not allow you to choose which part to draw and is hard-coded to use part number ComboBoxElement.Part. ComboBoxElement is defined to be VisualStyleElement.ComboBox.DropDownButton.  In order to draw the style of button that the OP and I want, you have to use VisualStyleElement.ComboBox.DropDownRightButton.

Another annoyance is that DropDownRightButton is internal, so that's too bad.

To solve this problem I created an enum to represent each part number of the combobox, and then copied the reference code and created my own ComboBoxRendererEx that modifies the DrawDropDownButton(...) method to allow a part to be specified, like this:

/// <summary>
/// ComboBox parts as defined at
/// http://referencesource.microsoft.com/#System.Windows.Forms/winforms/Managed/System/WinForms/VisualStyles/VisualStyleElement.cs,5009862ba4454b7e
/// </summary>
public enum ComboBoxElementParts
{
    DropDownButton = 1,
    Border = 4,
    ReadOnlyButton = 5,
    DropDownButtonRight = 6,
    DropDownButtonLeft = 7
}

---------------------------

public static void DrawDropDownButton(Graphics g, Rectangle bounds, ComboBoxState state, ComboBoxElementParts part = ComboBoxElementParts.DropDownButton)
{
    if (visualStyleRenderer == null)
    {
        visualStyleRenderer = new VisualStyleRenderer(ComboBoxElement.ClassName, (int)part, (int)state);
    }
    else
    {
        visualStyleRenderer.SetParameters(ComboBoxElement.ClassName, (int)part, (int)state);
    }

    visualStyleRenderer.DrawBackground(g, bounds);
}

Now I can draw a custom combobox and get the look of a default combobox using something like:

protected override void OnPaint(PaintEventArgs e)
{
    base.OnPaint(e);

    // Draw control border
    ComboBoxRendererEx.DrawDropDownButton(e.Graphics, this.ClientRectangle, this.textBoxState, ComboBoxElementParts.Border);

    // Draw drop down button
    ComboBoxRendererEx.DrawDropDownButton(e.Graphics, this.dropDownArrowRectangle, this.dropDownArrowState, ComboBoxElementParts.DropDownButtonRight);
}

Answer 8

There are 3 DropDownStyles for combobox and each one renders differently.

Below are 3 simple methods to draw a combobox dependant on style and state:

        private void DrawSimpleCombo(Graphics graphics, Rectangle bounds, ComboBoxState state)
        {
            VisualStyleRenderer renderer;

            if (state != ComboBoxState.Disabled)
            {
                renderer = new VisualStyleRenderer("COMBOBOX", 4, 2);
                renderer.DrawBackground(graphics, bounds);
           }
            else
            {
                renderer = new VisualStyleRenderer("EDIT", 1, 1);
                renderer.DrawBackground(graphics, bounds);

                Rectangle rc = renderer.GetBackgroundContentRectangle(graphics, bounds);
                rc.Inflate(-2, -2);
                graphics.FillRectangle(SystemBrushes.Control, rc);
            }
            
        }

        private void DrawDropDownCombo(Graphics graphics, Rectangle bounds, ComboBoxState state, bool focused)
        {
            VisualStyleRenderer renderer = new VisualStyleRenderer("COMBOBOX", 4, state > ComboBoxState.Normal || focused ? 2 : 1);

            VisualStyleRenderer buttonRenderer = new VisualStyleRenderer("COMBOBOX", 7, (int)state);

            Size szP = buttonRenderer.GetPartSize(graphics, ThemeSizeType.True);

            buttonRenderer.SetParameters("COMBOBOX", 7, (int)state);
            Size szR = buttonRenderer.GetPartSize(graphics, ThemeSizeType.True);

            buttonRenderer.SetParameters("COMBOBOX", 6, (int)state);
            Size szL = buttonRenderer.GetPartSize(graphics, ThemeSizeType.True);

            Size sz = new Size(szL.Width + szR.Width + szP.Width, szP.Height);

            if (state != ComboBoxState.Disabled)
            {                
                renderer.DrawBackground(graphics, bounds);
            }
            else
            {
                renderer = new VisualStyleRenderer("EDIT", 1, 1);
                renderer.DrawBackground(graphics, bounds);

                Rectangle client = renderer.GetBackgroundContentRectangle(graphics, bounds);
                client.Inflate(-2, -2);
                client.Width -= sz.Width;

                graphics.FillRectangle(SystemBrushes.Control, client);
            }


            Rectangle rc = Rectangle.FromLTRB(bounds.Right - (sz.Width), bounds.Top, bounds.Right, bounds.Bottom);

            buttonRenderer.DrawBackground(graphics, rc);
        }

        private void DrawDropDownListCombo(Graphics graphics, Rectangle bounds, ComboBoxState state)
        {
            VisualStyleRenderer renderer = new VisualStyleRenderer("COMBOBOX", 5, (int)state);
            renderer.DrawBackground(graphics, bounds);

            renderer.SetParameters("COMBOBOX", 1, 1);
            Size szP = renderer.GetPartSize(graphics, ThemeSizeType.True);

            renderer.SetParameters("COMBOBOX", 7, 1);
            Size szR = renderer.GetPartSize(graphics, ThemeSizeType.True);

            renderer.SetParameters("COMBOBOX", 6, state == ComboBoxState.Disabled ? 4 : 1);
            Size szL = renderer.GetPartSize(graphics, ThemeSizeType.True);

            Size sz = new Size(szL.Width + szR.Width + szP.Width, szP.Height);

            Rectangle rc = Rectangle.FromLTRB(bounds.Right - (sz.Width), bounds.Top, bounds.Right, bounds.Bottom);

            renderer.DrawBackground(graphics, rc);
        }

        public enum ComboBoxState
        {
            Normal = 1, Hot, Pressed, Disabled
        }

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Mick Doherty
http://dotnetrix.co.uk
http://glassui.codeplex.com