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Binding Custom Button Background/ Border to Custom Property

I am fairly new to WPF and the .NET Framework.
I have created a custom button class and have added a dependency property "Colors" which is another class that I created which defines a buttons border/face colors when enabled and disabled. In the style for this button, I am trying to use Relative Source Binding to Bind members of the "Colors" property to different Properties of the button (Border.Background, Border.BorderBrush, etc.).
Here is my button class:
public class FsnButton : Button
{
static FsnButton()
{
DefaultStyleKeyProperty.OverrideMetadata(typeof(FsnButton), new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(typeof(FsnButton)));
}
public FsnButton()
{
Colors = FsnColors.GrayBtnColors;
}
public GuiTypes.ButtonColors Colors
{
get { return GetValue(ColorsProperty) as GuiTypes.ButtonColors; }
set { SetValue(ColorsProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty ColorsProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Colors", typeof(GuiTypes.ButtonColors), typeof(FsnButton), null);
}
And here is the template portion of the style
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="local:FsnButton">
<Border Name="Face" CornerRadius="3"
Background="{ Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}, Path=Colors.Enabled.Face}"
BorderThickness="1"
BorderBrush="{ Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}, Path=Colors.Enabled.Border}">
</Border>
<ControlTemplate.Triggers>
<Trigger Property="IsPressed" Value="True">
<Setter Property="Background" Value="{ Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}, Path=Colors.Enabled.Border}"></Setter>
<Setter Property="Button.Effect">
<Setter.Value>
<DropShadowEffect Color="DarkSlateGray" Direction="320" ShadowDepth="0" BlurRadius="5" Opacity="0.5"></DropShadowEffect>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
<Setter Property="RenderTransform">
<Setter.Value>
<TranslateTransform X="3" Y="3" />
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Trigger>
</ControlTemplate.Triggers>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
This approach is unsuccessful. When I create an instance of my button class, It doesn't get drawn at all. Am I on the right path? Is there a better way to do what I want?

Your binding paths doesn't resolve. You have to use either TemplateBinding or RelativeSoure TemplatedParent, whenever you are inside a ControlTemplate and want to bind to the templated control itself:
<ControlTemplate TargetType="local:FsnButton">
<!-- TemplatedParent binding source -->
<Border Name="Face"
Background="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}, Path=Colors.Enabled.Face}"
BorderBrush="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}, Path=Colors.Enabled.Border}" />
<!-- TemplateBinding -->
<Border Name="Face"
Background="{TemplateBinding Colors.Enabled.Face}"
BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding Colors.Enabled.Border}" />
</ControlTemplate>

Sending a parameter from user control that uses a custom control

I want to pass a parameter from a User Control that uses a Custom Control, and use that on my Custom Control's cs. For example, if I had a Custom Control on a UserControl
In UserControl (e.g. ThisViewName.XAML):
<ctrl:PinWindowControl Tag="ThisViewName" Grid.Row="0"/>
Which pretty much just contains a button
Generic.xaml:
<Style TargetType="{x:Type local:PinWindowControl}">
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type local:PinWindowControl}">
<Border Background="{TemplateBinding Background}"
BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}"
BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}">
<Button Width="100" Height="100"></Button>
</Border>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>
How can I get the Tag all the way to my PinWindowControl.cs file?

Assuming you created a DependencyProperty in your PinWindowControl:
You can access Tag using this.Tag. Your PinWindowControl is a partial class that is associated with your XAML.
public class PinWindowControl.cs : FrameworkElement
{
public PinWindowControl()
{
Debug.WriteLine(this.Tag);
}
}

Change the Color Displayed in WPF Charting Toolkit Legend

I have the following style which removes data point and randomly generates a line color for my line series plots
<Style x:Key="LineDataPointStyle"
TargetType="ChartingToolkit:LineDataPoint">
<Setter Property="Foreground" Value="DarkGreen"/>
<Setter Property="IsTabStop" Value="False"/>
<Setter Property="Width" Value="NaN"/>
<Setter Property="Height" Value="NaN"/>
<Setter Property="Background"
Value="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self},
Converter={StaticResource ColorBrushConverter}}"/>
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="ChartingToolkit:LineDataPoint">
<Grid x:Name="Root" Opacity="0"/>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>
where the converter is:
public class ColorToBrushConverter : IValueConverter
{
public object Convert(object value, Type targetType,
object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
{
return new SolidColorBrush(Utils.GenerateRandomColor());
}
public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType,
object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
}
This generate the line in a random color, but the legend is a different color; either being auto-generated by the library itself or it is also calling my converter through the style template.
How can I get the legend to print the correct color?

Note: is the answer to the question of Killercam, that has been asked here. Answer to this question is particularly suitable for his bounty, so at his request I publish it here.
In this answer, the Button control is used to demonstrate working with templates.
Part I. Binding in ControlTemplate
If you want to use Binding in a ControlTemplate, you should use following construction:
<ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type SomeControl}">
<Rectangle Fill="{TemplateBinding Background}" />
Quoted from MSDN:
A TemplateBinding is an optimized form of a Binding for template scenarios, analogous to a Binding constructed with {Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}.
Notes about using TemplateBinding
TemplateBinding doesn’t work outside a template or outside its VisualTree property, so you can’t even use TemplateBinding inside a template’s trigger. Furthermore, TemplateBinding doesn’t work when applied to a Freezable (for mostly artificial reasons), for example - VisualBrush. In such cases it is possible to use Binding like this:
<FreezableControl Property="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent},
Path=Background}" />
Also, you can always use an alternative for TemplateBinding:
<Rectangle Fill="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent},
Path=Background}" />
As another possibility, you can also try the following:
<Rectangle Fill="{Binding Background,
RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType={x:Type SomeControl}},
Path=Background}" />
Part II. Notes about your version
In your case, this may cause a conflict of names in the ControlTemplate, because you already are using Binding background is for Border. Therefore, remove it this Binding for a Border, or use another property, such as Tag or attached dependency property for binding Background color.
Example of using
Instead ChartingToolkit controls, took as a basis Button control, because it's easier to demonstrate the idea of ​​this styles.
Solution 1: using Tag
<Window.Resources>
<Style x:Key="TestButtonStyle" TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
<Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="0" />
<Setter Property="IsTabStop" Value="False" />
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
<!-- Here we are set Tag for Border Background -->
<Border Background="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}, Path=Tag}"
BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}">
<Grid>
<Rectangle Width="24"
Height="24"
Fill="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}, Path=Background}"
Stroke="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}" />
<ContentPresenter Content="{TemplateBinding Content}"
HorizontalAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}"
VerticalAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}" />
</Grid>
</Border>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>
</Window.Resources>
<Grid>
<Button Name="TestButton"
Style="{StaticResource TestButtonStyle}"
Content="Test"
HorizontalContentAlignment="Center"
VerticalContentAlignment="Center"
Tag="Green"
Background="Aquamarine"
Width="100"
Height="100" />
</Grid>
Output
Here for Rectangle, set two colors: default for Rectangle, in Tag for Border. I do not find this a good solution, and here's why:
If a Border and Rectangle need to set different values, such as: Background, BorderThickness, BorderBrush, etc. one Tag is not enough.
With one name property must be clearly its purpose, one name "Tag" us to nothing says.
Of these disadvantages can be concluded that we should find an alternative, as an alternative I use a extender-class with the attached dependency properties.
Extender class ButtonExt.cs
public static class ButtonExt
{
#region RectangleBackground Property
public static readonly DependencyProperty RectangleBackgroundProperty;
public static void SetRectangleBackground(DependencyObject DepObject, Brush value)
{
DepObject.SetValue(RectangleBackgroundProperty, value);
}
public static Brush GetRectangleBackground(DependencyObject DepObject)
{
return (Brush)DepObject.GetValue(RectangleBackgroundProperty);
}
#endregion
#region RectangleBorderBrush Property
public static readonly DependencyProperty RectangleBorderBrushProperty;
public static void SetRectangleBorderBrush(DependencyObject DepObject, Brush value)
{
DepObject.SetValue(RectangleBorderBrushProperty, value);
}
public static Brush GetRectangleBorderBrush(DependencyObject DepObject)
{
return (Brush)DepObject.GetValue(RectangleBorderBrushProperty);
}
#endregion
#region Button Constructor
static ButtonExt()
{
#region RectangleBackground
PropertyMetadata BrushPropertyMetadata = new PropertyMetadata(Brushes.Transparent);
RectangleBackgroundProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("RectangleBackground",
typeof(Brush),
typeof(ButtonExt),
BrushPropertyMetadata);
#endregion
#region RectangleBorderBrush
RectangleBorderBrushProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("RectangleBorderBrush",
typeof(Brush),
typeof(ButtonExt),
BrushPropertyMetadata);
#endregion
}
#endregion
}
MainWindow.xaml
<Window.Resources>
<Style x:Key="TestButtonExtensionStyle" TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
<Setter Property="Width" Value="80" />
<Setter Property="Height" Value="80" />
<Setter Property="Background" Value="Green" />
<Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="Pink" />
<Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="4" />
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
<Border Background="{TemplateBinding Background}"
BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}"
BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}">
<Grid>
<Rectangle Fill="{TemplateBinding PropertiesExtension:ButtonExt.RectangleBackground}"
Stroke="{TemplateBinding PropertiesExtension:ButtonExt.RectangleBorderBrush}"
Width="30"
Height="30" />
<ContentPresenter Content="{TemplateBinding Content}"
HorizontalAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}"
VerticalAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}" />
</Grid>
</Border>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>
</Window.Resources>
<Grid>
<Button Style="{StaticResource TestButtonExtensionStyle}"
PropertiesExtension:ButtonExt.RectangleBackground="Aquamarine"
PropertiesExtension:ButtonExt.RectangleBorderBrush="Black"
Content="Test" />
</Grid>
Output
Part III. Setting values for dependency properties
When you create and register your attached dependency property, you must declare the Set and Get methods to work with him:
public static void SetRectangleBackground(DependencyObject DepObject, Brush value)
{
DepObject.SetValue(RectangleBackgroundProperty, value);
}
public static Brush GetRectangleBackground(DependencyObject DepObject)
{
return (Brush)DepObject.GetValue(RectangleBackgroundProperty);
}
Then work with them will be as follows:
Set
ButtonExt.SetRectangleBackground(MyButton, Brushes.Red);
Get
Brush MyBrush = ButtonExt.GetRectangleBackground(MyButton);
But in our case, it's not so simple. When I used the attached dependency property problems in updating values ​​were not. But in our case, the property is in the template, and in my case there was no update Button. I tried to set Mode=TwoWay, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged, in Binding and in the property declaration, GetBindingExpression().UpdateTarget(), but it was useless.
Note that for the property setting a new value, and notification from the template is not, that the property has been updated. Maybe I'm wrong, and you have will work, or maybe it's made specifically, for example to avoid memory leaks.
In any case, it is better not to update the dependency property directly, and bind to it the property of the Model and in the ViewModel to set the value.
Example:
<Button Style="{StaticResource TestButtonExtensionStyle}"
adp:ButtonExt.RectangleBackground="{Binding Path=Model.RectBackground,
Mode=TwoWay,
UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}"
adp:ButtonExt.RectangleBorderBrush="{Binding Path=Model.RectBorderBrush,
Mode=TwoWay,
UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}" />
where RectBackground and RectBorderBrush implement the INotifyPropertyChanged interface.
As an alternative in this case, do not use dependency properties and use the DataTemplate for the control. DataTemplate ideal for MVVM, very flexible and dynamic.
For example, work with DataTemplate, you can see my answers:
Make (create) reusable dynamic Views
One ViewModel for UserControl and Window or separate ViewModels

I do something similar, where I generate plots with changing colors, but these colors are randomly selected from a preferred list (I have a black background and some colors just don't work very well on top of black) . I set the color from code behind and I am not sure this is something you can do.
In your case I would try something like this:
//If you declare your style in a resource dictionary, get that resource first
ResourceDictionary resD = (ResourceDictionary)Application.LoadComponent(new Uri("ResourcesPlot\\ResourceDictionaryPlot.xaml", UriKind.Relative));
//The actual style
Style lineDataPointStyle= (Style)resD["LineDataPointStyle"];
//Set the color
lineDataPointStyle.Setters.Add(new Setter(BackgroundProperty, Utils.GenerateRandomColor()));
Hope this works.
Edit:
For the legend I use this (I have an extra checkbox for showing/hiding a certain plot)
<Style x:Key="CustomLegendItemStyle" TargetType="{x:Type chartingToolkit:LegendItem}">
<Setter Property="IsTabStop" Value="False" />
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="chartingToolkit:LegendItem">
<StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
<CheckBox VerticalAlignment="Center" Margin="3" IsChecked="true" Checked="DisplaySeries_Checked" Unchecked="DisplaySeries_Unchecked"/>
<!--<Rectangle VerticalAlignment="Center" Width="8" Height="8" Fill="{DynamicResource MyBackgroundDiode1}" Stroke="{Binding BorderBrush}" StrokeThickness="1" Margin="5,5,5,5" />-->
<chartingToolkit:LegendItem VerticalAlignment="Center" Content="{TemplateBinding Content}" />
</StackPanel>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>

Command Binding in ControlTemplate with Attached Property

I'm trying to set up a system that would allow me to attach a string value to a ComboBoxItem and display it next to the ComboBoxItem's content, without having to explicitly nest a StackPanel inside every individual ComboBoxItem or use a custom control.
So what I've done is created a DependencyProperty called "Header" and attach it to the ComboBoxItem, and I've overridden the ComboBoxItem template to contain the stack panel with a TextBlock that binds its Text to the attached Header property of the ComboBoxItem.
The problem I am having is that the only text that ever appears in the TextBlock at runtime is whatever I set the default value of the dependency property to in metadata. Any changes to the attached property on the ComboBoxItems thereafter is not reflected in the TextBlock.
Here is my DependencyProperty definition:
public class AttHeader : DependencyObject
{
public static readonly DependencyProperty HeaderProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("Header", typeof(string), typeof(AttHeader));
public static void SetHeader(DependencyObject d, string value)
{
d.SetValue(HeaderProperty, value);
}
public static string GetHeader(DependencyObject d)
{
return (string)d.GetValue(HeaderProperty);
}
}
Here is my style and template:
<Style TargetType="ComboBoxItem">
<Setter Property="OverridesDefaultStyle" Value="True"/>
<Setter Property="SnapsToDevicePixels" Value="True"/>
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="ComboBoxItem">
<StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
<ContentPresenter />
<TextBlock Name="HeaderHost" Text="{Binding Path=(local:AttHeader.Header), RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}}" />
</StackPanel>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>
And here is where I create a few ComboBoxItems:
<ComboBox SelectedIndex="0">
<ComboBoxItem local:AttHeader.Header="Isometric">
<Image Source="../images/viewTypeIso.png" Stretch="None"/>
</ComboBoxItem>
<ComboBoxItem local:AttHeader.Header="Top">
<Image Source="../images/ViewTypeTop.png" Stretch="None"/>
</ComboBoxItem>
</ComboBox>
Even setting the value of the attached properties of these ComboBoxItems when they are created has no effect on the TextBlocks within.
I'm assuming the binding is valid, because I can set a default value for the dependency property and each ComboBoxItem will always display that value next to its image.
I've set a breakpoint in SetHeader and it is indeed called when those ComboBoxItems are constructed.
Is there something I am doing wrong or is there some limitation to Binding that I'm unaware of?

your binding isn't correct , TextBlock is now a child of the ComboBoxItem
try binding to :
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="ComboBoxItem">
<StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
<ContentPresenter />
<TextBlock Name="HeaderHost"
Text="{Binding Path=local:AttHeader.Header,
RelativeSource={RelativeSource Mode=FindAncestor
,AncestorType=ComboBoxItem}}" />
</StackPanel>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>

I still haven't gotten the header binding to work with that implementation, but here's a super easy convenient workaround: Use HeaderedContentControls instead of ComboBoxItems, and instruct your ComboBox to orient the Header Horizontally by implementing the following Style:
<Style TargetType="HeaderedContentControl">
<Setter Property="OverridesDefaultStyle" Value="True"/>
<Setter Property="SnapsToDevicePixels" Value="True"/>
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="HeaderedContentControl">
<StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
<ContentPresenter />
<ContentPresenter ContentSource="Header" />
</StackPanel>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>

WPF Custom Control with Item/Data Templates

I know how to create a custom user control in WPF but how can I make it so that someone can provide an ItemTemplate?
I have a user control that is a mixture of several other WPF controls, one of them being a ListBox. I'd like to let the user of the control specify the content of the list box but I'm not sure how to pass that information through.
EDIT: The accepted answer works with the following correction:
<UserControl x:Class="WpfApplication6.MyControl"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:src="clr-namespace:WpfApplication6">
<ListBox ItemTemplate="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource FindAncestor, AncestorType={x:Type src:MyControl}}, Path=ItemsSource}" />
</UserControl>

You will want to add a DependencyProperty to your control. The xaml will look slightly different if you are deriving from UserControl or Control.
public partial class MyControl : UserControl
{
public MyControl()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty ItemTemplateProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("ItemTemplate", typeof(DataTemplate), typeof(MyControl), new UIPropertyMetadata(null));
public DataTemplate ItemTemplate
{
get { return (DataTemplate) GetValue(ItemTemplateProperty); }
set { SetValue(ItemTemplateProperty, value); }
}
}
Here is xaml for a UserControl.
<UserControl x:Class="WpfApplication6.MyControl"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:src="clr-namespace:WpfApplication6">
<ListBox ItemTemplate="{Binding ItemTemplate, RelativeSource={RelativeSource FindAncestor, AncestorType={x:Type src:MyControl}}}" />
</UserControl>
Here is xaml for a Control:
<Style TargetType="{x:Type src:MyControl}">
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type src:MyControl}">
<Border Background="{TemplateBinding Background}"
BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}"
BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}">
<ListBox ItemTemplate="{TemplateBinding ItemTemplate}" />
</Border>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>