Background color of a ListBox item (winforms)

Question

How can I set the background color of a specific item in a System.Windows.Forms.ListBox? I would like to be able to set multiple ones if possible.

Answer 1

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();
}

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)

Answer 2

// 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 IS with a ListView, with something like:

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

Answer 3

I tried to follow the answer posted here, and the Background was really set in the color I wanted. But the text of the items did not appear. Seems like we have to call the DrawString() additionally.

Answer 4

I tried to follow the answer posted here, and the Background was really set in the color I wanted. But the text of the items did not appear. We have to call the DrawString() additionally.

Answer 5

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:

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;

                Color color = (selected) ? Color.FromKnownColor(KnownColor.Highlight) : (((index % 2) == 0) ? Color.White : Color.Gray);
                g.FillRectangle(new SolidBrush(color), e.Bounds);

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

            e.DrawFocusRectangle();
        }

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