}
     else
     {
-        s_colOld = wxColour(wxT("red"));
-        SetBackgroundColour(wxT("white"));
+        s_colOld = *wxRED;
+        SetBackgroundColour(*wxWHITE);
 
         m_lbSelectThis->SetForegroundColour(wxT("white"));
         m_lbSelectThis->SetBackgroundColour(wxT("red"));
 
     r3.y += 60;
     wxRect r4 = r2;
     r4.y += 60;
-    dc.SetPen(wxPen(wxColour(255, 0, 0)));
+    dc.SetPen(*wxRED_PEN);
     dc.DrawRectangle(r);
     r.Deflate(1);
-    dc.GradientFillLinear(r, wxColour(0,255,0), wxColour(0,0,0), wxNORTH);
+    dc.GradientFillLinear(r, *wxGREEN, *wxBLACK, wxNORTH);
     dc.DrawRectangle(r2);
     r2.Deflate(1);
-    dc.GradientFillLinear(r2, wxColour(0,0,0), wxColour(0,255,0), wxSOUTH);
+    dc.GradientFillLinear(r2, *wxBLACK, *wxGREEN, wxSOUTH);
     dc.DrawRectangle(r3);
     r3.Deflate(1);
-    dc.GradientFillLinear(r3, wxColour(0,255,0), wxColour(0,0,0), wxEAST);
+    dc.GradientFillLinear(r3, *wxGREEN, *wxBLACK, wxEAST);
     dc.DrawRectangle(r4);
     r4.Deflate(1);
-    dc.GradientFillLinear(r4, wxColour(0,0,0), wxColour(0,255,0), wxWEST);
+    dc.GradientFillLinear(r4, *wxBLACK, *wxGREEN, wxWEST);
 
 #if wxUSE_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT
     if (m_useContext)
         dc.DrawText(wxT("Linear Gradient with Stops"), gfr.x, gfr.y);
         gfr.Offset(0, TEXT_HEIGHT);
 
-        stops = wxGraphicsGradientStops(wxColour(255,0,0), wxColour(0,0,255));
+        stops = wxGraphicsGradientStops(*wxRED, *wxBLUE);
         stops.Add(wxColour(255,255,0), 0.33f);
-        stops.Add(wxColour(0,255,0), 0.67f);
+        stops.Add(*wxGREEN, 0.67f);
 
         gc->SetBrush(gc->CreateLinearGradientBrush(gfr.x, gfr.y,
                                                    gfr.x + gfr.width, gfr.y + gfr.height,
         dc.DrawText(wxT("Linear Gradient with Stops and Gaps"), gfr.x, gfr.y);
         gfr.Offset(0, TEXT_HEIGHT);
 
-        stops = wxGraphicsGradientStops(wxColour(255,0,0), wxColour(0,0,255));
+        stops = wxGraphicsGradientStops(*wxRED, *wxBLUE);
         stops.Add(wxColour(255,255,0), 0.33f);
         stops.Add(wxTransparentColour, 0.33f);
         stops.Add(wxTransparentColour, 0.67f);
-        stops.Add(wxColour(0,255,0), 0.67f);
+        stops.Add(*wxGREEN, 0.67f);
 
         gc->SetBrush(gc->CreateLinearGradientBrush(gfr.x, gfr.y + gfr.height,
                                                    gfr.x + gfr.width, gfr.y,
         dc.DrawText(wxT("Gradients with Stops and Transparency"), gfr.x, gfr.y);
         gfr.Offset(0, TEXT_HEIGHT);
 
-        stops = wxGraphicsGradientStops(wxColour(255,0,0), wxTransparentColour);
-        stops.Add(wxColour(255,0,0), 0.33f);
+        stops = wxGraphicsGradientStops(*wxRED, wxTransparentColour);
+        stops.Add(*wxRED, 0.33f);
         stops.Add(wxTransparentColour, 0.33f);
         stops.Add(wxTransparentColour, 0.67f);
-        stops.Add(wxColour(0,0,255), 0.67f);
-        stops.Add(wxColour(0,0,255), 1.0f);
+        stops.Add(*wxBLUE, 0.67f);
+        stops.Add(*wxBLUE, 1.0f);
 
         pth = gc->CreatePath();
         pth.MoveToPoint(gfr.x,gfr.y);
 
                            wxNO_FULL_REPAINT_ON_RESIZE |
                            wxVSCROLL | wxHSCROLL)
 {
-    SetBackgroundColour(wxColour("WHITE"));
+    SetBackgroundColour(*wxWHITE);
     SetCursor(wxCursor(wxCURSOR_PENCIL));
 
     SetScrollbars(20, 20, 50, 50);
 
                     | wxSUNKEN_BORDER);
 
     //  Set the background of our listctrl to white
-    m_playlist->SetBackgroundColour(wxColour(255,255,255));
+    m_playlist->SetBackgroundColour(*wxWHITE);
 
     //  The layout of the headers of the listctrl are like
     //  |   | File               |  Length
 
 #endif
 
   // object allocation
-  wxBrush* brush = new wxBrush(*wxRED);
+  wxBrush* brush = new wxBrush(*wxRED_BRUSH);
   wxBitmap* bitmap = new wxBitmap(100, 100);
 
   // non-object allocation
 
         : wxFrame(parent, wxID_ANY, title, wxPoint(x, y), wxSize(w, h))
 {
     // this reduces flicker effects
-    SetBackgroundColour(wxColour(255, 255, 255));
+    SetBackgroundColour(*wxWHITE);
 
     // set the icon
     // ------------
 
     r.WriteImage(wxBitmap(smiley_xpm));
     r.WriteText(wxT(" Well, you can change text "));
 
-    r.BeginTextColour(wxColour(255, 0, 0));
+    r.BeginTextColour(*wxRED);
     r.WriteText(wxT("colour, like this red bit."));
     r.EndTextColour();
 
     wxRichTextAttr backgroundColourAttr;
     backgroundColourAttr.SetBackgroundColour(*wxGREEN);
-    backgroundColourAttr.SetTextColour(wxColour(0, 0, 255));
+    backgroundColourAttr.SetTextColour(*wxBLUE);
     r.BeginStyle(backgroundColourAttr);
     r.WriteText(wxT(" And this blue on green bit."));
     r.EndStyle();
 
   win->SetDefaultSize(wxSize(1000, 30));
   win->SetOrientation(wxLAYOUT_HORIZONTAL);
   win->SetAlignment(wxLAYOUT_TOP);
-  win->SetBackgroundColour(wxColour(255, 0, 0));
+  win->SetBackgroundColour(*wxRED);
   win->SetSashVisible(wxSASH_BOTTOM, true);
 
   m_topWindow = win;
   win->SetDefaultSize(wxSize(1000, 30));
   win->SetOrientation(wxLAYOUT_HORIZONTAL);
   win->SetAlignment(wxLAYOUT_BOTTOM);
-  win->SetBackgroundColour(wxColour(0, 0, 255));
+  win->SetBackgroundColour(*wxBLUE);
   win->SetSashVisible(wxSASH_TOP, true);
 
   m_bottomWindow = win;
   win->SetDefaultSize(wxSize(120, 1000));
   win->SetOrientation(wxLAYOUT_VERTICAL);
   win->SetAlignment(wxLAYOUT_LEFT);
-  win->SetBackgroundColour(wxColour(0, 255, 0));
+  win->SetBackgroundColour(*wxGREEN);
   win->SetSashVisible(wxSASH_RIGHT, true);
   win->SetExtraBorderSize(10);
 
 
                   wxSTAY_ON_TOP),
          m_currentState(STATE_SEETHROUGH)
 {
-    SetBackgroundColour(wxColour(255, 255, 255, 255));
+    SetBackgroundColour(*wxWHITE);
     SetBackgroundStyle(wxBG_STYLE_TRANSPARENT);
 }
 
 
 MyCanvas::MyCanvas(MyChild *parent, const wxPoint& pos, const wxSize& size)
     : wxScrolledWindow(parent, wxID_ANY, pos, size, wxSUNKEN_BORDER|wxVSCROLL|wxHSCROLL)
 {
-    SetBackgroundColour(wxColour(wxT("WHITE")));
+    SetBackgroundColour(*wxWHITE);
 
     m_child = parent;
     m_index = m_child->GetFrame()->GetCountOfChildren() % 9;
 
     // This reduces flicker effects - even better would be to define
     // OnEraseBackground to do nothing. When the tree control's scrollbars are
     // show or hidden, the frame is sent a background erase event.
-    SetBackgroundColour(wxColour(255, 255, 255));
+    SetBackgroundColour(*wxWHITE);
 
     // Give it an icon
     SetIcon(wxICON(sample));
 
     wxBitmap bmp(180, 70); // shouldn't hardcode but it's simpler like this
     wxMemoryDC dc;
     dc.SelectObject(bmp);
-    dc.SetBackground(wxBrush(*wxCYAN));
+    dc.SetBackground(*wxCYAN_BRUSH);
     dc.Clear();
     dc.SetTextForeground(*wxBLACK);
     dc.DrawLabel(wxStripMenuCodes(m_textLabel->GetValue()) + wxT("\n")
 
 
     if ( m_chkBitmapbutton->GetValue() )
     {
-        wxBitmap bmpNormal = CreateBitmap(wxColour(0,0,255));
+        wxBitmap bmpNormal = CreateBitmap(*wxBLUE);
         wxBitmap bmpPressed = CreateBitmap(wxColour(0,0,128));
         wxBitmap bmpHover = CreateBitmap(wxColour(128,128,255));
         m_combobox->SetButtonBitmaps(bmpNormal,m_chkStdbutton->GetValue(),bmpPressed,bmpHover);
 
     wxBitmap bmp(180, 70); // shouldn't hardcode but it's simpler like this
     wxMemoryDC dc;
     dc.SelectObject(bmp);
-    dc.SetBackground(wxBrush(*wxCYAN));
+    dc.SetBackground(*wxCYAN_BRUSH);
     dc.Clear();
     dc.SetTextForeground(*wxBLACK);
     dc.DrawLabel(wxStripMenuCodes(m_textLabel->GetValue()) + wxT("\n")