Enable command binding for TextBlock

Question

I am developing a WPF application, and have a TextBlock which I want to use command binding to trigger a command on when clicked. What's the best way to achieve this?

• The TextBlock-control does not have a Command property, but it does have a CommandManager. What is this? Can it be used for command bindings? I've seen many other controls as well with this property..

• Is there some control I have overseen that can be used? Is it e.g. recommended to use a button and style it to not look like a button?

• Is there some controls supporting Command bindings which I can wrap around the TextBlock?

• Should I create a custom control which basically is a TextBlock, but with extra properties Command and CommandArgument which enables command binding on e.g. the MouseLeftButtonDown property.

Achernar

Answer 1

Is there some control I have overseen that can be used? Is it e.g. recommended to use a button and style it to not look like a button?

Yes. The simplest approach would be to re-template a button to act like a TextBlock and leverage the command property on the button class.

Something like this:

<ControlTemplate TargetType="Button">
        <TextBlock Text="{TemplateBinding Content}" />
    </ControlTemplate>
...
<Button Content="Foo" Command="{Binding Bar}" />

Guttersnipe

Thanks. Works like expected - and it's actually pretty neat..! I've read up on ControlTemplates in "WPF Unleased" now, and this feels right. What does the "Text="{TemplateBinding Content}" " do anyway? Bind what I set to the buttons Content property to the Text property on the TextBlock? – Achernar

Yup, that is exactly what it does. – Guttersnipe

Answer 2

The below XAML can be used to add a Command Binding to a WPF TextBlock which will then work on a mouse action.

<TextBlock FontWeight="Bold" Text="Header" Cursor="Hand">
    <TextBlock.InputBindings>
        <MouseBinding Command="ApplicationCommands.Cut" MouseAction="LeftClick"/>
    </TextBlock.InputBindings>
</TextBlock>

The Command can be one of the built-in application commands, which would use the syntax as shown above, or it can be a custom Command that inherits from the ICommand Interface. In that case, the syntax would be:

<MouseBinding Command="{Binding myCustomCommand}" MouseAction="LeftClick"/>

The MouseAction doesn't provide any Intellisense tips on what to put there (in VS2015), so you have to do a little digging to get the valid enumerations.

As of .NET 4.5, the valid entries for MouseAction are:

• LeftClick - left mouse button click.
• LeftDoubleClick - left mouse button double-click.
• MiddleClick - middle mouse button click.
• MiddleDoubleClick - middle mouse button double-click.
• None - No action.
• RightClick - right mouse button click.
• RightDoubleClick - right mouse button double-click.
• WheelClick - A mouse wheel rotation.

Constants shown above are taken from MSDN.

Bendicty

While this code may answer the question, it would be better to explain how it solves the problem without introducing others and why to use it. Code-only answers are not useful in the long run. – Servo

Thanks for the suggestion @BenjaminW. This is my first answer in the community :-) – Bendicty

@Praveen, good answer. It was exactly what I needed. I edited your answer to include more description and usage tips. – Trichloroethylene

Answer 3

<Window.Resources>
<CommandBinding x:Key="binding" Command="ApplicationCommands.Save" Executed="SaveCommand" CanExecute="SaveCommand_CanExecute" />
</Window.Resources>


<TextBox Margin="5" Grid.Row="2" TextWrapping="Wrap" AcceptsReturn="True" TextChanged="txt_TextChanged">
<TextBox.CommandBindings>
<StaticResource ResourceKey="binding"></StaticResource>
</TextBox.CommandBindings>
</TextBox>

Have you seen http://www.java2s.com/Tutorial/CSharp/0470__Windows-Presentation-Foundation/BindTextBoxsavecommandtoCommandBinding.htm

Atom

Please explain how this answer addresses the question – Hancock