Question

I’m trying to create a WPF window that has a single control and 2 buttons displayed.
The control can be either a TextBox, ComboBox or Slider dependent on the type of object selected to launch this window.

Is it possible to do this or will I have to create a window with 3 conrtols and manipulate their position at runtime?

Regards

Tony

additions to original question

My implementation is as follows

<Window.Resources>
        <Style TargetType="TextBox" x:Key="TextBoxTemplate">
            <Setter Value="{Binding ElementName=MyWindow, Path=m_csValue}" />
        </Style>
        <Style TargetType="{x:Type ComboBox}" x:Key="ComboBoxTemplate">
            <Setter Value="{Binding ElementName=MyWindow, Path=ItemsForSelection}" />
        </Style>
        <Style TargetType="{x:Type Slider}" x:Key="SliderTemplate">
            <Setter Value="{Binding ElementName=MyWindow, Path=SliderDetail}" />
        </Style>

        <Style TargetType="{x:Type ContentControl}" x:Key="DisplayValues">
            <!-- Default Template -->
            <Setter Property="ContentTemplate" Value="{StaticResource TextBoxTemplate}" />
            <Style.Triggers>
                <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding ElementName=MyWindow, Path=eType}" Value="{x:Static local:eTagDisplay.Text}">
                    <Setter Property="ContentTemplate">
                        <Setter.Value>
                            <ControlTemplate Template="{StaticResource TextBoxTemplate}" />
                        </Setter.Value>
                    </Setter> 
                 </DataTrigger>
                <!-- DataTrigger Binding="{Binding ElementName=MyWindow, Path=eType}" Value="{x:Static local:eTagDisplay.Combo}">
                    <Setter Property="ContentTemplate">
                        <Setter.Value>
                            <ControlTemplate Template="{StaticResource ComboBoxTemplate}" />
                        </Setter.Value>
                    </Setter>
                </DataTrigger>
                <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding ElementName=MyWindow, Path=eType}" Value="{x:Static local:eTagDisplay.Slider}">
                <Setter Property="ContentTemplate">
                    <Setter.Value>
                        <ControlTemplate Template="{StaticResource SliderTemplate}" />
                    </Setter.Value>
                </Setter>
                </DataTrigger -->
            </Style.Triggers>
        </Style>
</Window.Resources>

<Grid Width="267">
    <StackPanel Name="TagEditor1">
        <!-- Text="{Binding ElementName=MyWindow, Path=m_csValue}" / -->
        <ContentControl Style="{StaticResource DisplayValues}" />
    </StackPanel>


    <Button Content="OK" Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="12,154,0,0" Name="btnOK" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="75" Click="OnClkOK" />
    <Button Content="Cancel" Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="180,154,0,0" Name="btnCancel" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="75" Click="OnClkCancel" IsCancel="True" />
</Grid>

I’m getting an error ‘System.Windows.Style’ is not a valid value for the ‘System.Windows.Controls.ContentControl.ContentTemplate’ property on a setter. I don’t know why this is happening.
My Binding is OK, i believe, as it picks up string OK….

Answer 1

I would do this with a <ContentControl> that has a different <ContentTemplate> depending on what type of control is needed.

You didn’t specify how the control type is being passed to the window, so your DataTrigger bindings would probably look a bit different from mine, but this should give you the right idea:

<DataTemplate TargetType="{x:Type ContentControl}" x:Key="TextBoxTemplate">
    <TextBox ... />
</DataTemplate>
<DataTemplate TargetType="{x:Type ContentControl}" x:Key="ComboBoxTemplate">
    <ComboBox ... />
</DataTemplate>
<DataTemplate TargetType="{x:Type ContentControl}" x:Key="SliderTemplate">
    <Slider ... />
</DataTemplate>

<Style x:Key="MyStyle" TargetType="{x:Type ContentControl}">
    <!-- Default Template -->
    <Setter Property="ContentTemplate" 
            Value="{StaticResource TextBoxTemplate}" />

    <Style.Triggers>
        <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding SomeBoundValue}" Value="ComboBox">
            <Setter Property="ContentTemplate" 
                    Value="{StaticResource ComboBoxTemplate}" />
        </DataTrigger>
        <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding SomeBoundValue}" Value="Slider">
            <Setter Property="ContentTemplate"
                    Value="{StaticResource SliderTemplate}" />
        </DataTrigger>
    </Style.Triggers>
</Style>

...

<ContentControl Style="{StaticResource MyStyle}" />

You could also allow users to specify a Content for your UserControl or Window, and simply display it using a ContentPresenter bound to the Content. Something like this:

<UserControl.Template>
    <StackPanel>
        <ContentPresenter Content="{TemplateBinding Content}" />
        <Button ... />
        <Button ... />
    </StackPanel>
</UserControl.Template>

then you could use it like this:

<local:MyUserControl>
    <TextBox ... />
</local:MyUserControl>

<local:MyUserControl>
    <ComboBox ... />
</local:MyUserControl>

<local:MyUserControl>
    <Slider ... />
</local:MyUserControl>