Changing the backcolor of data controls 1

[STPMB]

I am trying to use the change the background color of data controls like, data combo, flexgrid, datalists, etc in a procedure but they don't seem to work when the color is identifed like

ControlBackColor = vbWindowBackground

but it does work with code

ControlBackColor = vbRed

what is the login behind this or is there somehwere I can find out which controls can use the system colors and which require an actual color from the color palette?

 

[CajunCenturion]

The value of a color, be it foreground or background is a number ranging from 0 to hex
0xFFFFFF, representing the 255 (0 to FF) shades of red, green, and blue. Much easier to think in hex for this.

0x FF FF FF
    R  G  B

Any symbolic constant (vbWindowBackground, vbRed, and one of your definition) may be used in the assignment statement, provided the definition of that constant is known to that procedure at execution time. Or you can simply assign the action number
Control.BackColor = 16777215 (that's white by the way)

vbRed = 16711680

The logic behind vbWindowBackground not working in some cases is that the constant
vbWindowBackground has not been defined within the scope of those cases where it doesn't work. When it does work, then there a statement something like the following

Const vbWindowBackground = 16777215

defined in your code, or in a control and or reference that is available to the routine at execute time. Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[STPMB]

What method is used to identify the windows background color and convert it for use in a procedure like above?

 

[CajunCenturion]

The surest way to get the current system color settings is to use the GetSysColor API.

Private Declare Function GetSysColor Lib "user32" (ByVal nIndex As Long) As Long

Const COLOR_SCROLLBAR = 0
Const COLOR_BACKGROUND = 1
Const COLOR_ACTIVECAPTION = 2
Const COLOR_INACTIVECAPTION = 3
Const COLOR_MENU = 4
Const COLOR_WINDOW = 5
Const COLOR_WINDOWFRAME = 6
Const COLOR_MENUTEXT = 7
Const COLOR_WINDOWTEXT = 8
Const COLOR_CAPTIONTEXT = 9
Const COLOR_ACTIVEBORDER = 10
Const COLOR_INACTIVEBORDER = 11
Const COLOR_APPWORKSPACE = 12
Const COLOR_HIGHLIGHT = 13
Const COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT = 14
Const COLOR_BTNFACE = 15
Const COLOR_BTNSHADOW = 16
Const COLOR_GRAYTEXT = 17
Const COLOR_BTNTEXT = 18
Const COLOR_INACTIVECAPTIONTEXT = 19
Const COLOR_BTNHIGHLIGHT = 20
Const COLOR_2NDACTIVECAPTION = 27
Const COLOR_2NDINACTIVECAPTION = 28

and then is some routine in the code

Private Sub GetTheColor()
   Dim SetCol as Long
   SetCol = GetSysColor(COLOR_BACKGROUND)
End Sub

I hope you find this example helpful. Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein