How to change background and text colors of another app

[WildByDesign]

Recently I have been playing around with _WinAPI_SetTextColor, _WinAPI_SetBkColor, _WinAPI_SetBkMode and a few other functions in an attempt to change the background color and text color of another app. We can use Notepad (classic win32 notepad) as an example.

I have been able to successfully get the handle for Notepad, for the Edit box class and the DC handle. However, none of the colors seem to change.

But I guess what I am wondering is if what I am trying to do is technically even possible or not. I just don't want to put too much time into it if it's impossible to do.

You have to have Notepad (classic win32) already running for my example because it gets the handle by looking for window title 'Untitled - Notepad' or modified unsaved '*Untitled - Notepad'.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone has any experience with doing this or knows if it's technically possible or not. Thank you for your time.

Here is some of what I have been trying:

Spoiler

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#include <GUIConstantsEx.au3>
#include <MsgBoxConstants.au3>
#include <WinAPISysWin.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
#include <Array.au3>
#include <WinAPIGdi.au3>
#include <WinAPITheme.au3>
#include <FontConstants.au3>
#include <MsgBoxConstants.au3>
#include <StructureConstants.au3>
#include <WinAPIGdi.au3>
#include <WinAPIGdiDC.au3>
#include <WinAPIHObj.au3>
#include <WinAPISysWin.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>


Opt("MustDeclareVars", 1) ;0=no, 1=require pre-declaration

Global $aArray, $sClassName, $hWndExplorer, $g_hDC, $test1, $test2, $test3

$aArray = WinList()
For $n = 1 To $aArray[0][0]        
    $sClassName = _WinAPI_GetClassName($aArray[$n][1])
    ; get handle for File Explorer
    ;If $sClassName = "CabinetWClass" Then $hWndExplorer = $aArray[$n][1]
    If $aArray[$n][0] = 'Untitled - Notepad' Then $hWndExplorer = $aArray[$n][1]
    If $aArray[$n][0] = '*Untitled - Notepad' Then $hWndExplorer = $aArray[$n][1]
Next
ConsoleWrite($hWndExplorer & @CRLF)

Local $hGUI = GUICreate("The external process 3", 350, 220)

Local $idButton_Add = GUICtrlCreateButton("Add $WS_EX_LAYERED and attributes" & @crlf & _
    "To DetailsPaneHwndHostClass in Explorer", 25, 40, 300, 100, 0x2000) ; $BS_MULTILINE = 0x2000

GUISetState(@SW_SHOW, $hGUI)

Local $nMsg
While 1
    $nMsg = GUIGetMsg()
    Switch $nMsg
        Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            ExitLoop

        Case $idButton_Add
                ;Local $hControl = ControlGetHandle($hWndExplorer, "", "[CLASS:Microsoft.UI.Content.DesktopChildSiteBridge]")
                Local $hControl = ControlGetHandle($hWndExplorer, "", "[CLASS:Edit]")
                ConsoleWrite("$hControl " & $hControl & @CRLF)
                ConsoleWrite("$hWndExplorer " & $hWndExplorer & @CRLF)
                $g_hDC = _WinAPI_GetDC($hControl)
                ConsoleWrite("$g_hDC " & $g_hDC & @CRLF)

                $test1 = _WinAPI_SetTextColor($g_hDC, 0xFFFFFF)
                $test2 = _WinAPI_SetBkColor($g_hDC, 0xFFFFFF)
                $test3 = _WinAPI_SetBkMode($g_hDC, $OPAQUE)

                ConsoleWrite("$test1 " & $test1 & @CRLF)
                ConsoleWrite("$test2 " & $test2 & @CRLF)
                ConsoleWrite("$test3 " & $test3 & @CRLF)

                _WinAPI_ReleaseDC($hControl, $g_hDC)
                ;Local $hControl = ControlGetHandle($hWndExplorer, "", "[CLASS:DetailsPaneHwndHostClass]")
                ;Local $hControl = ControlGetHandle($hWndExplorer, "", "[CLASS:SysTreeView32]")
                ;Local $aList = WinList($hWndExplorer)
                ;_ArrayDisplay($aList, "test")

                ;WinSetTrans($hControl, "", 100)

                #cs
                Local $hRgn = _WinAPI_CreateEllipticRgn(_WinAPI_CreateRectEx(0, 0, 0, 0))
                _WinAPI_DwmEnableBlurBehindWindow($hControl, 1, 0, $hRgn)
                If $hRgn Then
                    _WinAPI_DeleteObject($hRgn)
                EndIf
                _WinAPI_DwmEnableBlurBehindWindow10($hControl, True)
                If $sClassName = "CabinetWClass" Then
                    WinActivate("[CLASS:Shell_TrayWnd]")
                    WinActivate($hControl)
                EndIf
                #ce

                ;_WinAPI_DwmExtendFrameIntoClientArea($hControl, _WinAPI_CreateMargins(-1, -1, -1, -1))

               ;__WinAPI_Set_Window_Style($hControl, $WS_EX_LAYERED, _
               ;     ($nMsg = $idButton_Add ? True : False), _ ; add or remove...
               ;     True) ; True = ...the extended style

                
                ;_WinAPI_SetLayeredWindowAttributes($hControl, 0xff222222, 120)
                ;_WinAPI_SetWindowTheme($hControl, "", "")
                ;_WinAPI_SetWindowTheme($hControl, 'CFD')
                Local $AlphaKey = 0x00000000
                ;_WinAPI_SetLayeredWindowAttributes($hControl, $AlphaKey, 0, $LWA_COLORKEY + $LWA_ALPHA, True)
                ;_WinAPI_DwmExtendFrameIntoClientArea($hControl, _WinAPI_CreateMargins(-1, -1, -1, -1))

                Local $iTransColor, $iAlpha
                                        Local $iInfo = _WinAPI_GetLayeredWindowAttributes($hControl, $iTransColor, $iAlpha)
                                        #cs
                                        MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, 'Layered GUI', "Button on layered Window Clicked" & @CRLF & "Information about this window: " & @CRLF & _
                                                        "Transparent Color: " & $iTransColor & @CRLF & _
                                                        "Alpha Value: " & $iAlpha & @CRLF & _
                                                        "LWA_COLORKEY: " & (BitAND($iInfo, $LWA_COLORKEY) = $LWA_COLORKEY) & @CRLF & _
                                                        "LWA_ALPHA: " & (BitAND($iInfo, $LWA_ALPHA) = $LWA_ALPHA))
                                        #ce
            _WinAPI_SetWindowPos($hControl, $HWND_TOP, 0, 0, 0, 0, BitOR($SWP_FRAMECHANGED, $SWP_NOACTIVATE, $SWP_NOMOVE, $SWP_NOSIZE, $SWP_NOZORDER)) ; +++
    EndSwitch
WEnd

;===========================================
Func __WinAPI_Set_Window_Style($hWnd, $i_Style, $b_Add, $b_exStyle = False) ; compacted code (from Kafu's original)

    If Not IsHWnd($hWnd) Then $hWnd = GUICtrlGetHandle($hWnd)
    Local $iIndex = $b_exStyle ? $GWL_EXSTYLE : $GWL_STYLE ; $iIndex as named by msdn & help file
    Local $i_Style_Old = _WinAPI_GetWindowLong($hWnd, $iIndex)

    If $b_Add Then
        If BitAND($i_Style_Old, $i_Style) Then Return ; style already applied
        _WinAPI_SetWindowLong($hWnd, $iIndex, BitOR($i_Style_Old, $i_Style))
    Else ; remove
        If Not BitAND($i_Style_Old, $i_Style) Then Return ; style not set
        _WinAPI_SetWindowLong($hWnd, $iIndex, BitXOR($i_Style_Old, $i_Style))
    EndIf

    Local $iRet = _WinAPI_SetWindowPos($hWnd, $HWND_TOP, 0, 0, 0, 0, BitOR($SWP_FRAMECHANGED, $SWP_NOACTIVATE, $SWP_NOMOVE, $SWP_NOSIZE, $SWP_NOZORDER)) ; +++
    If Not $iRet Then MsgBox($MB_TOPMOST, "_WinAPI_SetWindowPos", "Error = " & _WinAPI_GetLastError() & "   Message = " & _WinAPI_GetLastErrorMessage())

EndFunc   ;==>__WinAPI_Set_Window_Style

 

 

[WildByDesign]

I was also trying with _WinAPI_SetSysColors but no success there either.

[ahmet]

Can you try creating an edit box within your GUI? Then try to apply those functions to your edit box.

[WildByDesign]

Yes, I have tried creating a GUI within AutoIt to confirm that those functions do work well. It just seems to not work on another process, in this case Notepad as example.

The functions succeed without failure which is good, but nothing changes visually in Notepad.

[ahmet]

Can you share the code that works where you set text color of an edit box inside AutoIt's GUI?