ListBox/ListBoxItem for BoundData Style Template Clarification WPF XAML

Question

How do I get a databound ListBox to accept a templated Style (from within my ResourceDictionary with the same name as the respective Style) for the ListBoxItem?

I see in Blend 4 that within the SimpleStyles ResourceDictionary file that the "SimpleListBoxItem" has property set to:

 d:IsControlPart="True"

but I am only able to use this when explicitly using the SimpleListBoxItem Style for xaml hard-coded ListBoxItems?

What makes sense to me is to apply the style to the ControlTemplate within the ListBox. I see the Control template within the listbox looks like:

ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type ListBox}">
                <Grid>
                    <Border x:Name="Border" BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}" 
                            BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}" 
                            Background="{TemplateBinding Background}"
                            />
                    <ScrollViewer Margin="1" Style="{DynamicResource SimpleScrollViewer}" Focusable="false" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}">

                        <!-- The StackPanel is used to display the children by setting IsItemsHost to be True -->
                        <StackPanel Margin="2" IsItemsHost="true"/>

                    </ScrollViewer>
                </Grid>

Is there a way to put one more nested "ItemsHost" Style template within that stackpanel? Maybe a DataTemplate?

Thanks in advance, let me know if further clarification is needed!

I'm not clear on what you're trying to do ... do you just mean to apply a template to the items, as in ItemTemplate? — McGarnagle
@dbaseman : Ah, maybe that's it. I just want to apply a template to the child ListBoxItems, from within the ListBox Style (and 'Control') templates — Rachael
So I take it you're using <ListBox.Items> and listing out the items in your XAML (as opposed to using ItemsSource)? — McGarnagle
I'm not listing out the items, I'm binding ItemsSource property to my datacontext. Thanks for sticking with me, I realize how unclear that was. — Rachael
Oh, ok ... then I think ItemTemplate is definitely the way to go. — McGarnagle

McGarnagle McGarnagle · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-12T19:54:22

There are two options for applying a style to the items from within the ListBox style, ItemContainerStyle and ItemTemplate.

1) ItemContainerStyle applies to the type ListBoxItem -- setting it styles the container of each item in the list:

<Style TargetType="ListBoxItem" x:Key="SimpleListBoxItem">
    <Setter Property="Background" Value="Green">
    <!-- etc -->
</Style>

<Style TargetType="ListBox" x:Key="ListBoxStyle">
    <Setter Property="ItemContainerStyle" Value="{StaticResource SimpleListBoxItem}">
</Style>

2) The ItemTemplate property allows you to complete redefine the template for how each item is displayed, eg:

<Style TargetType="ListBox" x:Key="ListBoxStyle">
    <Setter Property="ItemTemplate">
        <Setter.Value>
            <DataTemplate>
                <Grid>
                    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                        <ColumnDefinition />
                        <ColumnDefinition />
                    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                    <TextBlock Text="This is an item" />
                    <ContentControl Grid.Column="1" Text="{Binding}" />
                <Grid>
            </DataTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
</Style>

ListBox/ListBoxItem for BoundData Style Template Clarification WPF XAML

1 Answers