Need help with Tab Control on 24H2/25H2 with the new DarkMode_DarkTheme

[WildByDesign]

@Nine Just a follow up on your new implementation:

These is a brief white flicker occasionally. Not very often, but it would still be nice if we can avoid it. The flicker seems to only happen when hovering over the tabs (eg. hover back and forth over various tabs).

I updated your example to include a check to ensure that the OS supports DarkMode_DarkTheme so that someone testing the script doesn't apply it on an incompatible OS.

Regarding flicker. I added $WM_ERASEBKGND Then Return 1 to the subclass proc but it did not seem to help with the flicker in this case.

Do you have any ideas to help reduce the flicker?

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; From Nine
#include <GUIConstants.au3>
#include <WinAPI.au3>
#include <GuiTab.au3>
#include <WindowsSysColorConstants.au3>
#include <WinAPITheme.au3>

; initiate System DPI awareness
DllCall("user32.dll", "bool", "SetProcessDpiAwarenessContext", @AutoItX64 ? "int64" : "int", -2)

Opt("MustDeclareVars", True)

Example()

Func Example()
  GUICreate("Colored Tab", 400, 300)

  GUISetBkColor(0x606060)
  GUISetFont(10, 300)

  Local $idTab = GUICtrlCreateTab(20, 20, 360, 260)
  Local $hTab = GUICtrlGetHandle($idTab)

  GUICtrlCreateTabItem("tab0")
  GUICtrlCreateLabel("label0", 30, 80, 50, 20)
  GUICtrlSetColor(-1, 0xFFFFFF)

  GUICtrlCreateTabItem("tab----1")
  GUICtrlCreateLabel("label1", 30, 80, 50, 20)
  GUICtrlSetColor(-1, 0xFFFFFF)

  GUICtrlCreateTabItem("tab2")
  GUICtrlSetState(-1, $GUI_SHOW)
  GUICtrlCreateLabel("label2", 30, 80, 50, 20)
  GUICtrlSetColor(-1, 0xFFFFFF)

  GUICtrlCreateTabItem("")

  ; set DarkMode_DarkTheme visual theme on Tab control as long as OSBuild supports it
  If _is24H2Plus() Then _WinAPI_SetWindowTheme($hTab, 'DarkMode_DarkTheme')

  Local $pAddress = _WinAPI_GetWindowLong($hTab, $GWL_WNDPROC)
  Local $hSubclass = DllCallbackRegister(WM_PAINT, "lresult", "hwnd;uint;wparam;lparam;uint_ptr;dword_ptr")
  _WinAPI_SetWindowSubclass($hTab, DllCallbackGetPtr($hSubclass), $idTab, $pAddress)

  ; remove focus rectangle from tab control
  GUICtrlSendMsg($idTab, $WM_CHANGEUISTATE, 65537, 0)

  GUISetState()

  Do
  Until GUIGetMsg() = $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE

  _WinAPI_RemoveWindowSubclass($hTab, DllCallbackGetPtr($hSubclass), $idTab)
  DllCallbackFree($hSubclass)
EndFunc   ;==>Example

Func WM_PAINT($hWnd, $iMsg, $wParam, $lParam, $iID, $pData)
  If $iMsg = $WM_ERASEBKGND Then Return 1 ; ; Prevent background erase to avoid flicker
  If $iMsg <> $WM_PAINT Then Return _WinAPI_DefSubclassProc($hWnd, $iMsg, $wParam, $lParam)
  _WinAPI_CallWindowProc($pData, $hWnd, $iMsg, $wParam, $lParam)
  Local $hDC = _WinAPI_GetWindowDC($hWnd)
  Local $tRect = _WinAPI_GetClientRect($hWnd)
  Local $hBrush = _WinAPI_CreateSolidBrush(0x404040)
  ;_WinAPI_SelectObject($hDC, $hBrush)
  ;_WinAPI_ExtFloodFill($hDC, $tRect.right - 3, 3, _WinAPI_GetSysColor($COLOR_BTNFACE), $FLOODFILLSURFACE)
  Local $tRect2 = _GUICtrlTab_GetItemRectEx($hWnd, _GUICtrlTab_GetItemCount($hWnd) - 1)
  $tRect.left = $tRect2.right - 2
  $tRect.bottom = $tRect2.bottom
  _WinAPI_FillRect($hDC, $tRect, $hBrush)
  $tRect.left = 0
  $tRect.right = 2
  _WinAPI_FillRect($hDC, $tRect, $hBrush)
  $tRect.bottom = 2
  $tRect.right = $tRect2.right
  _WinAPI_FillRect($hDC, $tRect, $hBrush)

  _WinAPI_DeleteObject($hBrush)
  _WinAPI_ReleaseDC($hWnd, $hDC)
EndFunc   ;==>WM_PAINT

Func _is24H2Plus()
    ; check if this OS build is Windows 11 24H2/25H2 to support the newer DarkMode_DarkTheme
    Local $iRevision = RegRead("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion", "UBR")
    Local $b24H2Plus = False
    If @OSBuild >= 26100 And $iRevision >= 6899 Then
        $b24H2Plus = True
    Else
        ConsoleWrite("Windows 11 24H2/25H2 (build 26100.6899 or higher) is required to use DarkMode_DarkTheme.")
    EndIf
    Return $b24H2Plus
EndFunc

 

[WildByDesign]

Although this is only supported on the very latest Windows 11 (24H2/25H2), this technique from @Nine is beautiful. You can even blend the colour in with the GUI background colour such as this:

[Nine]

58 minutes ago, WildByDesign said:

Do you have any ideas to help reduce the flicker?

I ran your code and no flicker. I hardly can help you with this as I do not see any on my side.  Where do you see the flickers ?  In the header or in the body ?

[WildByDesign]

46 minutes ago, Nine said:

Where do you see the flickers ?  In the header or in the body ?

The white flicker seems to be just the tiny strip above the two inactive tabs. Sometimes both inactive tabs get the white flicker if the two are side by side, but generally only one inactive tab gets the white flicker of the tiny strip just above it.

Edited Saturday at 02:54 PM by WildByDesign

[Nine]

2 hours ago, WildByDesign said:

The white flicker seems to be just the tiny strip above the two inactive tabs

Yes I finally saw it.  It happens quite rarely.  I first tried with a back buffer ($hMemDC), but it doesn't work as the WM_PRINTCLIENT also catches the white line.

But by using $WS_EX_COMPOSITED on the tab creation statement, I have not seen it thereafter.

[WildByDesign]

1 hour ago, Nine said:

But by using $WS_EX_COMPOSITED on the tab creation statement, I have not seen it thereafter.

That’s a nice idea. I didn’t know we could do that on the tab control itself.

Thank you.

 

[mLipok]

I think it would be usefull to add new wiki page about handling Thems and as example of course Dark Theme 

 

I mean to cumulate the knowledge how, why, when to use Themes. And how to do it well.

Edited Saturday at 10:11 PM by mLipok