Is there an alternative to using CComboBoxEx to include icons?

Question

Is there an alternative to using CComboBoxEx to include icons?

ChuckieAJ 316

Is there an alternative to CCombopBoxEx for including icons:

User's image

As previously discussed on Microsoft Q & A, I have not been successful it getting it to use a dark mode theme. Only a normal CComboBox works properly. And I don't understand why.

So my question is two-fold:

Is there an alternative control that I can use (that will support dark mode properly)?
Is there any way to get the ComboBoxEx to support dark mode properly?

RLWA32 47,611 Reputation points

2025-03-05T14:03:47.87+00:00

Have you tried CComboBox with Owner Draw where you handle the icons?
Castorix31 87,721 Reputation points

2025-03-05T16:17:59.7333333+00:00

in Win32, a WC_COMBOBOXEX is the parent of an Owner-drawn WC_COMBOBOX, so it is difficult to intercept the drawing of background without redrawing everything
ChuckieAJ 316 Reputation points

2025-03-05T16:33:33.48+00:00

So I got no choice but go the owner draw route? Or maybe derive from the Ex class as customize its rendering? It is a pity, because normal combos rendering properly.
ChuckieAJ 316 Reputation points

2025-03-06T09:47:38.81+00:00

@Anonymous No, I have not tried doing an ownerdraw version of the CComboBox to include the icons.

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RLWA32 47,611 Reputation points

2025-03-05T14:03:47.87+00:00

Have you tried CComboBox with Owner Draw where you handle the icons?
Castorix31 87,721 Reputation points

2025-03-05T16:17:59.7333333+00:00

in Win32, a WC_COMBOBOXEX is the parent of an Owner-drawn WC_COMBOBOX, so it is difficult to intercept the drawing of background without redrawing everything
ChuckieAJ 316 Reputation points

2025-03-05T16:33:33.48+00:00

So I got no choice but go the owner draw route? Or maybe derive from the Ex class as customize its rendering? It is a pity, because normal combos rendering properly.
ChuckieAJ 316 Reputation points

2025-03-06T09:47:38.81+00:00

@Anonymous No, I have not tried doing an ownerdraw version of the CComboBox to include the icons.

Answer 1

Minxin Yu 13,011 Microsoft External Staff

Hi,

SubClass CComboBox and DrawItem works. quick test:

User's image

Best regards,

Minxin Yu

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ChuckieAJ 316 Reputation points

2025-03-07T14:50:53.4066667+00:00

Thanks. I think the problem with ownerdraw is that it raises more problems than it solves. It is only when the listbox is displaid that I have an issue. Otherwise it all renders nicely in dark mode. If I go ownerdraw I will have to do the whole thing, else it still stands out as different.

Minxin Yu 13,011 Microsoft External Staff

I also got an exception when displaying the list box. But I can't find the steps to reproduce the problem now. I used

    CDC* pDC = CDC::FromHandle (lpDrawItemStruct->hDC);
    if (lpDrawItemStruct->itemID == -1) 
        return;

    CRect rcItem (lpDrawItemStruct->rcItem);
    COLORREF crText = (lpDrawItemStruct->itemState & ODS_SELECTED) ? RGB (0, 200, 200) : RGB (200, 200,0);


    //draw two icons
    if (lpDrawItemStruct->itemID == 0)
    {
        pDC->DrawIcon (CPoint (rcItem.left + 2, rcItem.top + 2), hIcon1);//hIcon1=AfxGetApp ()->LoadIcon (IDR_MAINFRAME);
    }
    else if (lpDrawItemStruct->itemID == 1)
    {
        pDC->DrawIcon (CPoint (rcItem.left + 2, rcItem.top + 2), hIcon2);
    }
    CStringW strText;
    GetLBText (lpDrawItemStruct->itemID, strText);
    pDC->SetTextColor (crText);
    pDC->SetBkMode (TRANSPARENT);
    pDC->TextOut (rcItem.left + 50, rcItem.top + 2, strText);

in custom combobox drawitem.

Try to find conflicting code in a new project.

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Is there an alternative to using CComboBoxEx to include icons?

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