A Color Check Box Class

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Environment: VC++ 6

This class resulted out of the lack in changing background color of checkboxes with ordinary MFC methods. It provides the possibility to change the color at any time from within your project.

To use it please do the following:

  1. Insert the files CColorCheck.cpp and CColorCheck.h in your project
  2. Include CColorCheck.h in your dialog header file YourFileDlg.h
    #include "CColorCheck.h"
  3. Add the following code right after the includes:
    class CColorCheck;
  4. Use the Wizard to insert a checkbox in your dialog box.
  5. The check box must be of type OwnerDraw but you won’t find this option in the properties dialog box.

    Open your resource file and look for the definition of the checkbox which will look something like:

    CONTROL  "Check2", IDC_CHECK2, "Button",
                       BS_AUTOCHECKBOX | BS_OWNERDRAW
                       WS_TABSTOP,51,126,41,10

    and insert the option BS_OWNERDRAW as shown above. When you go back to your dialog box you will see that the checkbox now looks like a normal button.

  6. Open the Class Wizard and add a member variable of category “Control” and variable type “CColorCheck” for each CheckBox you want to use. (i.e. m_check1…m_checkX)
  7. Use the member variable to access the methods of the class.

    Overriden Methods are:

       SetCheck(int check) = Sets the button state to checked.
       GetCheck()= Retrieves the button’s state.
       SetBkColor(COLORREF newColor)= Sets the specified color as the background for the check box.

    Other Methods are:

       SetArrowColor(COLORREF newColor)= Sets the Checked-Arrow color.
       SetMyTextColor(COLORREF txtColor)= Sets the caption text color.

  8. Add the ON_BN_CLICKED message handler for each control. This will look like this:

    in YourFileDlg.h:

    afx_msg void OnYourCheckbox();

    in YourFileDlg.cpp:

    ON_BN_CLICKED(IDC_CHECK1, OnYourCheckbox)
    .....
       void CYourDlgClass::OnYourCheckbox()
       {
          m_check1.Toggle();
       }

Downloads

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