CoreSuite.ColorPicker 1.0.1

ColorPicker

An embedded color selection control that exposes the standard Windows Web and System color palettes directly inside a Windows Forms interface, included in CoreSuite.

Overview

ColorPicker hosts the standard Windows color editor directly inside a form. Applications can therefore provide the familiar Web and System color tabs without opening a separate modal color dialog.

The control exposes the selected color, raises an event when the selection changes, supports keyboard navigation outside the embedded editor, and can paint color previews in other parts of the interface.

Key features

• Embedded standard Windows color editor.
• Web and System color tabs.
• Direct access to the currently selected color.
• ColorChanged event for live interface updates.
• Optional Tab and Shift+Tab navigation outside the editor.
• Automatic minimum-size management.
• Methods for opening and closing the embedded editor.
• Built-in color preview painting.
• Visual Studio Designer support.

Requirements

• .NET 8 for Windows
• Windows Forms
• Windows

Installation

Install the package from NuGet:

dotnet add package CoreSuite.ColorPicker

Quick start

Import the control namespace:

Imports CoreSuite.Controls

Add a ColorPicker to a form using the Visual Studio Toolbox or create it in code:

Imports System.Drawing
Imports CoreSuite.Controls

Dim picker As New ColorPicker With {
    .Color = Color.CornflowerBlue,
    .AllowTabOut = True,
    .Location = New Point(20, 20)
}

AddHandler picker.ColorChanged, AddressOf Picker_ColorChanged
Controls.Add(picker)

Respond to changes in the selected color:

Private Sub Picker_ColorChanged(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
    Dim picker As ColorPicker = DirectCast(sender, ColorPicker)
    PreviewPanel.BackColor = picker.Color
End Sub

Reading and changing the color

Use Color to read the current selection:

Dim selectedColor As Color = ColorPicker1.Color

Assign a Color value to update the selection programmatically:

ColorPicker1.Color = Color.MediumSeaGreen

The ColorChanged event is raised when the selected color changes, allowing previews and related controls to remain synchronized.

Editor lifecycle

The embedded editor is normally displayed as part of the control. It can also be managed explicitly when required by the form lifecycle.

Display or recreate the editor:

ColorPicker1.ShowEditor()

Close the editor and release the resources associated with it:

ColorPicker1.CloseEditor()

ShowEditor can be called again after CloseEditor when the embedded editor must be restored.

Keyboard navigation

Set AllowTabOut to True when keyboard users should be able to leave the embedded editor with Tab or Shift+Tab:

ColorPicker1.AllowTabOut = True

With this option enabled:

• Tab moves focus to the next control.
• Shift+Tab moves focus to the previous control.

When it is disabled, Tab remains available to the embedded editor according to its standard behavior.

Painting a color preview

Use PaintValue when another control or custom drawing surface needs to display a preview of a color:

Private Sub PreviewPanel_Paint(sender As Object, e As PaintEventArgs) Handles PreviewPanel.Paint
    Dim previewBounds As New Rectangle(4, 4, PreviewPanel.ClientSize.Width - 8, PreviewPanel.ClientSize.Height - 8)
    ColorPicker1.PaintValue(ColorPicker1.Color, e.Graphics, previewBounds)
End Sub

Invalidate the preview whenever the selected color changes:

Private Sub ColorPicker1_ColorChanged(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles ColorPicker1.ColorChanged
    PreviewPanel.Invalidate()
End Sub

Designer usage

After installing the package and adding ColorPicker to the Visual Studio Toolbox:

1. Drag the control onto a Windows Form.
2. Set Color to define the initial selection.
3. Enable AllowTabOut when the editor should participate in the form's normal Tab order.
4. Create a handler for ColorChanged when another part of the interface must react to the selection.
5. Adjust inherited layout properties such as Location, Anchor, and Dock as needed.

The control manages the minimum size required by the embedded Windows editor automatically.

API reference

Properties

Methods

Events

Behavior notes

• The control embeds the standard Windows color editor instead of opening a separate dialog.
• The Web and System color tabs are available directly inside the form.
• The minimum control size is managed to accommodate the embedded editor.
• AllowTabOut affects keyboard focus navigation but does not change the selected color.
• The selected value is represented by System.Drawing.Color.
• The editor can be closed and displayed again during the control lifecycle.

Accessibility considerations

• Enable AllowTabOut so keyboard users are not trapped inside the embedded editor.
• Keep the control in a logical TabIndex order with the surrounding form controls.
• Do not use color as the only way to communicate status or meaning.
• Provide a text label or other contextual description when the selected color represents an important application setting.

Package information

License

MIT License.