ComboBox Styles and Templates

Article
02/06/2023

This topic describes the styles and templates for the ComboBox control. You can modify the default ControlTemplate to give the control a unique appearance. For more information, see Create a template for a control.

ComboBox Parts

The following table lists the named parts for the ComboBox control.

Part	Type	Description
PART_EditableTextBox	TextBox	Contains the text of the ComboBox.
PART_Popup	Popup	The drop-down that contains the items in the combo box.

When you create a ControlTemplate for a ComboBox, your template might contain an ItemsPresenter within a ScrollViewer. (The ItemsPresenter displays each item in the ComboBox; the ScrollViewer enables scrolling within the control). If the ItemsPresenter is not the direct child of the ScrollViewer, you must give the ItemsPresenter the name, ItemsPresenter.

ComboBox States

The following table lists the states for the ComboBox control.

VisualState Name	VisualStateGroup Name	Description
Normal	CommonStates	The default state.
Disabled	CommonStates	The control is disabled.
MouseOver	CommonStates	The mouse pointer is over the ComboBox control.
Focused	FocusStates	The control has focus.
Unfocused	FocusStates	The control does not have focus.
FocusedDropDown	FocusStates	The drop-down for the ComboBox has focus.
Valid	ValidationStates	The control uses the Validation class and the Validation.HasError attached property is `false`.
InvalidFocused	ValidationStates	The Validation.HasError attached property is `true` and the control has focus.
InvalidUnfocused	ValidationStates	The Validation.HasError attached property is `true` and the control does not have focus.
Editable	EditStates	The IsEditable property is `true`.
Uneditable	EditStates	The IsEditable property is `false`.

ComboBoxItem Parts

The ComboBoxItem control does not have any named parts.

ComboBoxItem States

The following table lists the states for the ComboBoxItem control.

VisualState Name	VisualStateGroup Name	Description
Normal	CommonStates	The default state.
Disabled	CommonStates	The control is disabled.
MouseOver	CommonStates	The mouse pointer is over the ComboBoxItem control.
Focused	FocusStates	The control has focus.
Unfocused	FocusStates	The control does not have focus.
Selected	SelectionStates	The item is currently selected.
Unselected	SelectionStates	The item is not selected.
SelectedUnfocused	SelectionStates	The item is selected, but does not have focus.
Valid	ValidationStates	The control uses the Validation class and the Validation.HasError attached property is `false`.
InvalidFocused	ValidationStates	The Validation.HasError attached property is `true` and the control has focus.
InvalidUnfocused	ValidationStates	The Validation.HasError attached property is `true` and the control does not have focus.

ComboBox ControlTemplate Example

The following example shows how to define a ControlTemplate for the ComboBox control and associated types.

<ControlTemplate x:Key="ComboBoxToggleButton"
                 TargetType="{x:Type ToggleButton}">
  <Grid>
    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
      <ColumnDefinition />
      <ColumnDefinition Width="20" />
    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
    <VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
      <VisualStateGroup x:Name="CommonStates">
        <VisualState x:Name="Normal" />
        <VisualState x:Name="MouseOver">
          <Storyboard>
            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Panel.Background).
                (GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)"
                                          Storyboard.TargetName="Border">
              <EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0"
                                   Value="{StaticResource ControlMouseOverColor}" />
            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
          </Storyboard>
        </VisualState>
        <VisualState x:Name="Pressed" />
        <VisualState x:Name="Disabled">
          <Storyboard>
            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Panel.Background).
                (GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)"
                                          Storyboard.TargetName="Border">
              <EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0"
                                   Value="{StaticResource DisabledControlDarkColor}" />
            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.Fill).
                (SolidColorBrush.Color)"
                                          Storyboard.TargetName="Arrow">
              <EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0"
                                   Value="{StaticResource DisabledForegroundColor}" />
            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Border.BorderBrush).
                (GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)"
                                          Storyboard.TargetName="Border">
              <EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0"
                                   Value="{StaticResource DisabledBorderDarkColor}" />
            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
          </Storyboard>
        </VisualState>
      </VisualStateGroup>
      <VisualStateGroup x:Name="CheckStates">
        <VisualState x:Name="Checked">
          <Storyboard>
            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Panel.Background).
                (GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)"
                                          Storyboard.TargetName="Border">
              <EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0"
                                   Value="{StaticResource ControlPressedColor}" />
            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
          </Storyboard>
        </VisualState>
        <VisualState x:Name="Unchecked" />
        <VisualState x:Name="Indeterminate" />
      </VisualStateGroup>
    </VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
    <Border x:Name="Border"
            Grid.ColumnSpan="2"
            CornerRadius="2"
            BorderThickness="1">
      <Border.BorderBrush>
        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0,1"
                             StartPoint="0,0">
          <GradientStop Color="{DynamicResource BorderLightColor}"
                        Offset="0" />
          <GradientStop Color="{DynamicResource BorderDarkColor}"
                        Offset="1" />
        </LinearGradientBrush>
      </Border.BorderBrush>
      <Border.Background>

        <LinearGradientBrush StartPoint="0,0"
                             EndPoint="0,1">
          <LinearGradientBrush.GradientStops>
            <GradientStopCollection>
              <GradientStop Color="{DynamicResource ControlLightColor}" />
              <GradientStop Color="{DynamicResource ControlMediumColor}"
                            Offset="1.0" />
            </GradientStopCollection>
          </LinearGradientBrush.GradientStops>
        </LinearGradientBrush>

      </Border.Background>
    </Border>
    <Border Grid.Column="0"
            CornerRadius="2,0,0,2"
            Margin="1" >
      <Border.Background>
          <SolidColorBrush Color="{DynamicResource ControlLightColor}"/>
      </Border.Background>
    </Border>
    <Path x:Name="Arrow"
          Grid.Column="1"
          HorizontalAlignment="Center"
          VerticalAlignment="Center"
          Data="M 0 0 L 4 4 L 8 0 Z" >
      <Path.Fill>
          <SolidColorBrush Color="{DynamicResource GlyphColor}"/>
      </Path.Fill>
    </Path>
  </Grid>
</ControlTemplate>

<ControlTemplate x:Key="ComboBoxTextBox"
                 TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
  <Border x:Name="PART_ContentHost"
          Focusable="False"
          Background="{TemplateBinding Background}" />
</ControlTemplate>

<Style x:Key="{x:Type ComboBox}"
       TargetType="{x:Type ComboBox}">
  <Setter Property="SnapsToDevicePixels"
          Value="true" />
  <Setter Property="OverridesDefaultStyle"
          Value="true" />
  <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.HorizontalScrollBarVisibility"
          Value="Auto" />
  <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.VerticalScrollBarVisibility"
          Value="Auto" />
  <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll"
          Value="true" />
  <Setter Property="MinWidth"
          Value="120" />
  <Setter Property="MinHeight"
          Value="20" />
  <Setter Property="Template">
    <Setter.Value>
      <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type ComboBox}">
        <Grid>
          <VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
            <VisualStateGroup x:Name="CommonStates">
              <VisualState x:Name="Normal" />
              <VisualState x:Name="MouseOver" />
              <VisualState x:Name="Disabled">
                <Storyboard>
                  <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox"
                                                Storyboard.TargetProperty="(TextElement.Foreground).
                      (SolidColorBrush.Color)">
                    <EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0"
                                         Value="{StaticResource DisabledForegroundColor}" />
                  </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                </Storyboard>
              </VisualState>
            </VisualStateGroup>
            <VisualStateGroup x:Name="EditStates">
              <VisualState x:Name="Editable">
                <Storyboard>
                  <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Visibility)"
                                                 Storyboard.TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox">
                    <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0"
                                            Value="{x:Static Visibility.Visible}" />
                  </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                  <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames
                      Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Visibility)"
                                                 Storyboard.TargetName="ContentSite">
                    <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0"
                                            Value="{x:Static Visibility.Hidden}" />
                  </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                </Storyboard>
              </VisualState>
              <VisualState x:Name="Uneditable" />
            </VisualStateGroup>
          </VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
          <ToggleButton x:Name="ToggleButton"
                        Template="{StaticResource ComboBoxToggleButton}"
                        Grid.Column="2"
                        Focusable="false"
                        ClickMode="Press"
                        IsChecked="{Binding IsDropDownOpen, Mode=TwoWay, 
              RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}"/>
          <ContentPresenter x:Name="ContentSite"
                            IsHitTestVisible="False"
                            Content="{TemplateBinding SelectionBoxItem}"
                            ContentTemplate="{TemplateBinding SelectionBoxItemTemplate}"
                            ContentTemplateSelector="{TemplateBinding ItemTemplateSelector}"
                            Margin="3,3,23,3"
                            VerticalAlignment="Stretch"
                            HorizontalAlignment="Left">
          </ContentPresenter>
          <TextBox x:Name="PART_EditableTextBox"
                   Style="{x:Null}"
                   Template="{StaticResource ComboBoxTextBox}"
                   HorizontalAlignment="Left"
                   VerticalAlignment="Bottom"
                   Margin="3,3,23,3"
                   Focusable="True"
                   Background="Transparent"
                   Visibility="Hidden"
                   IsReadOnly="{TemplateBinding IsReadOnly}" />
          <Popup x:Name="Popup"
                 Placement="Bottom"
                 IsOpen="{TemplateBinding IsDropDownOpen}"
                 AllowsTransparency="True"
                 Focusable="False"
                 PopupAnimation="Slide">
            <Grid x:Name="DropDown"
                  SnapsToDevicePixels="True"
                  MinWidth="{TemplateBinding ActualWidth}"
                  MaxHeight="{TemplateBinding MaxDropDownHeight}">
              <Border x:Name="DropDownBorder"
                      BorderThickness="1">
                <Border.BorderBrush>
                  <SolidColorBrush Color="{DynamicResource BorderMediumColor}" />
                </Border.BorderBrush>
                <Border.Background>
                  <SolidColorBrush Color="{DynamicResource ControlLightColor}" />
                </Border.Background>
              </Border>
              <ScrollViewer Margin="4,6,4,6"
                            SnapsToDevicePixels="True">
                <StackPanel IsItemsHost="True"
                            KeyboardNavigation.DirectionalNavigation="Contained" />
              </ScrollViewer>
            </Grid>
          </Popup>
        </Grid>
        <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
          <Trigger Property="HasItems"
                   Value="false">
            <Setter TargetName="DropDownBorder"
                    Property="MinHeight"
                    Value="95" />
          </Trigger>
          <Trigger Property="IsGrouping"
                   Value="true">
            <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll"
                    Value="false" />
          </Trigger>
          <Trigger SourceName="Popup"
                   Property="AllowsTransparency"
                   Value="true">
            <Setter TargetName="DropDownBorder"
                    Property="CornerRadius"
                    Value="4" />
            <Setter TargetName="DropDownBorder"
                    Property="Margin"
                    Value="0,2,0,0" />
          </Trigger>
        </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
      </ControlTemplate>
    </Setter.Value>
  </Setter>
</Style>

<Style x:Key="{x:Type ComboBoxItem}"
       TargetType="{x:Type ComboBoxItem}">
  <Setter Property="SnapsToDevicePixels"
          Value="true" />
  <Setter Property="OverridesDefaultStyle"
          Value="true" />
  <Setter Property="Template">
    <Setter.Value>
      <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type ComboBoxItem}">
        <Border x:Name="Border"
                Padding="2"
                SnapsToDevicePixels="true"
                Background="Transparent">
          <VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
            <VisualStateGroup x:Name="SelectionStates">
              <VisualState x:Name="Unselected" />
              <VisualState x:Name="Selected">
                <Storyboard>
                  <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="Border"
                                                Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Panel.Background).
                    (SolidColorBrush.Color)">
                    <EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0"
                                         Value="{StaticResource SelectedBackgroundColor}" />
                  </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                </Storyboard>
              </VisualState>
              <VisualState x:Name="SelectedUnfocused">
                <Storyboard>
                  <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="Border"
                                                Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Panel.Background).
                    (SolidColorBrush.Color)">
                    <EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0"
                                         Value="{StaticResource SelectedUnfocusedColor}" />
                  </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                </Storyboard>
              </VisualState>
            </VisualStateGroup>
          </VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
          <ContentPresenter />
        </Border>
      </ControlTemplate>
    </Setter.Value>
  </Setter>
</Style>

The preceding example uses one or more of the following resources.

<!--Control colors.-->
<Color x:Key="WindowColor">#FFE8EDF9</Color>
<Color x:Key="ContentAreaColorLight">#FFC5CBF9</Color>
<Color x:Key="ContentAreaColorDark">#FF7381F9</Color>

<Color x:Key="DisabledControlLightColor">#FFE8EDF9</Color>
<Color x:Key="DisabledControlDarkColor">#FFC5CBF9</Color>
<Color x:Key="DisabledForegroundColor">#FF888888</Color>

<Color x:Key="SelectedBackgroundColor">#FFC5CBF9</Color>
<Color x:Key="SelectedUnfocusedColor">#FFDDDDDD</Color>

<Color x:Key="ControlLightColor">White</Color>
<Color x:Key="ControlMediumColor">#FF7381F9</Color>
<Color x:Key="ControlDarkColor">#FF211AA9</Color>

<Color x:Key="ControlMouseOverColor">#FF3843C4</Color>
<Color x:Key="ControlPressedColor">#FF211AA9</Color>


<Color x:Key="GlyphColor">#FF444444</Color>
<Color x:Key="GlyphMouseOver">sc#1, 0.004391443, 0.002428215, 0.242281124</Color>

<!--Border colors-->
<Color x:Key="BorderLightColor">#FFCCCCCC</Color>
<Color x:Key="BorderMediumColor">#FF888888</Color>
<Color x:Key="BorderDarkColor">#FF444444</Color>

<Color x:Key="PressedBorderLightColor">#FF888888</Color>
<Color x:Key="PressedBorderDarkColor">#FF444444</Color>

<Color x:Key="DisabledBorderLightColor">#FFAAAAAA</Color>
<Color x:Key="DisabledBorderDarkColor">#FF888888</Color>

<Color x:Key="DefaultBorderBrushDarkColor">Black</Color>

<!--Control-specific resources.-->
<Color x:Key="HeaderTopColor">#FFC5CBF9</Color>
<Color x:Key="DatagridCurrentCellBorderColor">Black</Color>
<Color x:Key="SliderTrackDarkColor">#FFC5CBF9</Color>

<Color x:Key="NavButtonFrameColor">#FF3843C4</Color>

<LinearGradientBrush x:Key="MenuPopupBrush"
                     EndPoint="0.5,1"
                     StartPoint="0.5,0">
  <GradientStop Color="{DynamicResource ControlLightColor}"
                Offset="0" />
  <GradientStop Color="{DynamicResource ControlMediumColor}"
                Offset="0.5" />
  <GradientStop Color="{DynamicResource ControlLightColor}"
                Offset="1" />
</LinearGradientBrush>

<LinearGradientBrush x:Key="ProgressBarIndicatorAnimatedFill"
                     StartPoint="0,0"
                     EndPoint="1,0">
  <LinearGradientBrush.GradientStops>
    <GradientStopCollection>
      <GradientStop Color="#000000FF"
                    Offset="0" />
      <GradientStop Color="#600000FF"
                    Offset="0.4" />
      <GradientStop Color="#600000FF"
                    Offset="0.6" />
      <GradientStop Color="#000000FF"
                    Offset="1" />
    </GradientStopCollection>
  </LinearGradientBrush.GradientStops>
</LinearGradientBrush>

For the complete sample, see Styling with ControlTemplates Sample.

ComboBox Styles and Templates

ComboBox Parts

ComboBox States

ComboBoxItem Parts

ComboBoxItem States

ComboBox ControlTemplate Example

See also

Feedback

Additional resources