Theme and Accent Information

A feature that provides developers with access to the current system theme and accent color for use in customizing application appearance.

Overview

This feature allows developers to retrieve the current system theme (light or dark) and the system accent color, enabling applications to adapt their UI dynamically based on the system settings. It leverages the read-only properties CurrentTheme and AccentColor within the SiticoneThemeTracker component.

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Key Points

Aspect	Details
Properties	CurrentTheme (read-only, returns SystemTheme), AccentColor (read-only, returns a Color value)
Responsiveness	Automatically updates when system theme or accent color changes
Integration	Can be accessed via code or through the component placed on a form
Platform Support	Supports Windows 10 and legacy Windows systems

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Best Practices

Practice	Description
Use Read-Only Properties	Always use CurrentTheme and AccentColor to avoid unintended modifications.
Monitor Theme Changes	Subscribe to the ThemeChanged and AccentColorChanged events to dynamically update the UI when changes occur.
Integrate with AutoApplyTheme	When using automatic theme application, set AutoApplyTheme to true and assign the target form via TargetForm.
Code Encapsulation	Encapsulate theme retrieval logic to centralize system UI customization decisions.

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Common Pitfalls

Pitfall	Explanation
Ignoring Event Subscriptions	Failing to subscribe to theme or accent color change events may lead to stale UI appearance.
Manual Property Modification	Attempting to modify CurrentTheme or AccentColor directly can cause inconsistencies in theme updates.
Not Disposing the Component	Not disposing of the SiticoneThemeTracker may lead to resource leaks due to its unmanaged message window.

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Usage Scenarios

Scenario	Description
UI Adaptation Based on Theme	Retrieve the system theme to set the application’s background, foreground, and border colors.
Accent Color Integration	Use the system accent color to highlight interactive elements in the UI.
Dynamic UI Refresh on System Change	Leverage theme and accent events to refresh application UI dynamically when the user changes system settings.

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Real Life Usage Scenarios

Scenario	Description
Dark Mode Integration	An application that supports dark mode can query CurrentTheme and apply a dark palette accordingly.
Corporate Branding	Applications can use the system’s accent color for branding consistency, ensuring interactive elements match corporate colors.
Accessibility Enhancements	Detect high contrast themes and adjust UI elements to be more accessible to users with visual impairments.

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Troubleshooting Tips

Issue	Suggested Resolution
UI Not Updating on Theme Change	Verify event subscriptions for ThemeChanged and ensure that the SiticoneThemeTracker is properly initialized.
Incorrect Accent Color Returned	Confirm that the system registry for the accent color is accessible and that the application has proper permissions.
Resource Leaks	Ensure that the Dispose method of SiticoneThemeTracker is called when the component is no longer needed.

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Integration Example

Below is an example demonstrating how to integrate and use the Theme & Accent Information feature in a .NET WinForms application.

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using SiticoneNetFrameworkUI;

namespace ThemeIntegrationDemo
{
    public partial class MainForm : Form
    {
        // Instantiate the theme tracker
        private SiticoneThemeTracker themeTracker;

        public MainForm()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            InitializeThemeTracker();
        }

        private void InitializeThemeTracker()
        {
            themeTracker = new SiticoneThemeTracker
            {
                AutoApplyTheme = true,
                TargetForm = this
            };

            // Subscribe to theme and accent change events
            themeTracker.ThemeChanged += ThemeTracker_ThemeChanged;
            themeTracker.AccentColorChanged += ThemeTracker_AccentColorChanged;

            // Display the initial theme and accent color information
            DisplayThemeInformation();
        }

        private void ThemeTracker_ThemeChanged(object sender, ThemeChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            // Refresh UI elements based on the new theme
            DisplayThemeInformation();
        }

        private void ThemeTracker_AccentColorChanged(object sender, AccentColorChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            // Refresh UI elements based on the new accent color
            DisplayThemeInformation();
        }

        private void DisplayThemeInformation()
        {
            // Display current theme and accent color on the form
            this.BackColor = themeTracker.CurrentTheme == SystemTheme.Dark ? Color.FromArgb(32, 32, 32) : SystemColors.Window;
            labelThemeInfo.Text = $"Current Theme: {themeTracker.CurrentTheme}";
            labelAccentInfo.Text = $"Accent Color: {themeTracker.AccentColor}";
        }

        protected override void OnFormClosed(FormClosedEventArgs e)
        {
            // Dispose the theme tracker properly
            themeTracker.Dispose();
            base.OnFormClosed(e);
        }
    }
}

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Code Sample Explanation

Section	Explanation
Initialization	The SiticoneThemeTracker is instantiated and configured with AutoApplyTheme and TargetForm to automatically apply theme changes.
Event Subscription	Subscribes to ThemeChanged and AccentColorChanged events to handle UI updates dynamically.
UI Update	The method DisplayThemeInformation() updates the UI based on the current theme and accent color.
Disposal	The theme tracker is disposed of in OnFormClosed to free resources.

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Review

Aspect	Review Comments
Ease of Integration	Simple property access and event-driven updates make it straightforward to integrate into existing applications.
Flexibility	Read-only properties ensure that the theme information is consistent with the system state.
Robustness	Automatic theme and accent color updates provide robust handling of dynamic system changes.

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Summary

Summary Aspect	Summary Details
Functionality	Provides real-time system theme and accent color information.
Developer Benefits	Simplifies UI customization and theme management in .NET WinForms applications.
Integration Ease	Offers properties and events for effortless integration and dynamic UI updates based on system settings.

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Additional Useful Sections

Integration Checklist

Checklist Item	Status/Notes
Component Instantiation	Ensure SiticoneThemeTracker is created and properly initialized.
Event Subscriptions	Verify subscriptions for ThemeChanged and AccentColorChanged.
Resource Disposal	Confirm that Dispose() is called when the form is closed.
UI Testing	Test the UI under both light and dark system themes.

FAQ

Question	Answer
Can I change the theme manually?	The properties CurrentTheme and AccentColor are read-only; use events to update UI accordingly.
What happens if AutoApplyTheme is false?	You will need to manually call ApplyThemeToControl or ApplyThemeToForm to update the UI.
Is the component compatible with older systems?	Yes, it supports both Windows 10 and legacy Windows, adapting the theme detection accordingly.

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This comprehensive documentation for the Theme & Accent Information feature should help developers integrate and use the SiticoneThemeTracker component effectively in their .NET WinForms applications.