property Template not found for custom wpf control

Question

I am trying to modify the wpf tray icon at http://www.hardcodet.net/projects/wpf-notifyicon

the aim is to have a separate xaml file that would define a trayicon with a specific configuration, so that this configuration, in a separate file, could be easily added to say a wpf window.

im very new to wpf, but am trying to use ControlTemplate in a ResourceDictionary to achieve the aim:

Pointing to resource in App.xaml

<Application.Resources>
    <ResourceDictionary>
        <ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
            <ResourceDictionary Source="trayicon.xaml"/>
        </ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
    </ResourceDictionary>
</Application.Resources>

The separated configuration of trayicon.xaml

<ResourceDictionary xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
                xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
                xmlns:tb="clr-namespace:Hardcodet.Wpf.TaskbarNotification">
<ControlTemplate x:Key="TrayIcon" TargetType="{x:Type tb:TaskbarIcon}">
            <tb:TaskbarIcon x:Name="MyNotifyIcon"
        IconSource="/TaskbarNotification/DefaultTrayIcon.ico"
        ToolTipText="I am notified yes!"
        MenuActivation="LeftOrRightClick"></tb:TaskbarIcon>
</ControlTemplate>
</ResourceDictionary>

Trying to use the configuration

<Window x:Class="Test.MainWindow"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"  
    xmlns:tb="clr-namespace:Hardcodet.Wpf.TaskbarNotification"
    Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
<Grid>
    <tb:TaskbarIcon Template="{StaticResource TrayIcon}"></tb:TaskbarIcon>
</Grid>
</Window>

Exception thrown in MainWindow.xaml

The property 'Template' was not found in type 'TaskbarIcon'

My guess is that i have to add some code to this custom wpf control that woudl expose the Template property and set it how it should be set? But i have no idea how i would do that, could you point me in the right direction please?

Wild partial guess of code needed

public static readonly DependencyProperty TemplateProperty =
    DependencyProperty.Register("Template",
                                typeof (SomeTemplateType),
                                typeof (TaskbarIcon),
                                new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(SomeTemplateType.Empty, TemplatePropertyChanged));

[Category(CategoryName)]
[Description("Enables Templating.")]
public SomeTemplateType Template
{
  get { return (SomeTemplateType)TemplateProperty; }
  set { SetValue(TemplateProperty,value); }
}

Answer 1

Cel I dont understand the template in the first place. The control template is targetted for tb:TaskbarIcon which actually has another tb:TaskbarIcon inside it!!!

I assume you want following properties to be applied to TrayIcons across your application with their specified values...

     IconSource="/TaskbarNotification/DefaultTrayIcon.ico";
     ToolTipText="I am notified yes!";
     MenuActivation="LeftOrRightClick"

If thats so then assuming that above properties are dependency properties, instead of creating a control template why dont you create a style which is targetted to tb:TaskbarIcon and specify Setters which set the above properties with their corresponding values.

   <Style x:Name="MyNotifyIcon" TargetType="{x:Type tb:TaskbarIcon}">
        <Setter Property="IconSource" Value="/TaskbarNotification/DefaultTrayIcon.ico"/>
        <Setter Property="ToolTipText" Value="I am notified yes!" />
        <Setter Property="MenuActivation" Value="LeftOrRightClick" />
  </Style>

Then apply this style to your TaskbarIcon

  <tb:TaskbarIcon Style="{StaticResource MyNotifyIcon}"></tb:TaskbarIcon>

So basically if this is what you are looking for, then template is out of question. Please suggest if this helps you.