Dark-Mode-Forms

Apply Dark Mode to all Controls in a Form [WinForms]

• This will detect if dark mode color is enabled in Windows settings.
• Then iterate all the controls on your form and try to convert them to DarkMode (if enabled).
• [Optional] If you have icons on your menus or toolbars, they will be recolored to give you a lighter, more visible-in-the-dark version of your icons. (Works best with monochrome icons)
• You can access Windows Dark Colors and use them for whatever you need.

Now with Dark Messenger

Window's default MessageBox cant not be themed, so Added a Messenger.cs class that allowes the user to popup Messages and InputBoxes:

• Messenger.MessageBox is a Direct replacement for the old MessageBox.Show, the new one applies Windows's Dark Mode automaticaly.
• Messenger.InputBox is a replacement for VisualBasic's InputBox, implemented for C# and with extended functionalities:
  • In its simplies form, you ask the user for a Text Input, then you use that for whatever you need
  • But Messenger.InputBox allowes you to promt the user with many more 'Fields' of different types:
• Button Texts are automatically translated to 7 Languages: en, es, de, fr, ru, kr, zh.
• DarkMode doesnt require the Messenger but Messenger does require DarkMode.

MessageBox:

try
{
 if (Messenger.MessageBox("Hello World!", "You got a Message:", 
  MessageBoxButtons.OKCancel, MessageBoxIcon.Exclamation) == DialogResult.OK)
 {
  //Do Something here.
 }
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
 Messenger.MessageBox(ex);
}

InputBox:

// Definition of a Single Field:
var DarkMode = new KeyValue("Boolean", "true", KeyValue.ValueTypes.Boolean);

// Can Validate User Inputs on the Field:
DarkMode.Validate += (object? _control, KeyValue.ValidateEventArgs _e) =>
{
   string OldValue = _e.OldValue;
   if (_e.NewValue == "False")
   {
    //_e.Cancel = true; //<- CAN CANCEL THE MODIFICATION
    _e.ErrorText = "No puede ser Falso!";
   }
};
   
// Custom Values for 'Dynamic' Fields:
List<KeyValue> Dtypes = new List<KeyValue>
{
   new KeyValue("RichText Format", "0"),
   new KeyValue("Plain Text",      "1"),
   new KeyValue("AccountManager",  "2")
};

// Definition of Multiple Fields:
List<KeyValue> _Fields = new List<KeyValue>
{
 new KeyValue("String",  "String",   KeyValue.ValueTypes.String),
 new KeyValue("Password","Password", KeyValue.ValueTypes.Password),
 new KeyValue("Integer", "1000",     KeyValue.ValueTypes.Integer),
 new KeyValue("Decimal", "3,141638", KeyValue.ValueTypes.Decimal),
 DarkMode,
 new KeyValue("Dynamic", "1",        KeyValue.ValueTypes.Dynamic, Dtypes),
};

// Dialog Show:
if (Messenger.InputBox("Custom InputBox", "Please Fill the Form:", ref _Fields,
 MsgIcon.Edit, MessageBoxButtons.OKCancel) == DialogResult.OK)
{
 Debug.WriteLine(string.Format("The New Password is: '{0}'", _Fields[0].Value));
}

Example of a LoginForm with Password Validation:

List<KeyValue> _Fields = new List<KeyValue>
{
 new KeyValue("User Name", "user", KeyValue.ValueTypes.String),
 new KeyValue("Password",  string.Empty, KeyValue.ValueTypes.Password)
};
   
// Can Validate All the Controls before Closing the Dialog:
Messenger.ValidateControls += (object? sender, CancelEventArgs e) =>
{
 string _userName = _Fields[0].Value;
 string _password = _Fields[1].Value;

 //TODO: Here you should send the User/Password to your BackEnd for Validation
 if (_password != "password")
 {
  _Fields[1].ErrorText = "Incorrect Password!";
  e.Cancel = true; //<- Prevents the Dialog to be closed until is valid
 }
};

// Dialog Show:
if (Messenger.InputBox("Login", "Please Input your Credentials:", ref _Fields,
 MsgIcon.Lock, MessageBoxButtons.OKCancel) == DialogResult.OK)
{

 Messenger.MessageBox(string.Format("The User '{0}' is Logged!", _Fields[0].Value), "Login Correct!",
  MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Exclamation);
}

Implementation

• No Nuggets, No external DLLs, Just 1 File: DarkModeCS.cs Copy/Paste or Download and import it into your project.
• 2 Lines to implement it:

private DarkModeCS DM = null; //<- Line 1
....
public Form1()
{
 InitializeComponent();
 DM = new DarkModeCS(this); //<- Line 2
}

Dark Mode Colors

Framework Compatibility

• .NET 4.8+
• .NET 6.0+
• Some stuff may only work on Windows 11+
• VS 2022+

Limitations

There are a few Winforms Controls that are, by design, extremely hard to theme:

• ComboBox: Borders & Dropdown Button look too white. You could use FlatComboBox instead, check in the Example.
• TabControl: 90% themed, a white border around the selected tab still remains. You could use FlatTabControl instead, check in the Example.
• MessageBox: Can't be themed. You can use Messenger instead.
• DateTimePicker: Un-themed.
• MonthCalendar: Un-themed.
• ProgressBar: Un-themed.