WPF Generic style that can be inherited by other styles

0
votes

I start this question by saying that I don't have much experience using WPF, since I just started using it (All my previous C# experience is with Windows Forms and ASP.net).

Let's say that I have two styles defined in my App.xaml, one that defines a Blue button and one that defines a red button:

<Style x:Key="BlueButton" TargetType="Button">
    <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="White" />
    <Setter Property="Background">
        <Setter.Value>
            <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                <GradientStop Color="#FF50D0FF"/>
                <GradientStop Color="#FF0092C8" Offset="1"/>
            </LinearGradientBrush>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
    <Setter Property="Template">
        <Setter.Value>
            <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
                <Border CornerRadius="2" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}">
                    <ContentPresenter HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                </Border>
            </ControlTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
    <Style.Triggers>
        <Trigger Property="IsPressed" Value="True">
            <Setter Property="Background">
                <Setter.Value>
                    <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                        <GradientStop Color="#FF0092C8"/>
                        <GradientStop Color="#FF50D0FF" Offset="1"/>
                    </LinearGradientBrush>
                </Setter.Value>
            </Setter>
        </Trigger>
    </Style.Triggers>
</Style>
<Style x:Key="RedButton" TargetType="Button">
    <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="White" />
    <Setter Property="Background">
        <Setter.Value>
            <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                <GradientStop Color="#FFFFAE00" Offset="0"/>
                <GradientStop Color="Red" Offset="1"/>
            </LinearGradientBrush>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
    <Setter Property="Template">
        <Setter.Value>
            <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
                <Border CornerRadius="2" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}">
                    <ContentPresenter HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                </Border>
            </ControlTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
    <Style.Triggers>
        <Trigger Property="IsPressed" Value="True">
            <Setter Property="Background">
                <Setter.Value>
                    <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                        <GradientStop Color="Red" Offset="0"/>
                        <GradientStop Color="#FFFFAE00" Offset="1"/>
                    </LinearGradientBrush>
                </Setter.Value>
            </Setter>
        </Trigger>
    </Style.Triggers>
</Style>

How can I merge those two styles to make a general style that "contains both"?

EDIT:

Dmitriy Polyanskiy's answer works, but I still have to set every property every time I want to create a new style. Is there a way to do something like this: <Style x:Key="RedButton" TargetType="Button" BasedOn="{StaticResource BaseButtonStyle}" Color1="#FFFFAE00" Color2="Red" />

or 

<Style x:Key="RedButton" TargetType="Button" BasedOn="{StaticResource BaseButtonStyle}">
    <Setter Property="Color1" Value="#FFFFAE00" />
    <Setter Property="Color2" Value="Red" />
</Style>

and then have the two gradient colors set automatically?

3
c#wpfwpf-style
What do you mean by merge two style? how can you have a button that is both blue and red? – Nitin
I meant something like having a general style, so that if I want to add a green button, I can do it without having to write everything again. – user3807877
I think you are looking for BasedOn – Default
Possible duplicate of How to create a style based on default style? – Default
Please look for questions which answer your question before replicating existing ones. – Dbl

3 Answers

2
votes

Essentially, you are wanting to create are styles based off a 'parameterized' style.

What you need to do is create your base style using DynamicResources for the GradientStop's colors. Then, in the styles you base off it, override the resource colors.

BaseButtonStyle:

<Style x:Key="BaseButtonStyle" TargetType="Button">
    <Style.Resources>
        <Color x:Key="Color1">White</Color>
        <Color x:Key="Color2">Gray</Color>
    </Style.Resources>
    <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="White" />
    <Setter Property="Background">
        <Setter.Value>
            <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                <GradientStop Color="{DynamicResource Color1}"/>
                <GradientStop Color="{DynamicResource Color2}" Offset="1"/>
            </LinearGradientBrush>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
    <Setter Property="Template">
        <Setter.Value>
            <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
                <Border CornerRadius="2" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}">
                    <ContentPresenter HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                </Border>
            </ControlTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
    <Style.Triggers>
        <Trigger Property="IsPressed" Value="True">
            <Setter Property="Background">
                <Setter.Value>
                    <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                        <GradientStop Color="{DynamicResource Color2}" />
                        <GradientStop Color="{DynamicResource Color1}" Offset="1" />
                    </LinearGradientBrush>
                </Setter.Value>
            </Setter>
        </Trigger>
    </Style.Triggers>
</Style>

BasedOn Styles:

<Style x:Key="RedButton" TargetType="Button" BasedOn="{StaticResource BaseButtonStyle}">
    <Style.Resources>
        <Color x:Key="Color1">#FFFFAE00</Color>
        <Color x:Key="Color2">Red</Color>
    </Style.Resources>
</Style>
<Style x:Key="BlueButton" TargetType="Button" BasedOn="{StaticResource BaseButtonStyle}">
    <Style.Resources>
        <Color x:Key="Color1">#FF50D0FF</Color>
        <Color x:Key="Color2">#FF0092C8</Color>
    </Style.Resources>
</Style>
<Style x:Key="GreenButton" TargetType="Button" BasedOn="{StaticResource BaseButtonStyle}">
    <Style.Resources>
        <Color x:Key="Color1">Green</Color>
        <Color x:Key="Color2">LightGreen</Color>
    </Style.Resources>
</Style>
<Style x:Key="PurpleYellowButton" TargetType="Button" BasedOn="{StaticResource BaseButtonStyle}">
    <Style.Resources>
        <Color x:Key="Color1">Purple</Color>
        <Color x:Key="Color2">Yellow</Color>
    </Style.Resources>
</Style>

Screenshot of a stackpanel of buttons: enter image description here

0
votes

I have just created a quick example for you to show you how to do that. You should describe base style with common properties. And then just use BaseOn={StaticResource BaseStyle}

<Style x:Key="BaseButtonStyle" TargetType="Button">
    <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="White" />
    <Setter Property="Template">
        <Setter.Value>
            <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
                <Border
                    CornerRadius="2"
                    Background="{TemplateBinding Background}">
                    <ContentPresenter
                        HorizontalAlignment="Center"
                        VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                </Border>
            </ControlTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
</Style>


<Style x:Key="RedButton" TargetType="Button"
       BasedOn="{StaticResource BaseButtonStyle}">
    <Setter Property="Background">
        <Setter.Value>
            <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                <GradientStop Color="#FFFFAE00" Offset="0"/>
                <GradientStop Color="Red" Offset="1"/>
            </LinearGradientBrush>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
    <Style.Triggers>
        <Trigger Property="IsPressed" Value="True">
            <Setter Property="Background">
                <Setter.Value>
                    <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                        <GradientStop Color="Red" Offset="0"/>
                        <GradientStop Color="#FFFFAE00" Offset="1"/>
                    </LinearGradientBrush>
                </Setter.Value>
            </Setter>
        </Trigger>
    </Style.Triggers>
</Style>
0
votes

One way of achieving this is to define a style and instead of giving gradients in the style itself you can use DynamicResource like below. And then for each button you can define the a local resource LinearGradientBrush it is going to use and set your colors there. 

<Window x:Class=""
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
    <Window.Resources>
        <Style x:Key="BaseButtonStyle" TargetType="Button">
            <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="White" />
            <Setter Property="Background" Value="{DynamicResource GradientBrushNormal}">
            </Setter>
            <Setter Property="Template">
                <Setter.Value>
                    <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
                        <Border CornerRadius="2" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}">
                            <ContentPresenter HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                        </Border>
                    </ControlTemplate>
                </Setter.Value>
            </Setter>
            <Style.Triggers>
                <Trigger Property="IsPressed" Value="True">
                    <Setter Property="Background" Value="{DynamicResource GradientBrushPressed}">
                    </Setter>
                </Trigger>
            </Style.Triggers>
        </Style>
    </Window.Resources>
    <StackPanel>
       <Button Style="{StaticResource BaseButtonStyle}" Content="Blue Button">
            <Button.Resources>
                <LinearGradientBrush x:Key="GradientBrushPressed" EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                    <GradientStop Color="#FF0092C8"/>
                    <GradientStop Color="#FF50D0FF" Offset="1"/>
                </LinearGradientBrush>
                <LinearGradientBrush x:Key="GradientBrushNormal" EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                    <GradientStop Color="#FF50D0FF"/>
                    <GradientStop Color="#FF0092C8" Offset="1"/>
                </LinearGradientBrush>
            </Button.Resources>
       </Button>
        <Button Style="{StaticResource BaseButtonStyle}" Content="Red Button">
            <Button.Resources>
                <LinearGradientBrush x:Key="GradientBrushPressed" EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                    <GradientStop Color="Red" Offset="0"/>
                    <GradientStop Color="#FFFFAE00" Offset="1"/>
                </LinearGradientBrush>
                <LinearGradientBrush x:Key="GradientBrushNormal" EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                    <GradientStop Color="#FFFFAE00" Offset="0"/>
                    <GradientStop Color="Red" Offset="1"/>
                </LinearGradientBrush>
            </Button.Resources>
        </Button>
    </StackPanel>
</Window>