DarthPedro: Random Thoughts

	protected override void OnHandleCreated(EventArgs e)

	{

		base.OnHandleCreated(e);

		

		// Find the edit control within the ComboBox.

		if (DropDownStyle != ComboBoxStyle.DropDownList)

		{

			IntPtr hEditControl = Win32Methods.GetDlgItem(Handle, editControlId);

			Debug.Assert(hEditControl != IntPtr.Zero, 

                                            "Failed to get ComboBox's edit control");



			// make sure the edit control in the combo box has the right font setting.

			Win32Methods.SendMessage(hEditControl, Win32Methods.WM_SETFONT, 

						  Font.ToHfont(), true);

		}

		...

	}

	protected override void WndProc(ref Message m)

	{

		switch (m.Msg)

		{

			// when the combo box edit and list controls ask for what colors they

			// need, then call OnCtlColor for our FlatComboBox.

			case Win32Methods.WM_CTLCOLOREDIT:

			case Win32Methods.WM_CTLCOLORLISTBOX:

				m.Result = OnCtlColor(m.WParam, m.Msg);

				break;

			default:

				base.WndProc (ref m);

				break;

		}

	}

	#endregion



	protected virtual IntPtr OnCtlColor(IntPtr hDC, int msg)

	{

		// Set the appropriate text and background color in the painting DC for

		// the edit control.  This BkColor is just used for the background right

		// around the text.



		// *** Note: this is when it's helpful to have a background in Win32 programming

		// even when working with .NET, because these are the message that you need to

		// handle and the GDI calls you need to make in Win32 to get a combo box control 

		// to paint in custom colors.

		Win32Methods.SetTextColor(hDC, ColorTranslator.ToWin32(ForeColor));

		Win32Methods.SetBkColor(hDC, ColorTranslator.ToWin32(BackColor));

			

		// return an HBRUSH to be used to paint the background of the control.

		// this is for the portion of the control that may not have text in it.

		return BackgroundBrush;

	}