WPF GroupBox with no header space

groupboxstyleswpf

Easy one, I would like to have a GroupBox with no header space

The closest thing is a border, but the border "by default" does not have the same Style as the group box.

What's the easiest way (least xaml / code) to get the desired GroupBox ?

Thanks

Best Answer

If you really don't want a border, then there can be these 2 solutions:

(1) Edit template in blend :

Right click on GroupBox > Edit Template > Edit Copy > OK

Search for section

  <Border.OpacityMask>
       <MultiBinding Converter="{StaticResource BorderGapMaskConverter}" ConverterParameter="7">
            ......
       </MultiBinding>
  </Border.OpacityMask>

Delete this (above mentioned) section.. You have just removed the "gap"
Now this will work if you do not set the header (as you have shown in example). However if you set the header, it'll go behind the border. So to correct this, just set Panel.ZIndex="-1" in the border that was enclosing the section you just deleted (it looks like <Border BorderBrush="White" BorderThickness= ...)

(2) Use duplicate GroupBox and flip it horizontally and place it beneath original groupbox:

Put this code below your groupbox (assuming your groupbox's name is 'OriginalGroupbox')

 <GroupBox Header="" Focusable="False" Panel.ZIndex="-1" 
           Width="{Binding ActualWidth, ElementName=OriginalGroupbox}" 
           Height="{Binding ActualHeight, ElementName=OriginalGroupbox}" 
           IsEnabled="{Binding IsEnabled, ElementName=OriginalGroupbox}"
           RenderTransformOrigin="0.5,0.5">
           <GroupBox.RenderTransform>
                <ScaleTransform ScaleX="-1"/>
           </GroupBox.RenderTransform>
 </GroupBox>

Enclose both these GroupBox in a Grid like this:

<Grid>
     <GroupBox x:Name="OriginalGroupbox" Header="Mihir" ...>
        ...
     </GroupBox>
     <GroupBox Header="" Width="{Binding ActualWidth, ElementName=OriginalGroupbox}" ...>
        ...
     </GroupBox>
</Grid>

Related Solutions

.net – Does the GroupBox Header in WPF swallow mouse-clicks

Ian Oakes answer stuffs up the tab order such that the header comes after the content. It's possible to modify the control template such that the border can't receive focus.

To do this, modify the template so that the 2nd and 3rd borders (both in Grid Row 1) have IsHitTestVisible=false

Complete template below

<BorderGapMaskConverter x:Key="GroupBoxBorderGapMaskConverter" />

<Style x:Key="{x:Type GroupBox}" TargetType="{x:Type GroupBox}">
    <Setter Property="Control.BorderBrush" Value="#FFD5DFE5" />
    <Setter Property="Control.BorderThickness" Value="1" />
    <Setter Property="Control.Template">
        <Setter.Value>
            <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type GroupBox}">
                <Grid SnapsToDevicePixels="True">
                    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                        <ColumnDefinition Width="6" />
                        <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
                        <ColumnDefinition Width="*" />
                        <ColumnDefinition Width="6" />
                    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                        <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
                        <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
                        <RowDefinition Height="*" />
                        <RowDefinition Height="6" />
                    </Grid.RowDefinitions>
                    <Border Name="Header" Padding="3,1,3,0" Grid.Row="0" Grid.RowSpan="2" Grid.Column="1">
                        <ContentPresenter ContentSource="Header" RecognizesAccessKey="True" SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding UIElement.SnapsToDevicePixels}" />
                    </Border>
                    <Border CornerRadius="4" Grid.Row="1" Grid.RowSpan="3" Grid.Column="0" Grid.ColumnSpan="4" BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding Control.BorderThickness}" BorderBrush="#00FFFFFF" Background="{TemplateBinding Control.Background}" IsHitTestVisible="False" />
                    <ContentPresenter Grid.Row="2" Grid.Column="1" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Margin="{TemplateBinding Control.Padding}" SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding UIElement.SnapsToDevicePixels}"/>
                    <Border CornerRadius="4" Grid.Row="1" Grid.RowSpan="3" Grid.ColumnSpan="4" BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding Control.BorderThickness}" BorderBrush="#FFFFFFFF" IsHitTestVisible="False">
                        <UIElement.OpacityMask>
                            <MultiBinding Converter="{StaticResource GroupBoxBorderGapMaskConverter}" ConverterParameter="7">
                                <Binding ElementName="Header" Path="ActualWidth" />
                                <Binding Path="ActualWidth" RelativeSource="{RelativeSource Self}" />
                                <Binding Path="ActualHeight" RelativeSource="{RelativeSource Self}" />
                            </MultiBinding>
                        </UIElement.OpacityMask>
                        <Border BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding Control.BorderThickness}" BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding Control.BorderBrush}" CornerRadius="3">
                            <Border BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding Control.BorderThickness}" BorderBrush="#FFFFFFFF" CornerRadius="2" />
                        </Border>
                    </Border>                        
                </Grid>
            </ControlTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
</Style>

Wpf – How to style a WPF Expander Header

I have combined some XAML from Josh Smith and MSDN and came up with a solution. Indeed, the control (al least the header) must be retemplated.

<Page
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
Width="400">
    <StackPanel>
        <StackPanel.Resources>

            <Style TargetType="Border" x:Key="RacePitBorderStyle" >
                <Style.Resources>
                    <LinearGradientBrush x:Key="BackBrush" StartPoint="0.5,0" EndPoint="0.5,1">
                        <GradientStop Color="#EF3132" Offset="0.1" />
                        <GradientStop Color="#D62B2B" Offset="0.9" />
                    </LinearGradientBrush>
                </Style.Resources>
                <Setter Property="Background" Value="{StaticResource BackBrush}"/>
            </Style>

            <DataTemplate x:Key="titleText">
                <Border Style="{StaticResource RacePitBorderStyle}" Height="24">
                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding}" 
                        Margin="4 0"
                        VerticalAlignment="Center"
                        Foreground="White"
                        FontSize="11" 
                        FontWeight="Normal"
                        Width="{Binding
                        RelativeSource={RelativeSource
                        Mode=FindAncestor,
                        AncestorType={x:Type Expander}},
                        Path=ActualWidth}"
                        TextWrapping="Wrap"/>
                </Border>
            </DataTemplate>

            <Style TargetType="{x:Type Expander}">
                <Setter Property="HeaderTemplate" Value="{StaticResource titleText}"/>
            </Style>

        </StackPanel.Resources>

        <Expander Name="hcontCtrl" Header="This is the header.">
            <StackPanel>
                <TextBox>This is a textbox</TextBox>
                <Button>A button</Button>
            </StackPanel>
        </Expander>

    </StackPanel>
</Page>

Best Answer

Related Solutions

.net – Does the GroupBox Header in WPF swallow mouse-clicks

Wpf – How to style a WPF Expander Header

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