Background color of a ListBox item (Windows Forms)

Solution 1:

Thanks for the answer by Grad van Horck. It guided me in the correct direction.

To support text (not just background color), here is my fully working code:

//global brushes with ordinary/selected colors
private SolidBrush reportsForegroundBrushSelected = new SolidBrush(Color.White);
private SolidBrush reportsForegroundBrush = new SolidBrush(Color.Black);
private SolidBrush reportsBackgroundBrushSelected = new SolidBrush(Color.FromKnownColor(KnownColor.Highlight));
private SolidBrush reportsBackgroundBrush1 = new SolidBrush(Color.White);
private SolidBrush reportsBackgroundBrush2 = new SolidBrush(Color.Gray);

//custom method to draw the items, don't forget to set DrawMode of the ListBox to OwnerDrawFixed
private void lbReports_DrawItem(object sender, DrawItemEventArgs e)
{
    e.DrawBackground();
    bool selected = ((e.State & DrawItemState.Selected) == DrawItemState.Selected);

    int index = e.Index;
    if (index >= 0 && index < lbReports.Items.Count)
    {
        string text = lbReports.Items[index].ToString();
        Graphics g = e.Graphics;

        //background:
        SolidBrush backgroundBrush;
        if (selected)
            backgroundBrush = reportsBackgroundBrushSelected;
        else if ((index % 2) == 0)
            backgroundBrush = reportsBackgroundBrush1;
        else
            backgroundBrush = reportsBackgroundBrush2;
        g.FillRectangle(backgroundBrush, e.Bounds);

        //text:
        SolidBrush foregroundBrush = (selected) ? reportsForegroundBrushSelected : reportsForegroundBrush;
        g.DrawString(text, e.Font, foregroundBrush, lbReports.GetItemRectangle(index).Location);
    }

    e.DrawFocusRectangle();
}

The above adds to the given code and will show the proper text plus highlight the selected item.

Solution 2:

Probably the only way to accomplish that is to draw the items yourself.

Set the DrawMode to OwnerDrawFixed and code something like this on the DrawItem event:

private void listBox_DrawItem(object sender, DrawItemEventArgs e)
{
    e.DrawBackground();
    Graphics g = e.Graphics;

    g.FillRectangle(new SolidBrush(Color.Silver), e.Bounds);

    // Print text

    e.DrawFocusRectangle();
}

The second option would be using a ListView, although they have an other way of implementations (not really data bound, but more flexible in way of columns).

Solution 3:

// Set the background to a predefined colour
MyListBox.BackColor = Color.Red;
// OR: Set parts of a color.
MyListBox.BackColor.R = 255;
MyListBox.BackColor.G = 0;
MyListBox.BackColor.B = 0;

If what you mean by setting multiple background colors is setting a different background color for each item, this isn't possible with a ListBox, but it is with a ListView, with something like:

// Set the background of the first item in the list
MyListView.Items[0].BackColor = Color.Red;