AutoHotkey v2 Dark Mode GUI Class

A self-contained dark mode GUI framework for AHK v2. One #Include, no external dependencies — DarkGui() is a drop-in replacement for Gui() that handles all the WinAPI custom drawing for you.

#Include DarkModeModular_Fable.ahk

myGui := DarkGui("+Resize", "My App")
myGui.Add("Button", "+Accent", "OK")
myGui.Add("Edit", "w300", "text")
myGui.Show()

Which file do I use?

Three generations of the framework, newest last. Pick the one matching your interpreter:

File	Requires	Status
DarkModeModular.ahk	v2.1-alpha.17+	Classic — for scripts on alpha.17 through alpha.28
DarkModeModular_Alpha.ahk	v2.1-alpha.30	Typed-Struct port — Win32 structs declared with typed Struct + class-ref properties (IntPtr, Int32, UInt32, ...), no hand-rolled offset math
DarkModeModular_Fable.ahk	v2.1-alpha.30	Current — use this for anything new

What the Fable revision adds

• Coverage — DateTime, Hotkey, Tab/Tab2/Tab3, TreeView checkboxes, dark tooltips (DarkToolTip), dark Edit caret, generalized scrollbars.
• Correctness — WM_SETTEXT keeps Button/GroupBox captions in sync; native AddButton/AddEdit/... shorthands route through dark styling; menu-bar tooltips actually display; MIM_BACKGROUND uses the cached brush (no leak); radios expose their text to UIA.
• Architecture — handler registry (DarkGui.Register) so user control classes plug in without editing Add(); DarkGui.Attach() retrofits an existing plain Gui; subclassing via comctl32 SetWindowSubclass.
• Theming — DarkTheme.SetPalette() with presets (Default/OLED/Slate/Blue/Light) plus OnThemeChanged callbacks; palette swaps re-sync DWM title-bar colors and Gui.BackColor per window; DarkTheme.FollowSystem() tracks the OS light/dark setting; per-monitor DPI scaling via GetDpiForWindow with WM_DPICHANGED handling and a DarkGui.OnDpiChanged() hook.

Public API: DarkGui, DarkTheme, DarkTitleBar, DarkMenu, DarkMenuBar.

Built with this system

Real GUIs from the wider script collection, each just #Include-ing one of the DarkModeModular* files:

Teleprompter — WPM-paced reading with strike-through for read words and live font/speed controls:

Pipeline Monitor — async pipeline visualizer with per-stage status boxes, timings, and live streamed output:

DarkPropertyGrid — editable property-grid custom control with category rows, in-place cell editors, and a change log:

DarkRichEdit — themed RICHEDIT50W with named styles, per-run colors, and palette-swap re-theming:

Advanced button styles — icon, split/dropdown, command-link, toggle, and flat buttons:

Search bar with an embedded flat button inside the Edit's border and a live-filtered list:

Legacy experiments

_Dark.ahk, _Dark2.ahk, __Darkest.ahk, ___Darkest.ahk, Attempt_500.ahk, Draft.ahk, and the DarkGUI/ folder are earlier iterations kept for reference. They predate the modular rewrite — use the DarkModeModular* files instead.

Screenshots

Each library ships with a built-in showcase — run the file directly (instead of #Include-ing it) to open a window exercising every supported control.

Classic (DarkModeModular.ahk)

Alpha port (DarkModeModular_Alpha.ahk)

Fable revision (DarkModeModular_Fable.ahk)

Default palette, with DateTime, Hotkey, Tab3, checkbox TreeView, and MonthCal coverage:

Live palette swap via DarkTheme.SetPalette() — OLED and Slate presets applied from the View menu:

The Blue preset carries the accent hue into every surface — background, controls, borders, scrollbars — for windows that should read as blue rather than gray:

Screenshots are produced with tools/compose.ps1, which renders the target window off-screen via PrintWindow, then composites it onto the Windows 11 Bloom wallpaper with rounded corners and a drop shadow — no clean desktop required. tools/capture.ps1 is the simpler live-screen variant.