Select ListBoxItem if TextBox in ItemTemplate gets focus

Question

I have added a DataTemplate to a ListBox class to bind my collection to:

<ListBox x:Name="lstEmails" Height="259" Margin="12,0,12,41" Width="276"
         SelectionChanged="lstEmails_SelectionChanged">
    <ListBox.ItemTemplate> 
        <DataTemplate> 
            <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal"> 
                <Label Visibility="Hidden" Content="{Binding ID}"></Label> 
                <TextBox Width="200"  Text="{Binding EmailAddress}"></TextBox> 
            </StackPanel> 
        </DataTemplate> 
    </ListBox.ItemTemplate> 
</ListBox> 

This does exactly what I want it to do. Although when I click on the TextBox, the ListBox does not automatically set the associated ListItem as Selected. I could do this in code, but I would prefer to use this as a component (no surprises there then).

Any ideas on how to achieve this?

---

That doesn't seem to work, it won't let me click on anything. Have I missed something. Here is my new XAML.

<UserControl.Resources> 
    <!--<TextBox x:Key="TB" x:Name="TextBoxInsideListBoxItemTemplate"> 
        <TextBox.Style>--> 
            <Style TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}"> 
                <Setter Property="IsHitTestVisible" Value="False" /> 
                <Style.Triggers> 
                    <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding IsSelected, RelativeSource={RelativeSource FindAncestor,AncestorType={x:Type ListBoxItem}, AncestorLevel=1}}" 
                                                     Value="True"> 
                        <Setter Property="IsHitTestVisible" Value="True" /> 
                    </DataTrigger> 
                </Style.Triggers> 
            </Style> 
        <!--</TextBox.Style> 
    </TextBox>--> 
</UserControl.Resources> 
<Grid> 
    <ListBox x:Name="lstEmails" Height="259" Margin="12,0,12,41" Width="276" SelectionChanged="lstEmails_SelectionChanged">
        <ListBox.ItemTemplate> 
            <DataTemplate> 
                <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal"> 
                    <!--<Label Visibility="Hidden" Content="{Binding ID}"></Label>--> 
                    <TextBox Width="220" Text="{Binding EmailAddress}" > 
                    </TextBox> 
                    <!--<TextBox Width="220" Text="{Binding EmailAddress}" GotFocus="TextBox_GotFocus"></TextBox>-->
                </StackPanel> 
            </DataTemplate> 
        </ListBox.ItemTemplate> 
    </ListBox> 
    <Button Width="20" Margin="12,0,0,12" Name="btnAdd" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Click="btnAdd_Click" Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Left">+</Button>
    <Button Width="20" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="30,0,0,12" Name="btnRemove" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Click="btnRemove_Click" Height="23">-</Button>
    <Button Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Margin="0,0,12,12" Name="btnApply" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Width="49" Click="btnApply_Click">Apply</Button>
</Grid>

I think the click twice bit is good functionality.

Ain

Answer 1

If you have multiple instance of ListBox then you may consider using your custom listbox (by deriving it from ListBox). See the explanation here.

---

Or, use this hack if you have only 1 (or only small number of) such ListBox and don't want to create a separate class for that:

<TextBox x:Name="TextBoxInsideListBoxItemTemplate" ... >

    <TextBox.Style>
        <Style TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
            <Setter Property="IsHitTestVisible" Value="False" />
            <Style.Triggers>
                <DataTrigger
                        Binding="{Binding IsSelected, RelativeSource={RelativeSource FindAncestor, 
                    AncestorType={x:Type ListBoxItem}, AncestorLevel=1}}"
                        Value="True">
                    <Setter Property="IsHitTestVisible" Value="True" />
                </DataTrigger>
            </Style.Triggers>
        </Style>
    </TextBox.Style>

</TextBox>

Note that you'll have to click once again to edit text in the TextBox (which is actually cool according to me).

Auberbach

Answer 2

You can trigger on the property IsKeyboardFocusWithin in the ItemContainerStyle and set IsSelected to true.

<ListBox.ItemContainerStyle>
    <Style TargetType="{x:Type ListBoxItem}">
        <Style.Triggers>
            <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding IsKeyboardFocusWithin, RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}}" Value="True">
                <DataTrigger.EnterActions>
                    <BeginStoryboard>
                        <Storyboard>
                            <BooleanAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(ListBoxItem.IsSelected)">
                                <DiscreteBooleanKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="True"/>
                            </BooleanAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                        </Storyboard>
                    </BeginStoryboard>
                </DataTrigger.EnterActions>
            </DataTrigger>
        </Style.Triggers>
    </Style>
</ListBox.ItemContainerStyle>

You could also use a Setter instead of a single frame animation but then the selection will be lost again once the focus leaves the ListBox:

<ListBox.ItemContainerStyle>
    <Style TargetType="{x:Type ListBoxItem}">
        <Style.Triggers>
            <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding IsKeyboardFocusWithin, RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}}" Value="True">
                <Setter Property="IsSelected" Value="True"/>
            </DataTrigger>
        </Style.Triggers>
    </Style>
</ListBox.ItemContainerStyle>

Pyretic

Brilliant! Saved me today! – Cedrickceevah

This is a great solution, except it does not mesh well with Extended and Multiple selection modes. – Thereof

Answer 3

I had a situation where the selection of a listbox item would change its layout, so the control might have moved away from the cursor before the mouse button is released. I have found no better solution than to use a slight delay in the Storyboard if I want to keep everything in xaml.

More importantly, GotKeyboardFocus seems to work better than IsKeyboardFocusWithin for repeated selections.

<EventTrigger RoutedEvent="GotKeyboardFocus">
    <BeginStoryboard>
        <Storyboard>
            <BooleanAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="IsSelected">
                <DiscreteBooleanKeyFrame KeyTime="00:00:00.3" Value="True"/>
            </BooleanAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
        </Storyboard>
    </BeginStoryboard>
</EventTrigger>

Nanceynanchang