public static class ListViewUtil
{
private const uint CLR_NONE = 0xFFFFFFFF;

public static void SetBackgroundImage(ListView listView, Bitmap bitmap)
{
LVBKIMAGE lvBkImage = new LVBKIMAGE();
lvBkImage.ulFlags = LVBKIF.SOURCE_HBITMAP | LVBKIF.STYLE_TILE;
lvBkImage.hbm = bitmap.GetHbitmap();
lvBkImage.cchImageMax = 0;
lvBkImage.xOffsetPercent = 0;
lvBkImage.yOffsetPercent = 0;

Message msg = Message.Create(listView.Handle, (int)LVM.SETBKIMAGEW, // LVM_SETBKIMAGE,
(IntPtr)0, Marshal.AllocCoTaskMem(Marshal.SizeOf(lvBkImage)));
Marshal.StructureToPtr(lvBkImage, msg.LParam, false);
MessageWindow.SendMessage(ref msg);
Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(msg.LParam);
}

public static void SetBackgroundTransparent(ListView listView)
{
HwndUtil.SendMessage(listView.Handle, (int)LVM.SETBKCOLOR, 0, CLR_NONE);
}

public static void SetTextBackgroundTransparent(ListView listView)
{
HwndUtil.SendMessage(listView.Handle, (int)LVM.SETTEXTBKCOLOR, 0, CLR_NONE);
}

public void SetAllowDraggableColumns(ListView lv, bool enabled)
{
Message msg = new Message();
msg.HWnd = lv.Handle;
msg.Msg = LVM.SETEXTENDEDLISTVIEWSTYLE;
msg.WParam = (IntPtr)LVS.NOSCROLL;
msg.LParam = enabled ? (IntPtr)LVS_NOSCROLL : IntPtr.Zero;

MessageWindow.SendMessage(ref msg);
}

public enum LVBKIF : int
{
SOURCE_NONE = 0,
SOURCE_HBITMAP = 1,
SOURCE_URL = 2,
SOURCE_MASK = 3,
STYLE_NORMAL = 0,
STYLE_TILE = 0×10,
STYLE_MASK = 0×10,
FLAG_TILEOFFSET = 0×100
}

public enum LVBKIF_SOURCE : int
{
NONE = 0×0,
HBITMAP = 0×1,
URL = 0×2,
MASK = 0×3
}

public enum LVBKIF_STYLE : int
{
NORMAL = 0×0,
TILE = 0×10,
MASK = 0×10
}

public enum LVBKIF_FLAG : int
{
TILEOFFSET = 0×100
}

public class LVBKIMAGE
{
public LVBKIF ulFlags = LVBKIF.SOURCE_NONE;
public IntPtr hbm = IntPtr.Zero;
public IntPtr pszImage = IntPtr.Zero;
public uint cchImageMax = 0;
public int xOffsetPercent = 100;
public int yOffsetPercent = 100;
};

public enum LVA : int
{
DEFAULT = 0,
ALIGNLEFT = 1,
ALIGNTOP = 2,
SNAPTOGRID = 5
}

public enum LVCFMT : int
{
LEFT = 0×0,
RIGHT = 0×1,
CENTER = 0×2,
JUSTIFYMASK = 0×3,
IMAGE = 0×800,
BITMAP_ON_RIGHT = 0×1000,
COL_HAS_IMAGES = 0×8000
}

public enum LVCF : int
{
FMT = 0×1,
WIDTH = 0×2,
TEXT = 0×4,
IMAGE = 0×10,
ORDER = 0×20,
SUBITEM = 0×8,
}

public enum LVFI : int
{
PARAM = 0×1,
STRING = 0×2,
PARTIAL = 0×8,
WRAP = 0×20,
NEARESTXY = 0×40
}

[Flags]
public enum LVHT : int
{
NOWHERE = 0×1,
ONITEM = ONITEMICON | ONITEMLABEL | ONITEMSTATEICON,
ONITEMICON = 0×2,
ONITEMLABEL = 0×4,
ONITEMSTATEICON = 0×8,
ABOVE = 0×8,
BELOW = 0×10,
TORIGHT = 0×20,
TOLEFT = 0×40
}

public enum LFIF : int
{
DI_SETITEM = 0×1000,
IMAGE = 0×2,
INDENT = 0×10,
NORECOMPUTE = 0×800,
PARAM = 0×4,
STATE = 0×8,
TEXT = 0×1
}

public enum LVIR : int
{
BOUNDS = 0,
ICON = 1,
LABEL = 2,
SELECTBOUNDS = 3
}

public enum LVIS : int
{
FOCUSED = 0×1,
CUT = 0×4,
SELECTED = 0×2,
DROPHILITED = 0×8,
OVERLAYMASK = 0xF00,
STATEIMAGEMASK = 0xF000
}

public enum LVM : int
{
FIRST = 0×1000,
APPROXIMATEVIEWRECT = (FIRST + 64),
ARRANGE = (FIRST + 22),

CREATEDRAGIMAGE = (FIRST + 33),

DELETEALLITEMS = (FIRST + 9),
DELETECOLUMN = (FIRST + 28),

DELETEITEM = (FIRST + 8),
EDITLABELA = (FIRST + 23),

EDITLABELW = (FIRST + 118),
ENSUREVISIBLE = (FIRST + 19),

FINDITEMA = (FIRST + 13),
FINDITEMW = (FIRST + 83),

GETBKCOLOR = (FIRST + 0),

GETBKIMAGEA = (FIRST + 69),
GETBKIMAGEW = (FIRST + 139),
GETCALLBACKMASK = (FIRST + 10),
GETCOLUMNA = (FIRST + 25),
GETCOLUMNORDERARRAY = (FIRST + 59),

GETCOLUMNW = (FIRST + 95),
GETCOLUMNWIDTH = (FIRST + 29),

GETCOUNTPERPAGE = (FIRST + 40),
GETEDITCONTROL = (FIRST + 24),

GETHEADER = (FIRST + 31),
GETHOTCURSOR = (FIRST + 63),

GETHOTITEM = (FIRST + 61),
GETHOVERTIME = (FIRST + 72),

GETIMAGELIST = (FIRST + 2),
GETISEARCHSTRINGA = (FIRST + 52),

GETISEARCHSTRINGW = (FIRST + 117),
GETITEMCOUNT = (FIRST + 4),

GETITEMPOSITION = (FIRST + 16),
GETITEMSPACING = (FIRST + 51),

GETITEMSTATE = (FIRST + 44),
GETITEMTEXTA = (FIRST + 45),
GETITEMTEXTW = (FIRST + 115),
GETNEXTITEM = (FIRST + 12),
GETORIGIN = (FIRST + 41),
GETSELECTEDCOUNT = (FIRST + 50),

GETSELECTIONMARK = (FIRST + 66),
GETSTRINGWIDTHA = (FIRST + 17),
GETSTRINGWIDTHW = (FIRST + 87),
GETSUBITEMRECT = (FIRST + 56),
GETTEXTBKCOLOR = (FIRST + 37),
GETTEXTCOLOR = (FIRST + 35),
GETTOPINDEX = (FIRST + 39),
GETVIEWRECT = (FIRST + 34),
GETWORKAREA = (FIRST + 70),
HITTEST = (FIRST + 18),
INSERTCOLUMNA = (FIRST + 27),

INSERTCOLUMNW = (FIRST + 97),
INSERTITEMA = (FIRST + 7),
INSERTITEMW = (FIRST + 77),
REDRAWITEMS = (FIRST + 21),
SCROLL = (FIRST + 20),

SETBKCOLOR = (FIRST + 1),
SETBKIMAGEA = (FIRST + 68),

SETBKIMAGEW = (FIRST + 138),
SETCALLBACKMASK = (FIRST + 11),
SETCOLUMNA = (FIRST + 26),
SETCOLUMNORDERARRAY = (FIRST + 58),
SETCOLUMNW = (FIRST + 96),
SETCOLUMNWIDTH = (FIRST + 30),
SETEXTENDEDLISTVIEWSTYLE = LVM_FIRST + 54,
SETHOTCURSOR = (FIRST + 62),
SETHOTITEM = (FIRST + 60),
SETHOVERTIME = (FIRST + 71),
SETICONSPACING = (FIRST + 53),
SETIMAGELIST = (FIRST + 3),
SETITEMCOUNT = (FIRST + 47),

SETITEMPOSITION = (FIRST + 15),
SETITEMPOSITION32 = (FIRST + 49),
SETITEMSTATE = (FIRST + 43),

SETITEMTEXTA = (FIRST + 46),
SETITEMTEXTW = (FIRST + 116),
SETSELECTIONMARK = (FIRST + 67),
SETTEXTBKCOLOR = (FIRST + 38),

SETTEXTCOLOR = (FIRST + 36),
SETWORKAREA = (FIRST + 65),
SORTITEMS = (FIRST + 48),
SUBITEMHITTEST = (FIRST + 57),
UPDATE = (FIRST + 42)
}

public enum LVNI : int
{
ALL = 0×0,
FOCUSED = 0×1,
SELECTED = 0×2,
CUT = 0×4,
DROPHILITED = 0×8,
ABOVE = 0×100,
BELOW = 0×200,
TOLEFT = 0×400,
TORIGHT = 0×800
}

public enum LVN : int
{
FIRST = 0,
BEGINDRAG = (FIRST – 9),
BEGINLABELEDITA = (FIRST – 5),
BEGINLABELEDITW = (FIRST – 75),
BEGINRDRAG = (FIRST – 11),
COLUMNCLICK = (FIRST – 8),
DELETEALLITEMS = (FIRST – 4),
DELETEITEM = (FIRST – 3),
ENDLABELEDITA = (FIRST – 6),
ENDLABELEDITW = (FIRST – 76),

GETDISPINFOA = (FIRST – 50),
GETDISPINFOW = (FIRST – 77),

HOTTRACK = (FIRST – 21),
INSERTITEM = (FIRST – 2),
ITEMACTIVATE = (FIRST – 14),
ITEMCHANGED = (FIRST – 1),
ITEMCHANGING = (FIRST – 0),
KEYDOWN = (FIRST – 55),
MARQUEEBEGIN = (FIRST – 56),
ODCACHEHINT = (FIRST – 13),
ODFINDITEMA = (FIRST – 52),
ODFINDITEMW = (FIRST – 79),
ODSTATECHANGED = (FIRST – 15),
SETDISPINFOA = (FIRST – 51),
SETDISPINFOW = (FIRST – 78)
}

public enum LVSCW : int
{
AUTOSIZE = -1,
AUTOSIZE_USEHEADER = -2
}

public enum LVSIL : int
{
NORMAL = 0,
SMALL = 1,
STATE = 2
}

public enum LVS : int
{
ALIGNLEFT = 0×800,
ALIGNMASK = 0xC00,
ALIGNTOP = 0×0,
AUTOARRANGE = 0×100,
EDITLABELS = 0×200,
EX_CHECKBOXES = 0×4,
EX_FLATSB = 0×100,
EX_FULLROWSELECT = 0×20,
EX_GRIDLINES = 0×1,
EX_HEADERDRAGDROP = 0×10,
EX_INFOTIP = 0×400,
EX_ONECLICKACTIVATE = 0×40,
EX_REGIONAL = 0×200,
EX_SUBITEMIMAGES = 0×2,
EX_TRACKSELECT = 0×8,
EX_TWOCLICKACTIVATE = 0×80,
ICON = 0×0,
LIST = 0×3,
NOCOLUMNHEADER = 0×4000,
NOLABELWRAP = 0×80,
NOSCROLL = 0×2000,
NOSORTHEADER = 0×8000,
OWNERDATA = 0×1000,

OWNERDRAWFIXED = 0×400,
REPORT = 0×1,
SHAREIMAGELISTS = 0×40,

SHOWSELALWAYS = 0×8,
SINGLESEL = 0×4,
SMALLICON = 0×2,

SORTASCENDING = 0×10,

SORTDESCENDING = 0×20,
TYPEMASK = 0×3,
TYPESTYLEMASK = 0xFC00,
}
}

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms229643.aspx

Being able to reorder and sort columns in a ListView will make for much more user friendly lists.

One thing to note is that if a ListView has checkboxes enabled, the checkboxes are only drawn neatly when they’re in the first column. In other columns the far right side of the check box is covered by the item text.

Interesting is your design approach of using the extender class as a “helper class” as opposed to deriving the extender class directly from the ListView. Your approach I think will prevent WIndows Forms Designer problems that I have come across when trying to use the Designer on a control that is derived from a control in the .NET base class library. In C# we have a new design decision to make: “derivation” vs. “delegation”, what do you think?

Great article.

I wanted to know for a long time how to do this. Thank you! :)

Concerning your question, I prefer having .NET CF 2.0 samples since I stay with it for now. The best would be to have the two samples: CF 2.0 and 3.5 but this requires more work…