Color Structure
.NET Framework Class Library
Color Structure

Updated: October 2008

Represents an ARGB (alpha, red, green, blue) color.

Namespace:  System.Drawing
Assembly:  System.Drawing (in System.Drawing.dll)
Visual Basic (Declaration)
<SerializableAttribute> _
<TypeConverterAttribute(GetType(ColorConverter))> _
Public Structure Color
Visual Basic (Usage)
Dim instance As Color
C#
[SerializableAttribute]
[TypeConverterAttribute(typeof(ColorConverter))]
public struct Color
Visual C++
[SerializableAttribute]
[TypeConverterAttribute(typeof(ColorConverter))]
public value class Color
JScript
JScript supports the use of structures, but not the declaration of new ones.

Named colors are represented by using the properties of the Color structure. For more information about these colors, see Colors by Name in the MSDN Library. To determine the alpha, red, green, or blue component of a color, use the A, R, G, or B property, respectively.

You can create a custom color by using one of the FromArgb methods.

The following code example demonstrates the A, R, G, and B properties of a Color, and the Implicit member.

This example is designed to be used with a Windows Form. Paste the code into the form and call the ShowPropertiesOfSlateBlue method from the form's Paint event-handling method, passing e as PaintEventArgs.

Visual Basic
Private Sub ShowPropertiesOfSlateBlue(ByVal e As PaintEventArgs)
    Dim slateBlue As Color = Color.FromName("SlateBlue")
    Dim g As Byte = slateBlue.G
    Dim b As Byte = slateBlue.B
    Dim r As Byte = slateBlue.R
    Dim a As Byte = slateBlue.A
    Dim text As String = _
    String.Format("Slate Blue has these ARGB values: Alpha:{0}, " _
       & "red:{1}, green: {2}, blue {3}", New Object() {a, r, g, b})
    e.Graphics.DrawString(text, New Font(Me.Font, FontStyle.Italic), _
        New SolidBrush(slateBlue), _
        New RectangleF(New PointF(0.0F, 0.0F), _
        Size.op_Implicit(Me.Size)))
End Sub
C#
private void ShowPropertiesOfSlateBlue(PaintEventArgs e)
{
    Color slateBlue = Color.FromName("SlateBlue");
    byte g = slateBlue.G;
    byte b = slateBlue.B;
    byte r = slateBlue.R;
    byte a = slateBlue.A;
    string text = String.Format("Slate Blue has these ARGB values: Alpha:{0}, " +
        "red:{1}, green: {2}, blue {3}", new object[]{a, r, g, b});
    e.Graphics.DrawString(text, 
        new Font(this.Font, FontStyle.Italic), 
        new SolidBrush(slateBlue), 
        new RectangleF(new PointF(0.0F, 0.0F), this.Size));
}
Visual C++
void ShowPropertiesOfSlateBlue( PaintEventArgs^ e )
{
   Color slateBlue = Color::FromName( "SlateBlue" );
   Byte g = slateBlue.G;
   Byte b = slateBlue.B;
   Byte r = slateBlue.R;
   Byte a = slateBlue.A;
   array<Object^>^temp0 = {a,r,g,b};
   String^ text = String::Format( "Slate Blue has these ARGB values: Alpha:{0}, "
   "red:{1}, green: {2}, blue {3}", temp0 );
   e->Graphics->DrawString( text, gcnew System::Drawing::Font( this->Font,FontStyle::Italic ), gcnew SolidBrush( slateBlue ), RectangleF(PointF(0.0F,0.0F),this->Size) );
}
Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Xbox 360, Zune

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Compact Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 2.0, 1.0

XNA Framework

Supported in: 3.0, 2.0, 1.0

Date

History

Reason

October 2008

Added hexadecimal values and color table links to properties.

Customer feedback.

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