WPF: Implicit Theme/Style: Access control in xaml/resource from code cs

Question

I'm styling a Grid component using implict theme and there is some buttons above the grid, like a toolbar. I would like to access one of these buttons. I've created a method that requires a FrameworkElement and I intend to use the button, but I can't access. I have tried this one: How do I access an element of a control template from within code-behind , but it only works when a user control and it's .cs is used.

Is there a way of doing this using implicit theme?

Answer 1

XAML and C# could work a little different depending at the platform (Windows Phone, Windows 10, Windows 7, Silverlight, WPF). Here is how this could be reached on Windows 10.

public static class AppHelpers
{
    public static List<T> GetVisualChildCollection<T>(object parent) where T : Control
    {
        List<T> visualCollection = new List<T>();
        GetVisualChildCollection((DependencyObject)parent, visualCollection);
        return visualCollection;
    }

    private static void GetVisualChildCollection<T>(DependencyObject parent, List<T> visualCollection) where T : Control
    {
        int count = VisualTreeHelper.GetChildrenCount(parent);
        for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
        {
            DependencyObject child = VisualTreeHelper.GetChild(parent, i);
            if (child is T)
            {
                visualCollection.Add(child as T);
            }
            else if (child != null)
            {
                GetVisualChildCollection(child, visualCollection);
            }
        }
    }
}

Just..

var buttonsInsideMyGrid = AppHelpers.GetVisualChildCollection<Button>(YourGridName);

Answer 2

I found out another way of doing this.

In your XAML style you set you component (in my case is a button, but it can be any other component you need) like this:

<Button Content="My Button" x:Name="myButton" />

Then, on your .cs class (in my case is a grid, where I'm adding a button on the top of it) you do like this:

[TemplatePart(Name = "myButton", Type = typeof(Button))]
public class MyStylizedGrid : RadGridView
{
Button _btn;

// here the constructor and other methods you're using


//Then you use the OnApplyTemplate method to get that component you need 
public override void OnApplyTemplate()
{
    base.OnApplyTemplate();
    _btn = GetTemplateChild("myButton") as Button;
}

}