CODEWITHSUNDEEP
wpfxamltemplatesstyles
Brian H
Brian H

Reputation: 85

WPF How do I add items to a window that was based on a windows template?

I have created a windows control template so each window in my application will share the same menu at the top, copyright at the bottom and overall look and feel (colors, etc.). When I create a new window and apply the template to it, the new window looks like the template as expected but I cannot add anything new to the window. Anything I drag onto the new window is invisible (i.e. the XAML shows the control I added but I can't see it on the window). Is a template not the way to go? As I mentioned above I am trying to have each window use the same menu and have the same layout (colors, copyright text box at the bottom). Other than that, I want to be able to place other items relevant to each specific window on the "templated" window. Seems basic enough but as a VB 6 guy trying to grasp WPF (and definitely liking WPF) I am missing how to implement this. Any help is appreciated. Below is my code for the template and then how a new windows is set up with that template.

Template (in Application.Resources)

<Style x:Key="WindowTemplateMain" TargetType="{x:Type Window}">
<Setter Property="Template">
    <Setter.Value>
        <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Window}">
            <DockPanel Margin="0,0,-1.667,0.333" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" Width="Auto">
                <DockPanel.Background>
                    <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" MappingMode="RelativeToBoundingBox" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                        <GradientStop Color="#FFAEC2EE" Offset="0"/>
                        <GradientStop Color="#FFFEFEFE" Offset="1"/>
                    </LinearGradientBrush>
                </DockPanel.Background>
                <Menu DockPanel.Dock="Top">
                    <MenuItem Header="_File">
                        <MenuItem Header="_Time Entry" Name="mnu_TimeEntry" Click="mnu_TimeEntry" />
                        <Separator />
                        <MenuItem Header="_Logout" Click="mnu_LogoutClick"/>
                        <Separator />
                        <MenuItem Header="_Exit" Click="mnu_ExitClick"/>
                    </MenuItem>
                    <MenuItem Header="_Reports">
                        <MenuItem Header="_Report1" />
                        <MenuItem Header="_Report2" />
                        <MenuItem Header="_Report3" />
                    </MenuItem>
                    <MenuItem Header="_Administration">
                        <MenuItem Header="_Task1" />
                        <MenuItem Header="_Task2" />
                        <MenuItem Header="_Task3" />
                    </MenuItem>
                </Menu>
                <Grid Margin="0,0,0,0" Width="Auto">
                    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                        <ColumnDefinition Width="74*"/>
                        <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
                    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                        <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
                        <RowDefinition Height="3*"/>
                    </Grid.RowDefinitions>
                    <TextBlock Style="{StaticResource MWB_Copyright}" Grid.Row="2" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Margin="5,0,4.666,4" />
                </Grid>
            </DockPanel>
        </ControlTemplate>
    </Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>

New window with template "applied":

<Window x:Class="MWB_TimeKeeper_Main"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
    xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
    xmlns:local="clr-namespace:MWB_TimeKeeper"
    mc:Ignorable="d"
    Title="MWB TimeKeeper Main"
    Style="{DynamicResource WindowTemplateMain}" >
    <Button x:Name="MyButton" Content="MyButton" Height="100" Width="75"/>
</Window>

The button "MyButton" is what I dragged on from the toolbox and shows in the XAML code but doesn't show up on the window. Again, I am sure I am just not using the template correctly or need to use some type of style/template combination but I can't figure it out and have searched the web for awhile.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Upvotes: 0

Views: 58

Answers (1)

ViVi
ViVi

Reputation: 4464

Chris W is right.

Add a content presenter to your content template as in code shown below. I have tested and the button is displayed.

N.B : I have removed the click events to test the code.

<Application x:Class="WpfApplication1.App"
             xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
             xmlns:local="clr-namespace:WpfApplication1"
             StartupUri="MainWindow.xaml">
    <Application.Resources>
        <Style x:Key="WindowTemplateMain" TargetType="{x:Type Window}">
            <Setter Property="Template">
                <Setter.Value>
                    <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Window}">
                        <DockPanel Margin="0,0,-1.667,0.333" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" Width="Auto">
                            <DockPanel.Background>
                                <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" MappingMode="RelativeToBoundingBox" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                                    <GradientStop Color="#FFAEC2EE" Offset="0"/>
                                    <GradientStop Color="#FFFEFEFE" Offset="1"/>
                                </LinearGradientBrush>
                            </DockPanel.Background>
                            <Menu DockPanel.Dock="Top">
                                <MenuItem Header="_File">
                                    <MenuItem Header="_Time Entry" Name="mnu_TimeEntry" />
                                    <Separator />
                                    <MenuItem Header="_Logout" />
                                    <Separator />
                                    <MenuItem Header="_Exit" />
                                </MenuItem>
                                <MenuItem Header="_Reports">
                                    <MenuItem Header="_Report1" />
                                    <MenuItem Header="_Report2" />
                                    <MenuItem Header="_Report3" />
                                </MenuItem>
                                <MenuItem Header="_Administration">
                                    <MenuItem Header="_Task1" />
                                    <MenuItem Header="_Task2" />
                                    <MenuItem Header="_Task3" />
                                </MenuItem>
                            </Menu>
                            <Grid Margin="0,0,0,0" Width="Auto">
                                <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                                    <ColumnDefinition Width="74*"/>
                                    <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
                                </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                                <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                                    <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
                                    <RowDefinition Height="3*"/>
                                </Grid.RowDefinitions>
                                <TextBlock Grid.Row="2" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Margin="5,0,4.666,4" />
                            </Grid>
                            <ContentPresenter>

                            </ContentPresenter>
                        </DockPanel>
                    </ControlTemplate>
                </Setter.Value>
            </Setter>
        </Style>
    </Application.Resources>
</Application>

Upvotes: 1

Related Questions