RegEx Syntax HighlighterHere is a version of my code for syntax highlighting in a RichTextBox that incorporates regular expressions.

Download RegEx Syntax Highlighting RichTextBox Source Code

Source Code

Public Class SyntaxRTB

Inherits System.Windows.Forms.RichTextBox

Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" _ (ByVal hWnd As IntPtr, ByVal wMsg As Integer, ByVal wParam As Integer, _
ByVal lParam As Integer) As Integer

Private Declare Function LockWindowUpdate Lib "user32" _
(ByVal hWnd As Integer) As Integer

Private _SyntaxHighlight_CaseSensitive As Boolean = False

Friend Words As New DataTable
'Contains Windows Messages for the SendMessage API call

Private Enum EditMessages
LineIndex = 187

LineFromChar = 201

GetFirstVisibleLine = 206

CharFromPos = 215

PosFromChar = 1062

End Enum

Protected Overrides Sub OnTextChanged(ByVal e As System.EventArgs)MyBase.OnTextChanged(e)
ColorVisibleLines()

End Sub

Public Sub New()
Me.AcceptsTab = True

AddSQLSyntax()

End Sub

Function AddSQLSyntax()
ClearSyntaxWords()

AddSyntaxWord("\b(select|text|ntext|date|datetime|order by|" & _
"group by|smalldatetime|cursor|on|as|for|filename|" & _

"database|drop|function|delete|insert|update|int|" & _
"varchar|nvarchar|bit|binary|table|inner|where|from|" & _

"out|procedure|view|trigger|set)\b", Color.Blue)
AddSyntaxWord("\b@@identity\b", Color.Pink)AddSyntaxWord(

"\b(in|join|outer|and|or)\b", Color.Gray) AddSyntaxWord("\bsp_refreshview\b", Color.Red)
Return True

End Function

Public Function ClearSyntaxWords() Words = New DataTable
''Load all the keywords and the colors to make them

Words.Columns.Add("Word")
Words.PrimaryKey = New DataColumn() {Words.Columns(0)}Words.Columns.Add(

"Color")
Return True

End Function

Public Function AddSyntaxWord(ByVal strWord As String, ByVal clrColor As Color)Dim MyRow As DataRow
MyRow = Words.NewRow()

MyRow("Word") = strWordMyRow(

"Color") = clrColor.Name
Words.Rows.Add(MyRow)

Return True

End Function

Public Sub ColorRtb()
Dim FirstVisibleChar As Integer

Dim i As Integer = 0While i < Me.Lines.Length
FirstVisibleChar = GetCharFromLineIndex(i)

ColorLineNumber(i, FirstVisibleChar)

i += 1

End While

End Sub

Public Sub ColorVisibleLines()
Dim FirstLine As Integer = FirstVisibleLine()

Dim LastLine As Integer = LastVisibleLine()
Dim FirstVisibleChar As Integer

If (FirstLine = 0) And (LastLine = 0) Then

'If there is no text it will error, so exit the sub

Exit Sub

Else

While FirstLine < LastLine
FirstVisibleChar = GetCharFromLineIndex(FirstLine)

ColorLineNumber(FirstLine, FirstVisibleChar)

FirstLine += 1

End While

End If

End Sub

Public Sub ColorLineNumber(ByVal LineIndex As Integer, ByVal lStart As Integer)
Dim i As Integer = 0

Dim SelectionAt As Integer = Me.SelectionStart Dim MyRow As DataRow
Dim MyI As Integer

' Lock the update

LockWindowUpdate(Me.Handle.ToInt32)
MyI = lStart

''Turn the whole link black before applying RegEx Syntax matching.

Me.SelectionStart = MyI
Me.SelectionLength = Lines(LineIndex).Length

Me.SelectionColor = Color.Black
''Check for matches in a particular line number

Dim rm As System.Text.RegularExpressions.MatchCollection
Dim m As System.Text.RegularExpressions.Match

For Each MyRow In Words.Rows
'"( |^)1.*2( |$)"

rm = System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex.Matches(Me.Text, MyRow("Word"))
For Each m In rm

Me.SelectionStart = m.Index
Me.SelectionLength = m.Length

Me.SelectionColor = Color.FromName(MyRow("color"))
Next

Next

' Restore the selectionstart

Me.SelectionStart = SelectionAt
Me.SelectionLength = 0

Me.SelectionColor = Color.Black
' Unlock the update

LockWindowUpdate(0)

End Sub

Public Function GetCharFromLineIndex(ByVal LineIndex As Integer) As Integer

Return SendMessage(Me.Handle, EditMessages.LineIndex, LineIndex, 0)
End Function

Public Function FirstVisibleLine() As Integer

Return SendMessage(Me.Handle, EditMessages.GetFirstVisibleLine, 0, 0)
End Function

Public Function LastVisibleLine() As Integer

Dim LastLine As Integer = FirstVisibleLine() + (Me.Height / Me.Font.Height)
If LastLine > Me.Lines.Length Or LastLine = 0 Then

LastLine = Me.Lines.Length
End If

Return LastLine
End Function

Public Property CaseSensitive() As Boolean

Get

Return _SyntaxHighlight_CaseSensitive
End Get

Set(ByVal Value As Boolean)
_SyntaxHighlight_CaseSensitive = Value

End Set

End Property
End Class