The documentation for the above wx.ColourDatabase — wxPython Phoenix 4.2.0 documentation
states " There is one predefined, global instance of this class called wx.TheColourDatabase"
Is this still true; I cannot get a reference to it
It seems you need to create a wx.App object to be able to get a reference:
>>> import wx
>>> wx.TheColourDatabase
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
AttributeError: module 'wx' has no attribute 'TheColourDatabase'
>>>
>>> app=wx.App()
>>> wx.TheColourDatabase
<wx._core.ColourDatabase object at 0x7f9a48e11f30>
>>>
Calling wx.TheColourDatabase.Find() for some colours can give different results to just passing the colour name to wx.Colour().
e.g.
import wx
import wx.lib.colourdb as cdb
app = wx.App()
col_db = wx.TheColourDatabase
name = "SEA GREEN"
colour = col_db.Find(name)
print(colour, colour.IsOk())
colour2 = wx.Colour(name)
print(colour2, colour2.IsOk())
# cdb.updateColourDB()
# colourList = cdb.getColourList()
# print(colourList)
This outputs:
(35, 142, 107, 255) True
(46, 139, 87, 255) True
The differences were discussed in the following (closed) bug report:
EDIT: If you update TheColourDatabase from wx.lib.colourdb, then it gives the same results:
import wx
import wx.lib.colourdb as cdb
app = wx.App()
col_db = wx.TheColourDatabase
name = "SEA GREEN"
colour = col_db.Find(name)
print(colour, colour.IsOk())
colour2 = wx.Colour(name)
print(colour2, colour2.IsOk())
# Update TheColourDatabase from wx.lib.colourdb
cdb.updateColourDB()
# colourList = cdb.getColourList()
# print(colourList)
colour3 = col_db.Find(name)
print(colour3, colour3.IsOk())
This outputs:
(35, 142, 107, 255) True
(46, 139, 87, 255) True
(46, 139, 87, 255) True
in order not to ruin the feeling of the underlying OS it may be more advisable to use only the system colours like wx.SystemSettings.GetColour(wx.SYS_COLOUR_LISTBOX) 
Yahoo, I like all these answers; Thank you very much
If you grind through the colour database, you can get a definitive list of defined colours on your machine.
Which can then be checked using Find(colour_name)
import wx
app=wx.App()
print(wx.version())
found_colour_names = []
print("\n"+ f"{'Colour name':<25} {'Red':<6} {'Green':<6} {'Blue'}" + "\n")
cols = wx.ColourDatabase()
for r in range(256):
for g in range(256):
for b in range(256):
c = wx.Colour(r,g,b)
x = cols.FindName(c)
if x:
print(f"{x:<25} {c.red:<6} {c.green:<6} {c.blue}")
found_colour_names.append(x)
print("\nAlphabetical list\n")
for colour_name in sorted(found_colour_names):
colour = cols.Find(colour_name)
print(f"{colour_name:<25} {colour.red:<6} {colour.green:<6} {colour.blue:<6} {colour.IsOk()}")
On my box this gives me:
4.2.0 gtk3 (phoenix) wxWidgets 3.2.0
Colour name Red Green Blue
BLACK 0 0 0
BLUE 0 0 255
SLATE BLUE 0 127 255
GREEN 0 255 0
SPRING GREEN 0 255 127
CYAN 0 255 255
NAVY 35 35 142
STEEL BLUE 35 107 142
FOREST GREEN 35 142 35
SEA GREEN 35 142 107
DARK GREY 47 47 47
MIDNIGHT BLUE 47 47 79
DARK GREEN 47 79 47
DARK SLATE GREY 47 79 79
MEDIUM BLUE 50 50 204
SKY BLUE 50 153 204
LIME GREEN 50 204 50
MEDIUM AQUAMARINE 50 204 153
CORNFLOWER BLUE 66 66 111
MEDIUM SEA GREEN 66 111 66
INDIAN RED 79 47 47
VIOLET 79 47 79
DARK OLIVE GREEN 79 79 47
DIM GREY 84 84 84
CADET BLUE 95 159 159
MEDIUM GREY 100 100 100
DARK SLATE BLUE 107 35 142
MEDIUM FOREST GREEN 107 142 35
SALMON 111 66 66
DARK TURQUOISE 112 147 219
AQUAMARINE 112 219 147
MEDIUM TURQUOISE 112 219 219
MEDIUM SLATE BLUE 127 0 255
MEDIUM SPRING GREEN 127 255 0
GREY 128 128 128
FIREBRICK 142 35 35
MAROON 142 35 107
SIENNA 142 107 35
LIGHT STEEL BLUE 143 143 188
PALE GREEN 143 188 143
MEDIUM ORCHID 147 112 219
GREEN YELLOW 147 219 112
DARK ORCHID 153 50 204
YELLOW GREEN 153 204 50
BLUE VIOLET 159 95 159
KHAKI 159 159 95
BROWN 165 42 42
TURQUOISE 173 234 234
PURPLE 176 0 255
LIGHT BLUE 191 216 216
LIGHT GREY 192 192 192
ORANGE 204 50 50
VIOLET RED 204 50 153
GOLD 204 127 50
THISTLE 216 191 216
WHEAT 216 216 191
MEDIUM VIOLET RED 219 112 147
ORCHID 219 112 219
TAN 219 147 112
GOLDENROD 219 219 112
PLUM 234 173 234
MEDIUM GOLDENROD 234 234 173
RED 255 0 0
ORANGE RED 255 0 127
MAGENTA 255 0 255
LIGHT MAGENTA 255 119 255
CORAL 255 127 0
PINK 255 192 203
YELLOW 255 255 0
WHITE 255 255 255
Alphabetical list
AQUAMARINE 112 219 147 True
BLACK 0 0 0 True
BLUE 0 0 255 True
BLUE VIOLET 159 95 159 True
BROWN 165 42 42 True
CADET BLUE 95 159 159 True
CORAL 255 127 0 True
CORNFLOWER BLUE 66 66 111 True
CYAN 0 255 255 True
DARK GREEN 47 79 47 True
DARK GREY 47 47 47 True
DARK OLIVE GREEN 79 79 47 True
DARK ORCHID 153 50 204 True
DARK SLATE BLUE 107 35 142 True
DARK SLATE GREY 47 79 79 True
DARK TURQUOISE 112 147 219 True
DIM GREY 84 84 84 True
FIREBRICK 142 35 35 True
FOREST GREEN 35 142 35 True
GOLD 204 127 50 True
GOLDENROD 219 219 112 True
GREEN 0 255 0 True
GREEN YELLOW 147 219 112 True
GREY 128 128 128 True
INDIAN RED 79 47 47 True
KHAKI 159 159 95 True
LIGHT BLUE 191 216 216 True
LIGHT GREY 192 192 192 True
LIGHT MAGENTA 255 119 255 True
LIGHT STEEL BLUE 143 143 188 True
LIME GREEN 50 204 50 True
MAGENTA 255 0 255 True
MAROON 142 35 107 True
MEDIUM AQUAMARINE 50 204 153 True
MEDIUM BLUE 50 50 204 True
MEDIUM FOREST GREEN 107 142 35 True
MEDIUM GOLDENROD 234 234 173 True
MEDIUM GREY 100 100 100 True
MEDIUM ORCHID 147 112 219 True
MEDIUM SEA GREEN 66 111 66 True
MEDIUM SLATE BLUE 127 0 255 True
MEDIUM SPRING GREEN 127 255 0 True
MEDIUM TURQUOISE 112 219 219 True
MEDIUM VIOLET RED 219 112 147 True
MIDNIGHT BLUE 47 47 79 True
NAVY 35 35 142 True
ORANGE 204 50 50 True
ORANGE RED 255 0 127 True
ORCHID 219 112 219 True
PALE GREEN 143 188 143 True
PINK 255 192 203 True
PLUM 234 173 234 True
PURPLE 176 0 255 True
RED 255 0 0 True
SALMON 111 66 66 True
SEA GREEN 35 142 107 True
SIENNA 142 107 35 True
SKY BLUE 50 153 204 True
SLATE BLUE 0 127 255 True
SPRING GREEN 0 255 127 True
STEEL BLUE 35 107 142 True
TAN 219 147 112 True
THISTLE 216 191 216 True
TURQUOISE 173 234 234 True
VIOLET 79 47 79 True
VIOLET RED 204 50 153 True
WHEAT 216 216 191 True
WHITE 255 255 255 True
YELLOW 255 255 0 True
YELLOW GREEN 153 204 50 True
from a button man I’d expected some alpha shades: what’s a button with no gloss? 
You rapscallion, you! 
@Thom thanks for the age (charming), rocking I’ll try to keep up but otherwise more classic if pos 
(my real objective was this transition of the Gui since Google & the internet moved the focus to a much more simplistic and content driven one)
Yw and … de-nada. Point taken. Thom out🔌