#19223: Windows Dark Mode!!

[wxTrac]

#19223: Windows Dark Mode!!
-------------------------------+--------------------
Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: new
Priority: high | Milestone: 3.1.6
Component: GUI-all | Version: 3.1.5
Keywords: Dark Mode Windows | Blocked By:
Blocking: | Patch: 0
-------------------------------+--------------------
I think that wxWidgets desperately needs Dark Mode for Windows. And I know
that this is possible in a native Windows app.
[https://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/index.html] For example, VideoPad
'''looks''' like it has a Dark Mode interface while still utilizing the
native components. I want something like that without having to reinvent
the wheel just for a theme that's easy on the eyes.

A lot of the controls available in VideoPad are '''not''' in the
screenshot, so if you want to take a look at all of them, you first need
the product key to unlock the editor: "210870705-mnrdenzi" (without the
quotes of course).

So far, I think that VideoPad might use wxWidgets. It has native
components everywhere and there is a Mac version too. This might indicate
that this software is made in wxWidgets. Or it could be made in win32, and
the Mac version might be made in Cocoa. I dunno, but what I '''do''' know
is that we need dark mode on windows!! (And yes, setting background &
foreground colors is NOT the solution. I have tried that and my app looked
uglier than it did when it was in light mode.)

This is my first ticket, so please leave constructive feedback on my
ticket-writing skills.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Windows Dark Mode!!
------------------------------+-------------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: new
Priority: high | Milestone: 3.1.6
Component: GUI-all | Version: 3.1.5

Resolution: | Keywords: Dark Mode Windows

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+-------------------------------
Changes (by HackerDaGreat57):

* Attachment "Screenshot (1714).png" added.

Dark mode screenshot

[wxTrac]

#19223: Windows Dark Mode!!
------------------------------+-------------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: new

Priority: blocker | Milestone: 3.1.6
Component: GUI-all | Version: 3.1.5
Resolution: | Keywords: Dark Mode Windows

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+-------------------------------
Changes (by HackerDaGreat57):

* cc: contact.akshatsingh@… (added)
* priority: high => blocker


--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:1>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: new

Priority: normal | Milestone:
Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest
Resolution: | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------
Changes (by pb101):

* component: GUI-all => wxMSW
* priority: blocker => normal
* version: 3.1.5 => dev-latest
* milestone: 3.1.6 =>
* keywords: Dark Mode Windows => dark mode


Comment:

''I will be optimistic and assume this is not a poor trolling attempt no
matter how much it may look like one so I am not closing the ticket.''

Did you take a look at the [https://groups.google.com/g/wx-users/c/2V-
UlBfmCSw/m/NxW5tjwsAwAJ recent discussion in the mailing list] and believe
you have a new helpful information?

If you did you must know that there is an actual open source wxWidgets
application trying to use dark mode on Windows? Did you check it out and
what do you think?

AFAIK, dark mode on Win32 is not officially supported by the OS (see
bundled Win32 applications such as Notepad) and all the implementations I
saw seem to be brittle hacks (e.g., using a DLL ordinal which may change
with a Windows update)? Am I wrong?

Do you believe that a library such as wxWidgets is at the liberty to use
undocumented hacks that can easily crash the user programs at basically
any time in the future?

Please also do not set a milestone or a priority above normal, this is of
no help and intended only for the developers to use (I am not one, BTW).

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:2>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: new

Priority: normal | Milestone:
Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest
Resolution: | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------
Changes (by GreenDragon):

* cc: atomic.alarm@… (added)


Comment:

Replying to [ticket:19223 HackerDaGreat57]:

> So far, I think that VideoPad might use wxWidgets. It has native
components everywhere and there is a Mac version too. This might indicate
that this software is made in wxWidgets.

As far I know you can check does the application written with wxWidgets
with Ctrl+Alt+Scroll_click. At least on Windows the combination shows
message box with wxWidgets version.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:3>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: new

Priority: normal | Milestone:
Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest
Resolution: | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------
Changes (by HackerDaGreat57):

* cc: contact.akshatsingh@… (removed)


Comment:

Thank you '''atomic.alarm'''. I'm on a laptop and my middle click emulator
is not working, so thanks for proving that VideoPad uses wxWidgets. But
the question is, '''how did NCH Software apply dark mode??''' VideoPad is
not free, miles away from open source, and I don't see a documentation on
any of this.

P.S. This is not a trolling attempt. I'm just trying to make my app here.

P.P.S. I '''''refuse''''' to suffer the Netherish horrors of win32.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:4>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: new

Priority: blocker | Milestone:

Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest
Resolution: | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------
Changes (by HackerDaGreat57):

* priority: normal => blocker
* cc: contact.akshatsingh@… (added)


Comment:

I'm changing the priority of this ticket because '''many, ''many'' more
people''' need to see this.

I've been waiting for something like this since 2015, and I got tired of
waiting around for this. I'm sure '''many, many''' other people also want
dark mode in their apps.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:5>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: new

Priority: blocker | Milestone:
Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest
Resolution: | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------
Changes (by dconnet):

* cc: dcon@… (added)


Comment:

> how did NCH Software apply dark mode

I would bet they're custom drawing everything. Once-upon-a-time, I tried
tweaking a standard Win32 listctrl to support dark mode (really, more of a
dark skin - not a dark mode). I failed miserably (given the time
allotted). (I forget the issues I ran into, I think it was the background
and the header)

> all the implementations I saw

The only one I heard of was some weird registry key.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:6>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: new

Priority: blocker | Milestone:
Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest
Resolution: | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------
Changes (by HackerDaGreat57):

* cc: contact.akshatsingh@… (removed)


Comment:

That's exactly what I'm saying: I don't want to reivent the wheel OR use
win32. If you give me a win32 starter application source file, I'll just
close it and rename it to "farsi.cpp".

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:7>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: new

Priority: normal | Milestone:

Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest
Resolution: | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------
Changes (by oneeyeman):

* priority: blocker => normal

Comment:

Hi,
Replying to [comment:7 HackerDaGreat57]:

> That's exactly what I'm saying: I don't want to reivent the wheel OR use
win32. If you give me a win32 starter application source file, I'll just

close it and rename it to "farsi.cpp". If you tell me to custom-draw an
element, I'll just start looking for "widget addons" on Google or just use
C++Builder and VCL.
>
> (C++Builder only makes x86 applications and is really really REALLY
outdated, so I'm not using it for my app, Blender++)

Did you look at the discussion suggested by pb101?
Also, please understqand - changing the bug statrus/priority won't give it
any priority. In fact - it could be put at the end of the queue.

Those 2 fields are for core wx developers to prioritize the tickets. Not
for you, me or anyone else to set.

Now, in refgards to the "Dark Mode" - the discussion referenced by PB101
indicates that Win32 API does not have "Dark Mode" support. And MS doesn't
have plans to support Dark Mode inside Win32 API. Dark Mode is supported
inside .NET and C#.

So, all applications currently on the market that is written in C++ are
using custom drawing for everything to support "Dark Mode" as MS itself
won't have such support.

Now if you want to - you can create an appropriate color scheme and use it
in your app. But as long as MS doesn't have such support - wxWidgets won't
have it either, unless someone creates an appropriate changes and submit
it to be included in the library.

Also, if the application you referenced is actually being written in
wxWidgets - it is using a lot of custom drawing.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:8>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: closed

Priority: normal | Milestone:
Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest

Resolution: wontfix | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------
Changes (by HackerDaGreat57):

* status: new => closed
* cc: contact.akshatsingh@… (added)
* resolution: => wontfix


Comment:

Mhm. So I have no option but to reinvent the wheel. Not a problem, I just
wanted to save some time by using an inbuilt theme.

Thanks for the help. I learned some new things today, like how to write a
ticket, and which GUI toolkit that NCH uses (I've been pondering that one
for quite a while now since I don't have a middle mouse button).

In case you guys/gals want to know about Blender++, it's basically a
remake of Blender - but with many more capabilities like advanced video
editing, a Photoshop-like editor, document editors, etc (Basically
everything mashed up into one software). It's repository will be located
at [https://github.com/HackerDaGreat57/bpp]. The repo will be created on
July 20 (That's when planning ends and development starts).

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:9>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: reopened
Priority: lowest | Milestone:
Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest
Resolution: | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------
Changes (by HackerDaGreat57):

* cc: contact.akshatsingh@… (removed)
* priority: normal => lowest
* status: closed => reopened
* resolution: wontfix =>


Comment:

Alright, I'll just leave this ticket open for any devs that may stumble
across this and decide to do something about it... ("do something about
it" as in implementing inbuilt custom dark components. I might create a PR
on the official wx repo on GitHub about this in the future instead.)

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:10>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:

Type: enhancement | Status: reopened
Priority: lowest | Milestone:
Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest
Resolution: | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------

Comment (by pb101):

I would strongly prefer this ticket to be closed as it basically contains,
aside from two posts, just utterly useless overly dramatic complaints and
boasts, irrelevant information, and worse, untruths.


= Untruths =
== VideoPad using wxWidgets confirmed ==
VideoPad does NOT display wxWidgets information (i.e.,
`wxInfoMessageBox()`) after <Ctrl><Alt><MiddleClick> into an "empty" area.
However, this may be disabled by modifying wxWidgets sources. But the GUI
looks quite different, the ribbon is not wxRibbon, tabbed dockable UI
looks different from wxAui, even the splitter is not the same. Inspecting
its executable also does not show the usual embedded strings that are
there for wxWidgets-using applications. Additionally, wxWidgets is not
mentioned in its about dialog where it lists the 3rd party software used.

== Win32 application can use dark mode with a Registry setting ==
Another obvious untruth, the procedure used is basically always based on
hacks like [https://github.com/ysc3839/win32-darkmode this]. In other
words using undocumented DLL exported functions and window class names and
control-specific code.


= Facts =
As I already wrote here, an example of open source wxWidgets application
attempting to implement dark mode on Windows is
[https://github.com/prusa3d/PrusaSlicer PrusaSlicer].

As for popular open source pure Win32 applications implementing dark mode,
there is for example [https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-
plus Notepad++]. Chrome and Firefox have to deal with this as well, but
they do not use native controls much, providing their own implementation.

The biggest problem with dark mode and Win32 is that Microsoft does not
support it and spent just the smallest possible effort to make File
Explorer work with it. For example other bundled Win32 applications such
as Notepad, WordPad, and Paint are dark mode unaware.

This means that not all [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-
us/windows/win32/controls/individual-control-info common controls] may
support dark mode, the same goes for [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-
us/windows/win32/dlgbox/dialog-box-types the common dialogs] with the
exception of `IFileDialog`-based dialogs File Explorer uses. The issue is
not just with colors but it seems that even if a control may have a basic
support for dark mode, some styles (e.g., borders) may not work well with
it. `GetSysColor()` not supporting dark mode is the least issue.

The OP touted VideoPad as a great example of Win32-based application using
dark mode but in my first post I listed a bunch of rather noticeable
issues I found in about a minute in total (but I knew where to look based
on my experiences with this) and I would be surprised if there were not
more.

= TLDR =
Properly implementing dark mode for a Win32 application is very difficult,
perhaps even impossible due to limitations imposed by Windows. Doing the
same in the library is even harder. There is no doubt that dark mode is a
highly requested feature, if it was reasonably possible it would be
already implemented.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:11>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:

Type: enhancement | Status: reopened
Priority: lowest | Milestone:
Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest
Resolution: | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------

Comment (by vadz):

@pb101 We can close it, and I dislike OP's tone too ("desperately",
really?), but OTOH I don't think we have another issue tracking this and
it could be potentially useful to have one and you did post a number of
useful links here. So I think it could remain open, but if you strongly
prefer closing this one, we could do it too.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:12>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:

Type: enhancement | Status: reopened
Priority: lowest | Milestone:
Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest
Resolution: | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------
Changes (by ericj):

* cc: ericj (added)


Comment:

I just wanted to add one piece of information:

For the Windows Store in Windows 11, MS announced that it now supports
"traditional desktop apps" and explicitly mentions the Win32 API:
https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-store/desktop-apps/

If they're not dropping Win32 just yet, maybe there's still hope for dark
mode support for it.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:13>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:

Type: enhancement | Status: reopened
Priority: lowest | Milestone:
Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest
Resolution: | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------
Changes (by pb101):

* cc: pbfordev@… (added)


Comment:

Replying to [comment:13 ericj]:

> For the Windows Store in Windows 11, MS announced that it now supports
"traditional desktop apps" and explicitly mentions the Win32 API

Perhaps. But it may be just as likely an attempt to increase the
popularity of the store.

I still believe that the Microsoft policy is: Win32 is dead, abandon the
ship ASAP.

FWIW, I did look into trying to add dark mode to wxWidgets, i.e., when the
app requests the dark mode use the undocumented APIs and class names for
themes, fake the color in `wxSystemSettings::GetColour()`, and tweak the
problematic generic controls. However, this seemed being far from easy and
simple. IIRC, I was also surprised at how many places a custom/hardcoded
color was used in the non-native controls. The main reason I abandoned
this was that it seemed that even reasonably decent dark mode
implementation was impossible, due to limits some Win32 controls have and
lack of support of dark mode in the common dialogs. But perhaps I am wrong
about this or a solution was find since then.

Additionally, I do not know if wxWidgets would even allow an
implementation heavily relying on undocumented code. Although, it seemed
that the approach used in win32-darkmode at least plays it somehow safe
with those DLL imports and at worse, with a Windows update breaking this
it should just stop working instead of crashing the app badly.

I still find this an interesting challenge but it seems to difficult for
me, considering my lack of skills, time, and energy for something like
this.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:14>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:

Type: enhancement | Status: reopened
Priority: lowest | Milestone:
Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest
Resolution: | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------
Changes (by pb101):

* cc: pbfordev@… (removed)


Comment:

I normally do not use File Explorer nor Dark Mode. But seeing all those
Dark Mode flaws in various 3rd party Win32 applications, I wanted to take
a detailed look at how File Explorer, which should be THE Win32
application using Dark Mode does it.

I found it fails rather miserably:
1. The prompt dialogs such as confirm Overwrite or Delete are light. So
are the message boxes.
2. The file/folder properties dialog is light.
3. The Folder Options dialog is light.
4. The dialog for choosing columns to display is light.
5. The window displaying the progress of file copy is light.
6. The controls displayed after clicking the filter arrow on the list
columns headers in the details view are light.
7. The folder list displayed after clicking on an arrow in the breadcrumb
path bar is light.
8. The checkboxes for list items are light.

Notepad, WordPad, Paint, Control Panel and other Win32 applications
bundled with Windows being seemingly more or less abandoned and not
supporting Dark Mode is not surprising.

However, it seems that Microsoft does not care about Dark Mode for Win32
applications even enough to make it look good in File Explorer, which may
be the most used Windows-bundled application of them all and which also
does not have its UWP equivalent.

My Windows information:
Edition: Windows 10 Pro
Version: 20H2
OS build: 19042.1083
Experience: Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.3530.0

With Win11 upcoming I find it hard to believe that Microsoft are going to
add Win32 Dark Mode support to Win10. But I may be wrong, hopefully.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:15>

[wxTrac]

#19223: Add dark mode support on MS Windows
------------------------------+------------------------

Reporter: HackerDaGreat57 | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: closed

Priority: lowest | Milestone:
Component: wxMSW | Version: dev-latest

Resolution: wontfix | Keywords: dark mode

Blocked By: | Blocking:
Patch: 0 |

------------------------------+------------------------
Changes (by HackerDaGreat57):

* status: reopened => closed

* cc: contact.akshatsingh@… (added)
* resolution: => wontfix

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.wxwidgets.org/ticket/19223#comment:16>