How to customize message box

Question

I am doing C# application, and I want to change the style of a message box. Is it possible or not?

Example: change button style, fore color, etc.

Answer 1

You can't restyle the default MessageBox as that's dependant on the current Windows OS theme, however you can easily create your own MessageBox. Just add a new form (ie MyNewMessageBox) to your project with these settings:

FormBorderStyle    FixedToolWindow
ShowInTaskBar      False
StartPosition      CenterScreen

To show it use myNewMessageBoxInstance.ShowDialog(); . And add a label and buttons to your form, such as OK and Cancel and set their DialogResults appropriately, ie add a button to MyNewMessageBox and call it btnOK . Set the DialogResult property in the property window to DialogResult.OK . When that button is pressed it would return the OK result:

MyNewMessageBox myNewMessageBoxInstance = new MyNewMessageBox();
DialogResult result = myNewMessageBoxInstance.ShowDialog();
if (result == DialogResult.OK)
{
    // etc
}

It would be advisable to add your own Show method that takes the text and other options you require:

public DialogResult Show(string text, Color foreColour)
{
     lblText.Text = text;
     lblText.ForeColor = foreColour;
     return this.ShowDialog();
}

Answer 2

MessageBox::Show使用 user32.dll 中的函数，它的样式依赖于 Windows，所以你不能这样改变它，你必须创建你自己的表单

Answer 3

Here is the code needed to create your own message box:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace MyStuff
{
    public class MyLabel : Label
    {
        public static Label Set(string Text = "", Font Font = null, Color ForeColor = new Color(), Color BackColor = new Color())
        {
            Label l = new Label();
            l.Text = Text;
            l.Font = (Font == null) ? new Font("Calibri", 12) : Font;
            l.ForeColor = (ForeColor == new Color()) ? Color.Black : ForeColor;
            l.BackColor = (BackColor == new Color()) ? SystemColors.Control : BackColor;
            l.AutoSize = true;
            return l;
        }
    }
    public class MyButton : Button
    {
        public static Button Set(string Text = "", int Width = 102, int Height = 30, Font Font = null, Color ForeColor = new Color(), Color BackColor = new Color())
        {
            Button b = new Button();
            b.Text = Text;
            b.Width = Width;
            b.Height = Height;
            b.Font = (Font == null) ? new Font("Calibri", 12) : Font;
            b.ForeColor = (ForeColor == new Color()) ? Color.Black : ForeColor;
            b.BackColor = (BackColor == new Color()) ? SystemColors.Control : BackColor;
            b.UseVisualStyleBackColor = (b.BackColor == SystemColors.Control);
            return b;
        }
    }
    public class MyImage : PictureBox
    {
        public static PictureBox Set(string ImagePath = null, int Width = 60, int Height = 60)
        {
            PictureBox i = new PictureBox();
            if (ImagePath != null)
            {
                i.BackgroundImageLayout = ImageLayout.Zoom;
                i.Location = new Point(9, 9);
                i.Margin = new Padding(3, 3, 2, 3);
                i.Size = new Size(Width, Height);
                i.TabStop = false;
                i.Visible = true;
                i.BackgroundImage = Image.FromFile(ImagePath);
            }
            else
            {
                i.Visible = true;
                i.Size = new Size(0, 0);
            }
            return i;
        }
    }
    public partial class MyMessageBox : Form
    {
        private MyMessageBox()
        {
            this.panText = new FlowLayoutPanel();
            this.panButtons = new FlowLayoutPanel();
            this.SuspendLayout();
            // 
            // panText
            // 
            this.panText.Parent = this;
            this.panText.AutoScroll = true;
            this.panText.AutoSize = true;
            this.panText.AutoSizeMode = AutoSizeMode.GrowAndShrink;
            //this.panText.Location = new Point(90, 90);
            this.panText.Margin = new Padding(0);
            this.panText.MaximumSize = new Size(500, 300);
            this.panText.MinimumSize = new Size(108, 50);
            this.panText.Size = new Size(108, 50);
            // 
            // panButtons
            // 
            this.panButtons.AutoSize = true;
            this.panButtons.AutoSizeMode = AutoSizeMode.GrowAndShrink;
            this.panButtons.FlowDirection = FlowDirection.RightToLeft;
            this.panButtons.Location = new Point(89, 89);
            this.panButtons.Margin = new Padding(0);
            this.panButtons.MaximumSize = new Size(580, 150);
            this.panButtons.MinimumSize = new Size(108, 0);
            this.panButtons.Size = new Size(108, 35);
            // 
            // MyMessageBox
            // 
            this.AutoScaleDimensions = new SizeF(8F, 19F);
            this.AutoScaleMode = AutoScaleMode.Font;
            this.ClientSize = new Size(206, 133);
            this.Controls.Add(this.panButtons);
            this.Controls.Add(this.panText);
            this.Font = new Font("Calibri", 12F, FontStyle.Regular, GraphicsUnit.Point, ((byte)(0)));
            this.FormBorderStyle = FormBorderStyle.FixedSingle;
            this.Margin = new Padding(4);
            this.MaximizeBox = false;
            this.MinimizeBox = false;
            this.MinimumSize = new Size(168, 132);
            this.Name = "MyMessageBox";
            this.ShowIcon = false;
            this.ShowInTaskbar = false;
            this.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.CenterScreen;
            this.ResumeLayout(false);
            this.PerformLayout();
        }
        public static string Show(Label Label, string Title = "", List<Button> Buttons = null, PictureBox Image = null)
        {
            List<Label> Labels = new List<Label>();
            Labels.Add(Label);
            return Show(Labels, Title, Buttons, Image);
        }
        public static string Show(string Label, string Title = "", List<Button> Buttons = null, PictureBox Image = null)
        {
            List<Label> Labels = new List<Label>();
            Labels.Add(MyLabel.Set(Label));
            return Show(Labels, Title, Buttons, Image);
        }
        public static string Show(List<Label> Labels = null, string Title = "", List<Button> Buttons = null, PictureBox Image = null)
        {
            if (Labels == null) Labels = new List<Label>();
            if (Labels.Count == 0) Labels.Add(MyLabel.Set(""));
            if (Buttons == null) Buttons = new List<Button>();
            if (Buttons.Count == 0) Buttons.Add(MyButton.Set("OK"));
            List<Button> buttons = new List<Button>(Buttons);
            buttons.Reverse();

            int ImageWidth = 0;
            int ImageHeight = 0;
            int LabelWidth = 0;
            int LabelHeight = 0;
            int ButtonWidth = 0;
            int ButtonHeight = 0;
            int TotalWidth = 0;
            int TotalHeight = 0;

            MyMessageBox mb = new MyMessageBox();

            mb.Text = Title;

            //Image
            if (Image != null)
            {
                mb.Controls.Add(Image);
                Image.MaximumSize = new Size(150, 300);
                ImageWidth = Image.Width + Image.Margin.Horizontal;
                ImageHeight = Image.Height + Image.Margin.Vertical;
            }

            //Labels
            List<int> il = new List<int>();
            mb.panText.Location = new Point(9 + ImageWidth, 9);
            foreach (Label l in Labels)
            {
                mb.panText.Controls.Add(l);
                l.Location = new Point(200, 50);
                l.MaximumSize = new Size(480, 2000);
                il.Add(l.Width);
            }
            int mw = Labels.Max(x => x.Width);
            il.ToString();
            Labels.ForEach(l => l.MinimumSize = new Size(Labels.Max(x => x.Width), 1));
            mb.panText.Height = Labels.Sum(l => l.Height);
            mb.panText.MinimumSize = new Size(Labels.Max(x => x.Width) + mb.ScrollBarWidth(Labels), ImageHeight);
            mb.panText.MaximumSize = new Size(Labels.Max(x => x.Width) + mb.ScrollBarWidth(Labels), 300);
            LabelWidth = mb.panText.Width;
            LabelHeight = mb.panText.Height;

            //Buttons
            foreach (Button b in buttons)
            {
                mb.panButtons.Controls.Add(b);
                b.Location = new Point(3, 3);
                b.TabIndex = Buttons.FindIndex(i => i.Text == b.Text);
                b.Click += new EventHandler(mb.Button_Click);
            }
            ButtonWidth = mb.panButtons.Width;
            ButtonHeight = mb.panButtons.Height;

            //Set Widths
            if (ButtonWidth > ImageWidth + LabelWidth)
            {
                Labels.ForEach(l => l.MinimumSize = new Size(ButtonWidth - ImageWidth - mb.ScrollBarWidth(Labels), 1));
                mb.panText.Height = Labels.Sum(l => l.Height);
                mb.panText.MinimumSize = new Size(Labels.Max(x => x.Width) + mb.ScrollBarWidth(Labels), ImageHeight);
                mb.panText.MaximumSize = new Size(Labels.Max(x => x.Width) + mb.ScrollBarWidth(Labels), 300);
                LabelWidth = mb.panText.Width;
                LabelHeight = mb.panText.Height;
            }
            TotalWidth = ImageWidth + LabelWidth;

            //Set Height
            TotalHeight = LabelHeight + ButtonHeight;

            mb.panButtons.Location = new Point(TotalWidth - ButtonWidth + 9, mb.panText.Location.Y + mb.panText.Height);

            mb.Size = new Size(TotalWidth + 25, TotalHeight + 47);
            mb.ShowDialog();
            return mb.Result;
        }

        private FlowLayoutPanel panText;
        private FlowLayoutPanel panButtons;
        private int ScrollBarWidth(List<Label> Labels)
        {
            return (Labels.Sum(l => l.Height) > 300) ? 23 : 6;
        }

        private void Button_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            Result = ((Button)sender).Text;
            Close();
        }

        private string Result = "";
    }
}   

Answer 4

Add a winform to your project (I named it frmShowMessage ) and put this controls on it:

 1. Panel      (pnlShowMessage)
 2. Label      (lblMessageText)
 3. PictureBox (pictureBox1)
 4. ImageList  (imageList1)

Replace your new form codes as below:

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Drawing.Drawing2D;

namespace CostumeMessageBox 
{
    public partial class frmShowMessage : Form
    {
        Button btnOk = new Button();  //Create object of Button.
        Button btnCancel = new Button();
        Button btnNo = new Button();
        Button btnYes = new Button();
        public const int WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN = 0xA1;
        public const int HT_CAPTION = 0x2;

        [DllImportAttribute("user32.dll")]
        public static extern int SendMessage(IntPtr hWnd, int Msg, int wParam, int lParam);
        [DllImport("user32.dll")]
        public static extern bool ReleaseCapture();
        public frmShowMessage()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Here I am overriding Paint method of form object
        /// and set it's background color as gradient. Here I am
        /// using LinearGradientBrush class object to make gradient
        /// color which comes in System.Drawing.Drawing2D namespace.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="e"></param>
        protected override void OnPaint(PaintEventArgs e)
        {
            base.OnPaint(e);
            ControlPaint.DrawBorder(e.Graphics, ClientRectangle,
                                    Color.DarkRed, 3, ButtonBorderStyle.Solid,
                                    Color.DarkRed, 3, ButtonBorderStyle.Solid,
                                    Color.DarkRed, 3, ButtonBorderStyle.Solid,
                                    Color.DarkRed, 3, ButtonBorderStyle.Solid);
            //Rectangle rect = this.ClientRectangle;
            //LinearGradientBrush brush = new LinearGradientBrush(rect, Color.Snow, Color.SeaShell, 60); //LightCyan Lavender LightGray
            //e.Graphics.FillRectangle(brush, rect);
            //base.OnPaint(e);
        }

        private void frmShowMessage_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            btnOk.Text = "تایید";  //Here we set text of Button.
            btnOk.DialogResult = DialogResult.OK;  //Set DialogResult property of button.
            btnOk.FlatStyle = FlatStyle.Popup;  //Set flat appearence of button.
            btnOk.BackColor = Color.Beige;
            btnOk.FlatAppearance.BorderSize = 0;

            btnCancel.Text = "انصراف";
            btnCancel.DialogResult = DialogResult.Cancel;
            btnCancel.FlatStyle = FlatStyle.Popup;
            btnCancel.BackColor = Color.Beige;
            btnCancel.FlatAppearance.BorderSize = 0;

            btnNo.Text = "خیر";
            btnNo.DialogResult = DialogResult.No;
            btnNo.FlatStyle = FlatStyle.Popup;
            btnNo.BackColor = Color.Beige;
            btnNo.FlatAppearance.BorderSize = 0;

            btnYes.Text = "بله";
            btnYes.DialogResult = DialogResult.Yes;
            btnYes.FlatStyle = FlatStyle.Popup;
            btnYes.BackColor = Color.Beige;
            btnYes.FlatAppearance.BorderSize = 0;
        }


        /// <summary>
        /// setMessage method is used to display message
        /// on form and it's height adjust automatically.
        /// I am displaying message in a Label control.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="messageText">Message which needs to be displayed to user.</param>
        private void setMessage(string messageText)
        {
            int number = Math.Abs(messageText.Length / 30);
            if (number != 0)
            {
                lblMessageText.Height = lblRightBorder.Height = number*25;
                Height = lblMessageText.Height;
            }

            lblMessageText.Text = messageText;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// This method is used to add button on message box.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="MessageButton">MessageButton is type of enumMessageButton
        /// through which I get type of button which needs to be displayed.</param>
        private void addButton(enumMessageButton MessageButton)
        {
            switch (MessageButton)
            {
                case enumMessageButton.OK:
                    {
                        //If type of enumButton is OK then we add OK button only.
                        btnOk.SetBounds(pnlShowMessage.ClientSize.Width - 80, 5, 75, 25);  // Set bounds of button.
                        pnlShowMessage.Controls.Add(btnOk);  //Finally Add button control on panel.
                    }
                    break;
                case enumMessageButton.OKCancel:
                    {
                        btnOk.SetBounds((pnlShowMessage.ClientSize.Width - 70), 5, 65, 25);
                        pnlShowMessage.Controls.Add(btnOk);

                        btnCancel.SetBounds((pnlShowMessage.ClientSize.Width - (btnOk.ClientSize.Width + 5 + 80)), 5, 75, 25);
                        pnlShowMessage.Controls.Add(btnCancel);

                    }
                    break;
                case enumMessageButton.YesNo:
                    {

                        btnNo.SetBounds((pnlShowMessage.ClientSize.Width - 70), 5, 65, 25);
                        pnlShowMessage.Controls.Add(btnNo);

                        btnYes.SetBounds((pnlShowMessage.ClientSize.Width - (btnNo.ClientSize.Width + 5 + 80)), 5, 75, 25);
                        pnlShowMessage.Controls.Add(btnYes);
                    }
                    break;
                case enumMessageButton.YesNoCancel:
                    {
                        btnCancel.SetBounds((pnlShowMessage.ClientSize.Width - 70), 5, 65, 25);
                        pnlShowMessage.Controls.Add(btnCancel);

                        btnNo.SetBounds((pnlShowMessage.ClientSize.Width - (btnCancel.ClientSize.Width + 5 + 80)), 5, 75, 25);
                        pnlShowMessage.Controls.Add(btnNo);

                        btnYes.SetBounds((pnlShowMessage.ClientSize.Width - (btnCancel.ClientSize.Width + btnNo.ClientSize.Width + 10 + 80)), 5, 75, 25);
                        pnlShowMessage.Controls.Add(btnYes);
                    }
                    break;
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// We can use this method to add image on message box.
        /// I had taken all images in ImageList control so that
        /// I can eaily add images. Image is displayed in 
        /// PictureBox control.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="MessageIcon">Type of image to be displayed.</param>
        private void addIconImage(enumMessageIcon MessageIcon)
        {
            switch (MessageIcon)
            {
                case enumMessageIcon.Error:
                    pictureBox1.Image = imageList1.Images["Error"];  //Error is key name in imagelist control which uniqly identified images in ImageList control.
                    break;
                case enumMessageIcon.Information:
                    pictureBox1.Image = imageList1.Images["Information"];
                    break;
                case enumMessageIcon.Question:
                    pictureBox1.Image = imageList1.Images["Question"];
                    break;
                case enumMessageIcon.Warning:
                    pictureBox1.Image = imageList1.Images["Warning"];
                    break;
            }
        }

        #region Overloaded Show message to display message box.

        /// <summary>
        /// Show method is overloaded which is used to display message
        /// and this is static method so that we don't need to create 
        /// object of this class to call this method.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="messageText"></param>
        internal static DialogResult Show(string messageText)
        {
            frmShowMessage frmMessage = new frmShowMessage();
            frmMessage.setMessage(messageText);
            frmMessage.addIconImage(enumMessageIcon.Information);
            frmMessage.addButton(enumMessageButton.OK);
            frmMessage.ShowDialog();
            return frmMessage.DialogResult;
        }

        internal static DialogResult Show(string messageText, string messageTitle)
        {
            frmShowMessage frmMessage = new frmShowMessage();
            frmMessage.Text = messageTitle;
            frmMessage.setMessage(messageText);
            frmMessage.addIconImage(enumMessageIcon.Information);
            frmMessage.addButton(enumMessageButton.OK);
            frmMessage.ShowDialog();
            return frmMessage.DialogResult;
        }

        internal static DialogResult Show(string messageText, string messageTitle, enumMessageIcon messageIcon,
                                          enumMessageButton messageButton)
        {
            frmShowMessage frmMessage = new frmShowMessage();
            frmMessage.setMessage(messageText);
            frmMessage.Text = messageTitle;
            frmMessage.addIconImage(messageIcon);
            frmMessage.addButton(messageButton);
            frmMessage.ShowDialog();
            return frmMessage.DialogResult;
        }

        #endregion


        private void frmShowMessage_MouseDown(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
        {
            if (e.Button != MouseButtons.Left) return;
            ReleaseCapture();
            SendMessage(Handle, WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN, HT_CAPTION, 0);

        }

    }

    #region constant defiend in form of enumration which is used in showMessage class.

    internal enum enumMessageIcon
    {
        Error,
        Warning,
        Information,
        Question,
    }

    internal enum enumMessageButton
    {
        OK,
        YesNo,
        YesNoCancel,
        OKCancel
    }

    #endregion
}

Now you can call your Customized MessageBox in your project like this:

    private void btnQuestion_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        frmShowMessage.Show(rch.Text,
            "Message Text", enumMessageIcon.Question, enumMessageButton.YesNoCancel);
    }

    private void btnInformation_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        frmShowMessage.Show(rch.Text,
            "Message Text", enumMessageIcon.Information, enumMessageButton.OKCancel);

    }

    private void btnError_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        frmShowMessage.Show(rch.Text,
            "Message Text", enumMessageIcon.Error, enumMessageButton.OK);
    }

    private void btnWarning_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        frmShowMessage.Show(rch.Text,
            "Message Text", enumMessageIcon.Warning, enumMessageButton.YesNo);

    }

I've forgotten the link which from I've learnt this.