Different color for proposed values?

[chowbok]

Would it be possible to have a different color for proposed values, instead of gray? It's hard to tell the gray from the black sometimes, especially if it's only one character. Or maybe use italics?

[maforget]

I am sure it is doable, but would require changing how the text is set. Right now it is done via a Windows API. It is using this technique: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11873378/adding-placeholder-text-to-textbox/22405509#22405509

ComicRackCE/cYo.Common.Windows/Forms/TextBoxExtensions.cs

Lines 25 to 28 in 7f354aa

	public static void SetCueText(this TextBox tb, string text)
	{
	Native.SendMessage(tb.Handle, Native.EM_SETCUEBANNER, IntPtr.Zero, text);
	}

Changing the text would require modifying the code to just changing the text itself and setting the Font Properties accordingly and making sure to have a way of tracking if the value is proposed or not and not pass a proposed value as a changed value.

It is possible but the current solution is way more elegant and the alternative is more prone to errors. Since it is done via the OS maybe there is an way to change this font via the OS. Don't know the implication for a dark mode #2 and how it would be affected using the new dark mode in .NET 9.

[gman-comicdb]

TextBox.PlaceholderText is available in .NET Core 3.0+/.NET 5.0+. This helpfully hardcodes SystemColors.GrayText so doesn't help us.

Fun fact: it appears in .NET 4.8 SysColors are used, which I understand to be system-wide version of SystemColors. So even modifying SystemColors.GrayText doesn't have an effect.

Looking around, the suggested solution is to handle the WM_PAINT message in WndProc[1] - similar to what's done in modern .NET. This would allow us to set a custom color.

_{This problem came up as part of the Dark Theme feature, where the GrayText default also presents readability issues.}

---

[1] sauce: https://stackoverflow.com/a/36534068

using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;
public class ExTextBox : TextBox
{
    string hint;
    public string Hint
    {
        get { return hint; }
        set { hint = value; this.Invalidate(); }
    }
    protected override void WndProc(ref Message m)
    {
        base.WndProc(ref m);
        if (m.Msg == 0xf)
        {
            if (!this.Focused && string.IsNullOrEmpty(this.Text)
                && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(this.Hint))
            {
                using (var g = this.CreateGraphics())
                {
                    TextRenderer.DrawText(g, this.Hint, this.Font,
                        this.ClientRectangle, SystemColors.GrayText , this.BackColor, 
                        TextFormatFlags.Top | TextFormatFlags.Left);
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

[gman-comicdb]

Took a first stab at this. Still need to add support for dropdowns, and test. 72b508e

[maforget]

At this point I am unsure how we would expose changing colors to the user without user configurable theme colors.

What I would propose for this issue is to change it so proposed text is Italic and tweak the color for dark mode to be a little lighter at the same time (using ThemeColors). Then "if" we ever add user configurable colors they would become changeable at that time.

Just a note, I would put the ThemeColors not where you put the comment and leave that method like it is, but instead put it in the other SetCueText where SystemColors.GrayText is used.

Just do a PR to close this issue when ready.