Multiple item combo box with headers in resource dictionary?

Question

I have followed the accepted answer of this question to define a multi-column combobox with headers.

It was not working for me, so I made some changes to it and now it works. Here is the xaml to create a multi-column comboBox with headers.

   <Page.DataContext>
       <vm:ItemsViewModel />
   </Page.DataContext>

   <Page.Resources>
       <CollectionViewSource x:Key="UnitsCollection" Source="{Binding Units}" />
   </Page.Resources>

   <ComboBox Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="4" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Grid.IsSharedSizeScope="True" 
              x:Name="cbUnits" ItemsSource="{DynamicResource Items}" IsEditable="True" TextSearch.TextPath="Symbol"
              SelectedValue="{Binding SelectedUnit}" SelectedValuePath="UnitID">
        <ComboBox.Resources>
            <CompositeCollection x:Key="Items">
                <ComboBoxItem IsEnabled="False">
                    <Grid TextElement.FontWeight="Bold">
                        <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                            <ColumnDefinition SharedSizeGroup="A" />
                            <ColumnDefinition Width="50" />
                            <ColumnDefinition SharedSizeGroup="B" />
                        </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                        <Grid.Children>
                            <TextBlock Grid.Column="0" Text="Name" />
                            <TextBlock Grid.Column="2" Text="Symbol" />
                        </Grid.Children>
                    </Grid>
                </ComboBoxItem>
                <Separator />
                <CollectionContainer Collection="{Binding Source={StaticResource UnitsCollection}}" />
            </CompositeCollection>

            <DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type models:Unit}">
                <Grid>
                    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                        <ColumnDefinition SharedSizeGroup="A" />
                        <ColumnDefinition Width="50" />
                        <ColumnDefinition SharedSizeGroup="B" />
                    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                    <Grid.Children>
                        <TextBlock Grid.Column="0" Text="{Binding Name}" />
                        <TextBlock Grid.Column="2" Text="{Binding Symbol}" />
                    </Grid.Children>
                </Grid>
            </DataTemplate>
        </ComboBox.Resources>
    </ComboBox>

</Page>

Now, I would like to define the section between <ComboBox.Resources> in a resource dictionary, so that I would not have to write it again and again. I also want to add two more functionalities to the resource dictionary:

1. Bind the Column-names and the Column-values somehow to something(I don't know), so that any two column combobox can use this resource dictionary.

2. If possible I would like to add some logic in resource dictionary so that the same resource dictionary can be used for any combobox with any number of columns.

I think somebody could guide me to the right direction and if someone has done this thing in past then I may get some help for that, which is another intension of asking this question.

If my above quesitons are not solved using only xaml, then also I would happily accept the solution.

Answer 1

Try this may be this will help you.I have just edited combobox style.Please run this code separatly.

Xaml code

<Window.Resources>
    <!--header text-->
    <TextBlock x:Key="header1" Text="Index"></TextBlock>
    <TextBlock x:Key="header2" Text="Name"></TextBlock>
    <TextBlock x:Key="header3" Text="Symbol"></TextBlock>

    <!--Toggle Button Template-->
    <ControlTemplate x:Key="ComboBoxToggleButton" TargetType="ToggleButton">
        <Grid x:Name="gd">
            <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                <ColumnDefinition />
                <ColumnDefinition Width="30" />
            </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
            <Border x:Name="Border" SnapsToDevicePixels="True" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Background="White" BorderBrush="LightGray" BorderThickness="1"/>
            <Border x:Name="Boredr1" SnapsToDevicePixels="True" Grid.Column="0"  Margin="1" Background="White" BorderBrush="LightGray" BorderThickness="0,0,1,0" />
            <Path x:Name="Arrow" SnapsToDevicePixels="True" Grid.Column="1" Fill="Black" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" Data="M 0 0 L 6 6 L 12 0 Z"/>
            <ContentPresenter Grid.Column="0" TextElement.Foreground="Orange"></ContentPresenter>
        </Grid>
        <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
            <Trigger Property="ToggleButton.IsMouseOver" Value="True">
                <Setter TargetName="Border" Property="BorderBrush" Value="Black"/>
                <Setter TargetName="Boredr1" Property="BorderBrush" Value="Black"/>
            </Trigger>
            <Trigger Property="ToggleButton.IsChecked" Value="True">
                <Setter TargetName="Arrow" Property="Data" Value="M 0 0 L 5 5 L 10 0"/>
                <Setter TargetName="Arrow" Property="Fill" Value="White"/>
                <Setter TargetName="Arrow" Property="Stroke" Value="Black"/>
                <Setter TargetName="Arrow" Property="StrokeThickness" Value="1.5"/>
            </Trigger>
            <Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="False">
                <Setter TargetName="gd" Property="Visibility" Value="Visible"/>
            </Trigger>
        </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
    </ControlTemplate>

    <!--TextBox Template-->
    <ControlTemplate x:Key="ComboBoxTextBox" TargetType="TextBox">
        <ScrollViewer x:Name="PART_ContentHost" Focusable="False" />
    </ControlTemplate>

    <!--2 column combobox-->
    <Style x:Key="2_Column_Cmb" TargetType="ComboBox">
        <Setter Property="Template">
            <Setter.Value>
                <ControlTemplate  TargetType="ComboBox">
                    <Grid>
                        <ToggleButton Name="ToggleButton" Foreground="Black" Template="{StaticResource ComboBoxToggleButton}" Focusable="false" IsChecked="{Binding Path=IsDropDownOpen,Mode=TwoWay,RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}" ClickMode="Press">
                        </ToggleButton>
                        <ContentPresenter Name="ContentSite" IsHitTestVisible="False" Content="{TemplateBinding SelectionBoxItem}" ContentTemplate="{TemplateBinding SelectionBoxItemTemplate}" ContentTemplateSelector="{TemplateBinding ItemTemplateSelector}" Margin="3,3,23,3"  VerticalAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Left" />
                        <TextBox OverridesDefaultStyle="True" SelectionBrush="Gray" CaretBrush="Black" Margin="0,0,30,0" TextWrapping="NoWrap"   x:Name="PART_EditableTextBox" FontFamily="Segoe UI Dark"   Foreground="Black" Style="{x:Null}" Template="{StaticResource ComboBoxTextBox}" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Focusable="True"  VerticalAlignment="Center"  FontSize="15"   Visibility="Hidden" IsReadOnly="{TemplateBinding IsReadOnly}"/>
                        <Popup Name="Popup"  Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Placement="Bottom"  IsOpen="{TemplateBinding IsDropDownOpen}" AllowsTransparency="True" Focusable="False" PopupAnimation="Slide">
                            <Grid Name="DropDown"   SnapsToDevicePixels="True" MaxWidth="{TemplateBinding ActualWidth}" MinWidth="{TemplateBinding ActualWidth}" MaxHeight="{TemplateBinding MaxDropDownHeight}">
                                <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                                    <ColumnDefinition></ColumnDefinition>
                                    <ColumnDefinition></ColumnDefinition>
                                </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                                <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                                    <RowDefinition Height="30"></RowDefinition>
                                    <RowDefinition Height="Auto"></RowDefinition>
                                </Grid.RowDefinitions>
                                <Grid Background="LightGray"  Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="0">
                                    <TextBlock  Text="{Binding Source={StaticResource header2},Path=Text}"  HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" Foreground="Black" FontFamily="Segoe Ui Dark" FontSize="15" ></TextBlock>
                                </Grid>
                                <Grid Background="LightGray"  Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="1">
                                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding Source={StaticResource header3},Path=Text}" Background="LightGray" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" Foreground="Black" FontFamily="Segoe Ui Dark" FontSize="15"></TextBlock>
                                </Grid>
                                <Border Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Grid.RowSpan="2" x:Name="DropDownBorder" SnapsToDevicePixels="True" Background="Transparent" MaxWidth="{TemplateBinding ActualWidth}" BorderThickness="1" BorderBrush="LightGray"/>
                                <ScrollViewer Grid.ColumnSpan="2" ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll="False" Grid.Row="1" SnapsToDevicePixels="True">
                                    <StackPanel IsItemsHost="True" Background="Transparent">
                                    </StackPanel>
                                </ScrollViewer>
                            </Grid>
                        </Popup>
                    </Grid>
                    <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                        <Trigger Property="IsEditable" Value="true">
                            <Setter Property="IsTabStop" Value="false"/>
                            <Setter  TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="Background" Value="White"/>
                            <Setter TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="Visibility" Value="Visible"/>
                            <Setter TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="Foreground" Value="Black"/>
                            <Setter TargetName="ContentSite" Property="Visibility" Value="Hidden"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger Property="HasItems" Value="false">
                            <Setter TargetName="DropDownBorder" Property="MinHeight" Value="95"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="false">
                            <Setter Property="IsTabStop" Value="false"/>
                            <Setter TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="Visibility" Value="Visible"/>
                            <Setter TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="Foreground" Value="Black"/>
                            <Setter  TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="IsEnabled" Value="False"/>
                            <Setter  TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="Background" Value="White"/>
                            <Setter TargetName="ContentSite" Property="Visibility" Value="Hidden"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger Property="IsGrouping" Value="true">
                            <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll" Value="false"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger SourceName="Popup" Property="Popup.AllowsTransparency" Value="true">
                            <Setter TargetName="DropDownBorder" Property="Margin" Value="0,2,0,0"/>
                        </Trigger>
                    </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                </ControlTemplate>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
        <Style.Triggers>
        </Style.Triggers>
    </Style>

    <!--3 column combobox-->
    <Style x:Key="3_Column_Cmb" TargetType="ComboBox">
        <Setter Property="SnapsToDevicePixels" Value="true"/>
        <Setter Property="OverridesDefaultStyle" Value="true"/>
        <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.HorizontalScrollBarVisibility" Value="Auto"/>
        <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.VerticalScrollBarVisibility" Value="Disabled"/>
        <Setter Property="Height" Value="40"/>
        <Setter Property="MinWidth" Value="120"/>
        <Setter Property="MinHeight" Value="20"/>
        <Setter Property="Template">
            <Setter.Value>
                <ControlTemplate  TargetType="ComboBox">
                    <Grid>
                        <ToggleButton Name="ToggleButton" Foreground="Black" Template="{StaticResource ComboBoxToggleButton}" Focusable="false" IsChecked="{Binding Path=IsDropDownOpen,Mode=TwoWay,RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}" ClickMode="Press">
                        </ToggleButton>
                        <ContentPresenter Name="ContentSite" IsHitTestVisible="False" Content="{TemplateBinding SelectionBoxItem}" ContentTemplate="{TemplateBinding SelectionBoxItemTemplate}" ContentTemplateSelector="{TemplateBinding ItemTemplateSelector}" Margin="3,3,23,3"  VerticalAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Left" />
                        <TextBox OverridesDefaultStyle="True" SelectionBrush="Gray" CaretBrush="Black" Margin="0,0,30,0" TextWrapping="NoWrap"   x:Name="PART_EditableTextBox" FontFamily="Segoe UI Dark"   Foreground="Black" Style="{x:Null}" Template="{StaticResource ComboBoxTextBox}" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Focusable="True"  VerticalAlignment="Center"  FontSize="15"   Visibility="Hidden" IsReadOnly="{TemplateBinding IsReadOnly}"/>
                        <Popup Name="Popup"  Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Placement="Bottom"  IsOpen="{TemplateBinding IsDropDownOpen}" AllowsTransparency="True" Focusable="False" PopupAnimation="Slide">
                            <ContentControl Name="DropDown"   SnapsToDevicePixels="True" MaxWidth="{TemplateBinding ActualWidth}" MinWidth="{TemplateBinding ActualWidth}" MaxHeight="{TemplateBinding MaxDropDownHeight}">
                                <Grid>
                                    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                                        <ColumnDefinition></ColumnDefinition>
                                        <ColumnDefinition></ColumnDefinition>
                                        <ColumnDefinition></ColumnDefinition>
                                    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                                    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                                        <RowDefinition Height="30"></RowDefinition>
                                        <RowDefinition Height="Auto"></RowDefinition>
                                    </Grid.RowDefinitions>
                                    <Grid Background="LightGray"  Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="0">
                                        <TextBlock  Text="{Binding Source={StaticResource header1},Path=Text}"  HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" Foreground="Black" FontFamily="Segoe Ui Dark" FontSize="15" ></TextBlock>
                                    </Grid>
                                    <Grid Background="LightGray"  Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="1">
                                        <TextBlock Text="{Binding Source={StaticResource header2},Path=Text}" Background="LightGray" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" Foreground="Black" FontFamily="Segoe Ui Dark" FontSize="15"></TextBlock>
                                    </Grid>
                                    <Grid Background="LightGray"  Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="2">
                                        <TextBlock Text="{Binding Source={StaticResource header3},Path=Text}" Background="LightGray" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" Foreground="Black" FontFamily="Segoe Ui Dark" FontSize="15"></TextBlock>
                                    </Grid>
                                    <Border Grid.ColumnSpan="3" Grid.RowSpan="2" x:Name="DropDownBorder" SnapsToDevicePixels="True" Background="Transparent" MaxWidth="{TemplateBinding ActualWidth}" BorderThickness="1" BorderBrush="LightGray"/>
                                    <ScrollViewer Grid.ColumnSpan="3" ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll="False" Grid.Row="1" Margin="0,0,0,0" SnapsToDevicePixels="True">
                                        <StackPanel IsItemsHost="True" Background="Transparent">
                                        </StackPanel>
                                    </ScrollViewer>
                                </Grid>
                            </ContentControl>
                        </Popup>
                    </Grid>
                    <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                        <Trigger Property="IsEditable" Value="true">
                            <Setter Property="IsTabStop" Value="false"/>
                            <Setter  TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="Background" Value="White"/>
                            <Setter TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="Visibility" Value="Visible"/>
                            <Setter TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="Foreground" Value="Black"/>
                            <Setter TargetName="ContentSite" Property="Visibility" Value="Hidden"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger Property="HasItems" Value="false">
                            <Setter TargetName="DropDownBorder" Property="MinHeight" Value="95"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="false">
                            <Setter Property="IsTabStop" Value="false"/>
                            <Setter TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="Visibility" Value="Visible"/>
                            <Setter TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="Foreground" Value="Black"/>
                            <Setter  TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="IsEnabled" Value="False"/>
                            <Setter  TargetName="PART_EditableTextBox" Property="Background" Value="White"/>
                            <Setter TargetName="ContentSite" Property="Visibility" Value="Hidden"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger Property="IsGrouping" Value="true">
                            <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll" Value="false"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger SourceName="Popup" Property="Popup.AllowsTransparency" Value="true">
                            <Setter TargetName="DropDownBorder" Property="Margin" Value="0,2,0,0"/>
                        </Trigger>
                    </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                </ControlTemplate>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
        <Style.Triggers>
        </Style.Triggers>
    </Style>

    <!--combobox item style-->
    <Style x:Key="Column_CmbItem" TargetType="ComboBoxItem">
        <Setter Property="SnapsToDevicePixels" Value="True"/>
        <Setter Property="OverridesDefaultStyle" Value="True"/>
        <Setter Property="Template">
            <Setter.Value>
                <ControlTemplate TargetType="ComboBoxItem">
                    <Grid x:Name="Border" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Margin="1,0,1,1" Background="White">
                        <ContentPresenter></ContentPresenter>
                    </Grid>
                    <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                        <Trigger Property="ComboBoxItem.IsSelected" Value="True">
                            <Setter TargetName="Border" Property="Background" Value="Gray"></Setter>
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger Property="ComboBoxItem.IsMouseOver" Value="True">
                            <Setter TargetName="Border" Property="Background" Value="LightBlue"></Setter>
                        </Trigger>
                    </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                </ControlTemplate>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
    </Style>

</Window.Resources>

You can write this combobox datatemplate in resources also..so you can use combobox datatempalate multiple time.I haven't written in resource.

<Grid>
    <ComboBox x:Name="Combobox" Margin="50,0,0,0" IsEditable="True" HorizontalAlignment="Left" IsTextSearchEnabled="True" TextSearch.TextPath="symbol" ItemsSource="{Binding cmb }" Style="{StaticResource 2_Column_Cmb}" Height="30" ItemContainerStyle="{StaticResource Column_CmbItem}"  Width="200" Tag="Item1">
        <ComboBox.ItemTemplate>
            <DataTemplate>
                <Grid Background="Transparent" SnapsToDevicePixels="True">
                    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                        <ColumnDefinition></ColumnDefinition>
                        <ColumnDefinition></ColumnDefinition>
                    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding name}" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" Grid.Column="0" FontSize="15" TextTrimming="CharacterEllipsis" Foreground="Black" />
                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding symbol}" Grid.Column="1" VerticalAlignment="Center"  HorizontalAlignment="Center" FontSize="20"  Foreground="Black"/>
                </Grid>
            </DataTemplate>
        </ComboBox.ItemTemplate>
    </ComboBox>

    <ComboBox x:Name="Combobox1" Margin="0,0,50,0" HorizontalAlignment="Right"  IsEditable="True" IsTextSearchEnabled="True" TextSearch.TextPath="symbol" ItemsSource="{Binding cmb }" Style="{StaticResource 3_Column_Cmb}" Height="30" ItemContainerStyle="{StaticResource Column_CmbItem}"  Width="200" Tag="Item1">
        <ComboBox.ItemTemplate>
            <DataTemplate>
                <Grid Background="Transparent" SnapsToDevicePixels="True">
                    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                        <ColumnDefinition></ColumnDefinition>
                        <ColumnDefinition></ColumnDefinition>
                        <ColumnDefinition></ColumnDefinition>
                    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding index}" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" Grid.Column="0" FontSize="15" TextTrimming="CharacterEllipsis" Foreground="Black" />
                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding name}" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" Grid.Column="1" FontSize="15" TextTrimming="CharacterEllipsis" Foreground="Black" />
                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding symbol}" Grid.Column="2" VerticalAlignment="Center"  HorizontalAlignment="Center" FontSize="20"  Foreground="Black"/>
                </Grid>
            </DataTemplate>
        </ComboBox.ItemTemplate>
    </ComboBox>
</Grid>

c# code

  InitializeComponent();
  List<ComboboxData> cmb = new List<ComboboxData>();
  cmb.Add(new ComboboxData("1.","Tidle", "~"));
  cmb.Add(new ComboboxData("2.", "Exclamation", "!"));
  cmb.Add(new ComboboxData("3.", "Ampersat", "@"));           
  cmb.Add(new ComboboxData("4.","Ampersand", "&"));
  cmb.Add(new ComboboxData("5.","Dollar", "$"));
  Combobox.ItemsSource = cmb;
  Combobox1.ItemsSource = cmb;

 public class ComboboxData
{
    public string index { get; set; }
    public string name { get; set; }
    public string symbol { get; set; }
    public ComboboxData(string index,string name,string symbol)
    {
        this.index = index;
        this.name = name;
        this.symbol = symbol;
    }
}

similarly you can edit template for 4 column, 5 column also.

output