System Theme Tracking

This feature enables the control to detect and adapt to changes in the operating system's theme, ensuring that its appearance remains consistent with the user's system-wide visual preferences.

Overview

The System Theme Tracking feature monitors the system's theme settings and automatically updates the control's internal state via the read-only CurrentSystemTheme property. An event, SystemThemeChanged, is raised whenever the detected theme changes, allowing developers to synchronize the control's appearance with system-wide visual updates (e.g., switching between Light and Dark modes). This capability ensures that the progress bar integrates seamlessly into modern, theme-aware applications.

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Properties and Their Details

The table below summarizes the main property and event related to system theme tracking:

Member	Type/Value	Description
CurrentSystemTheme	Read-only (SystemTheme enum)	Indicates the current system theme (e.g., Light or Dark), allowing the control to adapt its styling accordingly.
SystemThemeChanged	Event (EventHandler)	Raised when the system theme changes, providing a mechanism for developers to update the UI dynamically in response to theme shifts.

Note: The system theme is determined primarily by querying registry settings for the AppsUseLightTheme value, and additional logic may be incorporated to handle various Windows versions.

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Key Points

Aspect	Details
Dynamic Appearance	By tracking the system theme, the control can automatically adjust its color scheme and other visual elements to match the user's preferences.
Event-Driven Updates	The SystemThemeChanged event allows developers to hook into theme changes and perform additional UI updates or customizations as needed.
Seamless Integration	This feature ensures that the control remains consistent with other applications on the system, enhancing overall user experience and cohesion.

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Best Practices

Practice	Explanation
Subscribe to Theme Changes Early	Register for the SystemThemeChanged event during control initialization to ensure that the application can respond promptly to theme changes.
Adjust Custom Styling Accordingly	When the system theme changes, update any custom color settings or styles on the control to maintain consistency with the new theme.
Test Under Different Theme Conditions	Simulate both Light and Dark modes during development to verify that the control adapts correctly and maintains legibility and visual appeal.

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Common Pitfalls

Pitfall	Explanation	Avoidance Strategy
Ignoring the Event	Failing to subscribe to the SystemThemeChanged event may cause the control to appear out-of-sync with system theme changes.	Ensure that your application subscribes to the event and triggers appropriate UI updates.
Overriding Default Behavior	Overriding the default theme adaptation logic without proper testing can lead to inconsistent UI appearances between the control and the system theme.	Customize theme-dependent styling carefully, and test thoroughly in both Light and Dark modes.
Dependency on Specific Registry Values	Relying solely on registry-based theme detection may not cover all edge cases, especially on newer or non-standard Windows configurations.	Consider implementing additional checks or fallback mechanisms if theme detection appears inconsistent across environments.

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Usage Scenarios

Scenario	Description	Sample Code Integration
Automatic Theme Synchronization	In applications that support both Light and Dark modes, use the control’s system theme tracking to automatically adjust its appearance when the user changes the system theme.	csharp<br>// Subscribe to system theme changes<br>SiticoneHProgressBar progressBar = new SiticoneHProgressBar();<br>progressBar.SystemThemeChanged += (sender, newTheme) => {<br> // Update custom styling based on the new theme<br> if(newTheme == SystemTheme.Dark)<br> {<br> progressBar.BackgroundBarColor = Color.Black;<br> progressBar.BorderColor = Color.Gray;<br> }<br> else<br> {<br> progressBar.BackgroundBarColor = Color.White;<br> progressBar.BorderColor = Color.Black;<br> }<br> progressBar.Invalidate();<br>};<br>this.Controls.Add(progressBar);<br>
Customized UI Updates on Theme Change	React to the SystemThemeChanged event by adjusting other UI elements in your application (not just the progress bar) to provide a cohesive theme experience.	csharp<br>// Global theme change handling<br>SiticoneHProgressBar progressBar = new SiticoneHProgressBar();<br>progressBar.SystemThemeChanged += (sender, newTheme) => {<br> // For example, update the form's background color<br> this.BackColor = newTheme == SystemTheme.Dark ? Color.FromArgb(30,30,30) : Color.White;<br> // Optionally update the progress bar styling as well<br> progressBar.Invalidate();<br>};<br>this.Controls.Add(progressBar);<br>

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Code Example and Demo

Below is an extensive example demonstrating how to integrate and respond to the System Theme Tracking feature in a simple WinForms application:

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using SiticoneNetFrameworkUI;
using SiticoneNetFrameworkUI.Helpers.Enum;  // Assumes SystemTheme enum is defined here

namespace SystemThemeTrackingDemo
{
    public class MainForm : Form
    {
        private SiticoneHProgressBar progressBar;
        private Label themeLabel;

        public MainForm()
        {
            // Initialize the form
            Text = "System Theme Tracking Demo";
            Size = new Size(600, 400);
            this.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.CenterScreen;

            // Initialize the progress bar
            progressBar = new SiticoneHProgressBar()
            {
                Location = new Point(50, 50),
                Size = new Size(500, 30),
                Value = 50
            };

            // Initialize a label to display the current system theme
            themeLabel = new Label()
            {
                Location = new Point(50, 100),
                AutoSize = true,
                Font = new Font("Segoe UI", 12, FontStyle.Bold),
                Text = $"Current Theme: {progressBar.CurrentSystemTheme}"
            };

            // Subscribe to system theme changes
            progressBar.SystemThemeChanged += ProgressBar_SystemThemeChanged;

            // Add controls to the form
            Controls.Add(progressBar);
            Controls.Add(themeLabel);
        }

        private void ProgressBar_SystemThemeChanged(object sender, SystemTheme newTheme)
        {
            // Update the label text to reflect the new system theme
            themeLabel.Text = $"Current Theme: {newTheme}";

            // Optionally, update additional styling based on the theme
            if (newTheme == SystemTheme.Dark)
            {
                this.BackColor = Color.FromArgb(30, 30, 30);
                progressBar.BackgroundBarColor = Color.Black;
                progressBar.BorderColor = Color.Gray;
            }
            else
            {
                this.BackColor = Color.White;
                progressBar.BackgroundBarColor = Color.White;
                progressBar.BorderColor = Color.Black;
            }
            progressBar.Invalidate();
        }

        [STAThread]
        public static void Main()
        {
            Application.EnableVisualStyles();
            Application.Run(new MainForm());
        }
    }
}

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Review

Aspect	Evaluation
Dynamic Adaptation	The control’s ability to track the system theme and raise events allows for dynamic, seamless updates to its styling, ensuring consistency with user preferences.
Event-Driven Architecture	The SystemThemeChanged event provides a clean mechanism to integrate theme-based updates across the application, promoting a unified user interface.
Integration Simplicity	Accessing the read-only CurrentSystemTheme property and subscribing to the event is straightforward, making theme tracking easy to implement within existing applications.

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Summary

The System Theme Tracking feature enables the progress bar to dynamically adapt to the operating system's theme by exposing a read-only property (CurrentSystemTheme) and raising a SystemThemeChanged event when the theme updates. This allows developers to automatically synchronize the control’s appearance with the system-wide theme, ensuring a consistent and modern user interface that responds to Light and Dark mode changes.

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Additional Sections

Troubleshooting Tips

Tip	Description
Verify Event Subscription	Ensure that the SystemThemeChanged event is properly subscribed to, so that your application receives theme change notifications.
Test Across Different Windows Versions	Check the control's behavior on various versions of Windows, as registry settings for theme detection may differ and affect the outcome.
Confirm Consistent Styling	After a theme change, verify that all related UI elements update correctly to maintain a harmonious look throughout the application.

Integration Checklist

Checklist Item	Status
Subscribe to the SystemThemeChanged event	[ ] Done
Use the CurrentSystemTheme property to set initial styling	[ ] Done
Update custom UI elements when the theme changes	[ ] Done
Test in both Light and Dark modes	[ ] Done
Validate performance and responsiveness during theme changes	[ ] Done

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This comprehensive documentation should assist developers in understanding, integrating, and leveraging the System Theme Tracking feature of the provided control effectively.