ComboBox Styles and Templates
Microsoft Silverlight will reach end of support after October 2021. Learn more.
This topic describes the styles and templates for the ComboBox control. You can modify the default ControlTemplate to give the control a unique appearance. For more information, see Customizing the Appearance of an Existing Control by Using a ControlTemplate.
ComboBox Parts
The following table lists the named parts for the ComboBox control.
Part |
Type |
Description |
|---|---|---|
ContentPresenterBorder |
A visual element that serves as a border to ContentPresenter. |
|
ContentPresenter |
The text of the ComboBox. |
|
DropDownToggle |
A ToggleButton to select the items in the combo box. |
|
Popup |
The drop-down that contains the items in the combo box. |
|
ScrollViewer |
The scrolling area in the ComboBox. |
ComboBox States
The following table lists the states for the ComboBox control.
VisualState Name |
VisualStateGroup Name |
Description |
|---|---|---|
Normal |
CommonStates |
The default state. |
Disabled |
CommonStates |
The control is disabled. |
MouseOver |
CommonStates |
The mouse pointer is over the ComboBox control. |
Focused |
FocusStates |
The control has focus. |
Unfocused |
FocusStates |
The control does not have focus. |
FocusedDropDown |
FocusStates |
The drop-down for the ComboBox has focus. |
InvalidFocused |
ValidationStates |
The control is invalid, but has focus. |
InvalidUnfocused |
ValidationStates |
The control is invalid and does not have focus. |
Valid |
ValidationStates |
The control is valid. |
ComboBoxItem States
The following table lists the states for the ComboBoxItem control.
VisualState Name |
VisualStateGroup Name |
Description |
|---|---|---|
Normal |
CommonStates |
The default state. |
MouseOver |
CommonStates |
The mouse pointer is over the ComboBox control. |
Focused |
FocusStates |
The control has focus. |
Unfocused |
FocusStates |
The control does not have focus. |
Selected |
SelectionStates |
The item is currently selected. |
Unselected |
SelectionStates |
The item is not selected. |
SelectedUnfocused |
SelectionStates |
The item is selected, but does not have focus. |
Default Style and Template
The following properties of the ComboBox control are not used in its default template. However, you can modify the default template and use template binding to set these properties.
The following shows the XML namespace mapping that you have to specify when you work with styles and templates.
<!-- XML Namespace mapping. -->
xmlns:vsm="clr-namespace:System.Windows;assembly=System.Windows"
xmlns:sys="clr-namespace:System;assembly=mscorlib"
.gif "Note") Note: |
|---|
The default templates still specify the vsm: XML namespace mapping for the VisualStateManager element for legacy reasons. You can however, use the VisualStateManager element without specifying the vsm: mapping. |
The following XAML shows the default style and template for the ComboBox control.
<Style TargetType="ComboBox">
<Setter Property="Padding" Value="6,2,25,2" />
<Setter Property="Background" Value="#FF1F3B53"/>
<Setter Property="HorizontalContentAlignment" Value="Left"/>
<Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="1"/>
<Setter Property="TabNavigation" Value="Once" />
<Setter Property="ScrollViewer.HorizontalScrollBarVisibility" Value="Auto"/>
<Setter Property="ScrollViewer.VerticalScrollBarVisibility" Value="Auto"/>
<Setter Property="BorderBrush">
<Setter.Value>
<LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
<GradientStop Color="#FFA3AEB9" Offset="0"/>
<GradientStop Color="#FF8399A9" Offset="0.375"/>
<GradientStop Color="#FF718597" Offset="0.375"/>
<GradientStop Color="#FF617584" Offset="1"/>
</LinearGradientBrush>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="ComboBox">
<Grid>
<Grid.Resources>
<Style x:Name="comboToggleStyle" TargetType="ToggleButton">
<Setter Property="Foreground" Value="#FF333333"/>
<Setter Property="Background" Value="#FF1F3B53"/>
<Setter Property="BorderBrush">
<Setter.Value>
<LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
<GradientStop Color="#FFA3AEB9" Offset="0"/>
<GradientStop Color="#FF8399A9" Offset="0.375"/>
<GradientStop Color="#FF718597" Offset="0.375"/>
<GradientStop Color="#FF617584" Offset="1"/>
</LinearGradientBrush>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
<vsm:Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="1"/>
<Setter Property="Padding" Value="3"/>
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="ToggleButton">
<Grid>
<vsm:VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<vsm:VisualStateGroup x:Name="CommonStates">
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Normal"/>
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="MouseOver">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundOverlay" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Opacity" To="1"/>
<ColorAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundGradient" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.Fill).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[3].(GradientStop.Color)" To="#7FFFFFFF"/>
<ColorAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundGradient" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.Fill).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[2].(GradientStop.Color)" To="#CCFFFFFF"/>
<ColorAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundGradient" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.Fill).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)" To="#F2FFFFFF"/>
</Storyboard>
</vsm:VisualState>
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Pressed">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundOverlay2" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Opacity" To="1"/>
<DoubleAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="Highlight" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Opacity)" To="1"/>
<ColorAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundGradient" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.Fill).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)" To="#E5FFFFFF"/>
<ColorAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundGradient" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.Fill).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[2].(GradientStop.Color)" To="#BCFFFFFF"/>
<ColorAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundGradient" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.Fill).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[3].(GradientStop.Color)" To="#6BFFFFFF"/>
<ColorAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundGradient" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.Fill).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[0].(GradientStop.Color)" To="#F2FFFFFF"/>
</Storyboard>
</vsm:VisualState>
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Disabled" />
</vsm:VisualStateGroup>
<vsm:VisualStateGroup x:Name="CheckStates">
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Checked">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundOverlay3" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Opacity)" To="1"/>
<DoubleAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="Highlight" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Opacity)" To="1"/>
<DoubleAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundGradient2" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Opacity)" To="1"/>
<ColorAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundGradient2" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.Fill).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)" To="#E5FFFFFF"/>
<ColorAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundGradient2" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.Fill).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[2].(GradientStop.Color)" To="#BCFFFFFF"/>
<ColorAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundGradient2" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.Fill).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[3].(GradientStop.Color)" To="#6BFFFFFF"/>
<ColorAnimation Duration="0" Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundGradient2" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.Fill).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[0].(GradientStop.Color)" To="#F2FFFFFF"/>
</Storyboard>
</vsm:VisualState>
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Unchecked"/>
</vsm:VisualStateGroup>
<vsm:VisualStateGroup x:Name="FocusStates">
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Focused">
<Storyboard>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="FocusVisualElement" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Visibility" Duration="0">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
<Visibility>Visible</Visibility>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</vsm:VisualState>
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Unfocused" />
</vsm:VisualStateGroup>
</vsm:VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<Rectangle x:Name="Background" RadiusX="3" RadiusY="3" Fill="{TemplateBinding Background}" StrokeThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}" Stroke="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}"/>
<Rectangle x:Name="BackgroundOverlay" Opacity="0" RadiusX="3" RadiusY="3" Fill="#FF448DCA" StrokeThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}" Stroke="#00000000"/>
<Rectangle x:Name="BackgroundOverlay2" Opacity="0" RadiusX="3" RadiusY="3" Fill="#FF448DCA" StrokeThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}" Stroke="#00000000"/>
<Rectangle x:Name="BackgroundGradient" RadiusX="2" RadiusY="2" StrokeThickness="1" Margin="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}" Stroke="#FFFFFFFF">
<Rectangle.Fill>
<LinearGradientBrush StartPoint=".7,0" EndPoint=".7,1">
<GradientStop Color="#FFFFFFFF" Offset="0" />
<GradientStop Color="#F9FFFFFF" Offset="0.375" />
<GradientStop Color="#E5FFFFFF" Offset="0.625" />
<GradientStop Color="#C6FFFFFF" Offset="1" />
</LinearGradientBrush>
</Rectangle.Fill>
</Rectangle>
<Rectangle Opacity="0" x:Name="BackgroundOverlay3" RadiusX="3" RadiusY="3" Fill="#FF448DCA" StrokeThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}" Stroke="#00000000"/>
<Rectangle Opacity="0" x:Name="BackgroundGradient2" RadiusX="2" RadiusY="2" StrokeThickness="1" Margin="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}" Stroke="#FFFFFFFF">
<Rectangle.Fill>
<LinearGradientBrush StartPoint=".7,0" EndPoint=".7,1">
<GradientStop Color="#FFFFFFFF" Offset="0" />
<GradientStop Color="#F9FFFFFF" Offset="0.375" />
<GradientStop Color="#E5FFFFFF" Offset="0.625" />
<GradientStop Color="#C6FFFFFF" Offset="1" />
</LinearGradientBrush>
</Rectangle.Fill>
</Rectangle>
<Rectangle x:Name="Highlight" RadiusX="2" RadiusY="2" Opacity="0" IsHitTestVisible="false" Stroke="#FF6DBDD1" StrokeThickness="1" Margin="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}" />
<ContentPresenter
x:Name="contentPresenter"
Content="{TemplateBinding Content}"
ContentTemplate="{TemplateBinding ContentTemplate}"
HorizontalAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}"
VerticalAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}"
Margin="{TemplateBinding Padding}"/>
<Rectangle x:Name="FocusVisualElement" RadiusX="3.5" Margin="1" RadiusY="3.5" Stroke="#FF6DBDD1" StrokeThickness="1" Visibility="Collapsed" IsHitTestVisible="false" />
</Grid>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>
</Grid.Resources>
<vsm:VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<vsm:VisualStateGroup x:Name="CommonStates">
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Normal" />
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="MouseOver" />
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Disabled">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation Duration="00:00:00" Storyboard.TargetName="DisabledVisualElement" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Opacity)" To=".55"/>
</Storyboard>
</vsm:VisualState>
</vsm:VisualStateGroup>
<vsm:VisualStateGroup x:Name="FocusStates">
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Focused">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation Duration="00:00:00" Storyboard.TargetName="FocusVisualElement" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Opacity)" To="1"/>
</Storyboard>
</vsm:VisualState>
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Unfocused"/>
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="FocusedDropDown">
<Storyboard>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Duration="00:00:00" Storyboard.TargetName="PopupBorder" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Visibility)">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="00:00:00">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
<Visibility>Visible</Visibility>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</vsm:VisualState>
</vsm:VisualStateGroup>
<vsm:VisualStateGroup x:Name="ValidationStates">
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Valid"/>
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="InvalidUnfocused">
<Storyboard>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="ValidationErrorElement" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Visibility">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" >
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
<Visibility>Visible</Visibility>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</vsm:VisualState>
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="InvalidFocused">
<Storyboard>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="ValidationErrorElement" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Visibility">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" >
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
<Visibility>Visible</Visibility>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="validationTooltip" Storyboard.TargetProperty="IsOpen">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" >
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
<sys:Boolean>True</sys:Boolean>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</vsm:VisualState>
</vsm:VisualStateGroup>
</vsm:VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<Border x:Name="ContentPresenterBorder">
<Grid>
<ToggleButton x:Name="DropDownToggle" Style="{StaticResource comboToggleStyle}" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" VerticalAlignment="Stretch" Margin="0" HorizontalContentAlignment="Right" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}" BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}" BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}">
<Path x:Name="BtnArrow" Height="4" Width="8" Stretch="Uniform" Data="F1 M 301.14,-189.041L 311.57,-189.041L 306.355,-182.942L 301.14,-189.041 Z " Margin="0,0,6,0" HorizontalAlignment="Right">
<Path.Fill>
<SolidColorBrush x:Name="BtnArrowColor" Color="#FF333333"/>
</Path.Fill>
</Path>
</ToggleButton>
<ContentPresenter x:Name="ContentPresenter"
Margin="{TemplateBinding Padding}"
HorizontalAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}"
VerticalAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}">
<TextBlock Text=" " />
</ContentPresenter>
</Grid>
</Border>
<Rectangle x:Name="DisabledVisualElement" RadiusX="3" RadiusY="3" Fill="White" Opacity="0" IsHitTestVisible="false" />
<Rectangle x:Name="FocusVisualElement" RadiusX="2" RadiusY="2" Margin="1" Stroke="#FF6DBDD1" StrokeThickness="1" Opacity="0" IsHitTestVisible="false" />
<Border x:Name="ValidationErrorElement" BorderThickness="1" CornerRadius="1" BorderBrush="#FFDB000C" Visibility="Collapsed">
<ToolTipService.ToolTip>
<ToolTip x:Name="validationTooltip" Template="{StaticResource ValidationToolTipTemplate}" Placement="Right"
PlacementTarget="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}"
DataContext="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}">
<ToolTip.Triggers>
<EventTrigger RoutedEvent="Canvas.Loaded">
<EventTrigger.Actions>
<BeginStoryboard>
<Storyboard>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="validationTooltip" Storyboard.TargetProperty="IsHitTestVisible">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" >
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
<sys:Boolean>true</sys:Boolean>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</BeginStoryboard>
</EventTrigger.Actions>
</EventTrigger>
</ToolTip.Triggers>
</ToolTip>
</ToolTipService.ToolTip>
<Grid Width="12" Height="12" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Margin="1,-4,-4,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Background="Transparent">
<Path Margin="1,3,0,0" Data="M 1,0 L6,0 A 2,2 90 0 1 8,2 L8,7 z" Fill="#FFDC000C"/>
<Path Margin="1,3,0,0" Data="M 0,0 L2,0 L 8,6 L8,8" Fill="#ffffff"/>
</Grid>
</Border>
<Popup x:Name="Popup">
<Border x:Name="PopupBorder" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" Height="Auto" BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}" BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}" CornerRadius="3">
<Border.Background>
<LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
<GradientStop Color="#FFFFFFFF" Offset="0"/>
<GradientStop Color="#FFFEFEFE" Offset="1"/>
</LinearGradientBrush>
</Border.Background>
<ScrollViewer x:Name="ScrollViewer" BorderThickness="0" Padding="1">
<ItemsPresenter/>
</ScrollViewer>
</Border>
</Popup>
</Grid>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>
The default ControlTemplate for ComboBox references the ControlTemplate for ValidationTooltip. The following XAML shows the ControlTemplate for ValidationTooltip that you must specify when you work with the ComboBox control template:
<ControlTemplate x:Key="ValidationToolTipTemplate">
<Grid x:Name="Root" Margin="5,0" RenderTransformOrigin="0,0" Opacity="0">
<Grid.RenderTransform>
<TranslateTransform x:Name="xform" X="-25"/>
</Grid.RenderTransform>
<vsm:VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<vsm:VisualStateGroup Name="OpenStates">
<vsm:VisualStateGroup.Transitions>
<vsm:VisualTransition GeneratedDuration="0"/>
<vsm:VisualTransition To="Open" GeneratedDuration="0:0:0.2">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="xform" Storyboard.TargetProperty="X" To="0" Duration="0:0:0.2">
<DoubleAnimation.EasingFunction>
<BackEase Amplitude=".3" EasingMode="EaseOut"/>
</DoubleAnimation.EasingFunction>
</DoubleAnimation>
<DoubleAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="Root" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Opacity" To="1" Duration="0:0:0.2"/>
</Storyboard>
</vsm:VisualTransition>
</vsm:VisualStateGroup.Transitions>
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Closed">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="Root" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Opacity" To="0" Duration="0"/>
</Storyboard>
</vsm:VisualState>
<vsm:VisualState x:Name="Open">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="xform" Storyboard.TargetProperty="X" To="0" Duration="0"/>
<DoubleAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="Root" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Opacity" To="1" Duration="0"/>
</Storyboard>
</vsm:VisualState>
</vsm:VisualStateGroup>
</vsm:VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<Border Margin="4,4,-4,-4" Background="#052A2E31" CornerRadius="5"/>
<Border Margin="3,3,-3,-3" Background="#152A2E31" CornerRadius="4"/>
<Border Margin="2,2,-2,-2" Background="#252A2E31" CornerRadius="3"/>
<Border Margin="1,1,-1,-1" Background="#352A2E31" CornerRadius="2"/>
<Border Background="#FFDC000C" CornerRadius="2"/>
<Border CornerRadius="2">
<TextBlock
UseLayoutRounding="false"
Foreground="White" Margin="8,4,8,4" MaxWidth="250" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="{Binding (Validation.Errors)[0].ErrorContent}"/>
</Border>
</Grid>
</ControlTemplate>
See Also