Disabling checkbox checking in WPF

Question

I want to make impossible checking checkbox in WPF (from C# code). Only unchecking would be allowed.
How can I do it?

PS.
Writing event handler on Click event which would immediately uncheck checkbox after checking it is not acceptable.

[edit]
Checkbox should always be enabled, so that user can think that checkbox can be checked. It's strange but it's specific programme.

If the user un-checks the box will they be able to check it again? — Dylan, Jun 13 '12 at 19:21
Does this answer your question? [A read-only CheckBox in C# WPF](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/921921/a-read-only-checkbox-in-c-sharp-wpf) — Mike Nakis, Aug 04 '20 at 11:01

Nick Babcock · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-13T19:46:02.483

<CheckBox Content="Checkbox"
          IsEnabled="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}, Path=IsChecked}" />

Edit after being informed that the checkbox always has to look to be in an checkable state, even when it's not. Here is a working example:

<Window
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        xmlns:Microsoft_Windows_Themes="clr-namespace:Microsoft.Windows.Themes;assembly=PresentationFramework.Aero" x:Class="WpfTest.MainWindow"
        Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
    <Window.Resources>
        <ControlTemplate x:Key="DeceptiveCheckbox" TargetType="{x:Type CheckBox}">
            <BulletDecorator Background="Transparent" SnapsToDevicePixels="True">
                <BulletDecorator.Bullet>
                    <Microsoft_Windows_Themes:BulletChrome BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}" IsChecked="{TemplateBinding IsChecked}" RenderMouseOver="{TemplateBinding IsMouseOver}" RenderPressed="{TemplateBinding IsPressed}"/>
                </BulletDecorator.Bullet>
                <ContentPresenter ContentTemplate="{TemplateBinding ContentTemplate}" Content="{TemplateBinding Content}" ContentStringFormat="{TemplateBinding ContentStringFormat}" HorizontalAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}" Margin="{TemplateBinding Padding}" RecognizesAccessKey="True" SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding SnapsToDevicePixels}" VerticalAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}"/>
            </BulletDecorator>
            <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                <Trigger Property="HasContent" Value="True">
                    <Setter Property="FocusVisualStyle">
                        <Setter.Value>
                            <Style>
                                <Setter Property="Control.Template">
                                    <Setter.Value>
                                        <ControlTemplate>
                                            <Rectangle Margin="14,0,0,0" SnapsToDevicePixels="True" Stroke="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.ControlTextBrushKey}}" StrokeThickness="1" StrokeDashArray="1 2"/>
                                        </ControlTemplate>
                                    </Setter.Value>
                                </Setter>
                            </Style>
                        </Setter.Value>
                    </Setter>
                    <Setter Property="Padding" Value="4,0,0,0"/>
                </Trigger>
            </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
        </ControlTemplate>
    </Window.Resources>
    <Grid>
        <CheckBox Content="CheckBox"  IsEnabled="{Binding IsChecked, RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}}" Template="{StaticResource DeceptiveCheckbox}" />
    </Grid>
</Window>

The fix was simple. I simply created a copy of the current checkbox template and removed:

<Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="False">
    <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.GrayTextBrushKey}}"/>
</Trigger>

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 13 '12 at 19:25

3

How about this:

<Grid>
    <Grid.Resources>
        <Style TargetType="CheckBox">
            <Style.Triggers>
                <Trigger Property="IsChecked" Value="False">
                    <Setter Property="IsEnabled" Value="False" />
                </Trigger>
            </Style.Triggers>
        </Style>
    </Grid.Resources>

    <CheckBox IsChecked="True" />
</Grid>

This approach has the benefit of being applied to all (as-is) or many (if you apply a x:Key attribute and then assign the resource to the desired checkboxes) without needing to do anything special or change the bindings of the individual checkboxes.

answered Jun 13 '12 at 19:25

CodingGorilla

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Is it possible to change color of disabled checkbox? Your solution would be good if I could change color of the checkbox's rectangle. I need to have checkbox looking like it was still 'checkable'. – patryk.beza Jun 13 '12 at 19:38
Nope, not without implementing your own control template. If you don't want to disable the control, then your only option is going to be to have some code-behind event handler that decides when the checkbox can or can't be checked. – CodingGorilla Jun 13 '12 at 19:49

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 13 '12 at 19:22

2

An easy solution could be to bind the IsEnabled property to be equal to the IsChecked property.

answered Jun 13 '12 at 19:22

Kevin DiTraglia

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That's a good solution, because it also gives a visual cue to the user that the checkbox no longer can be used. (Except that it should be IsEnabled and not the opposite. IsReadOnly is only for TextBoxes). – Jun 13 '12 at 19:23
IsReadOnly is not valid property for a wpf checkbox – Nick Babcock Jun 13 '12 at 19:25
Checkbox should always be enabled, so that user can think that checkbox can be checked. Maybe it's strange but it's specific programme. – patryk.beza Jun 13 '12 at 19:32
@patryk.beza Why can it not be disabled? Can you trick the user into thinking it's enabled by overriding the UI effects of disabling the control? – Kevin DiTraglia Jun 13 '12 at 19:43

Veeresh S · Answer 4 · 2023-07-25T08:39:38.400

To make the disabled checkbox visibility similar to enabled one with disabled properties, set the opacity to 0 in triggers

<CheckBox.Resources>
     <Style TargetType="CheckBox">
           <Style.Triggers>
                <Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="False">
                      <Setter Property="Opacity" Value="1"/>
                </Trigger>
            </Style.Triggers>
       </Style>
</CheckBox.Resources>

Disabling checkbox checking in WPF

4 Answers4