WPF: ControlTemplate of Inherited Custom Control

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Hello,

I have a custom control, and want to derive a second control from that
control.

public class CustomButton : Button
{
}

public class SpecialCustomBu tton : CustomButton
{
}

I'd like to use the same base ControlTemplate for both controls, updating
the template used for the Content in the "special" control. However, I can't
seem to figure out how to "share" the ControlTemplate .

In CustomButton.ge neric.xaml, I define the template:
<ControlTemplat e x:Key="template CustomButton"
TargetType="{x: Type local:CustomBut ton}}">
<!-- Definitions Here -->
</ControlTemplate >

<Style TargetType="{x: Type local:CustomBut ton}">
<Setter Property="Templ ate"
Value="{StaticR esource templateCustomB utton}" />
</Style>

I try to reference the same control template in
SpecialCustomBu tton.generic.xa ml
<Style TargetType="{x: Type local:SpecialCu stomButton}">
<Setter Property="Templ ate"
Value="{Dynamic Resource templateCustomB utton}" />
</Style>
However, the special control never shows up on my panel.

Is there a way to do what I'm attempting to do, or do I have to create a new
ControlTemplate and bind every single property again?

Thanks.
WtS

[Marco Zhou [MSFT]]

Hello Wonko,

StaticResource/DynamicResource resource lookup in WPF will be scoped within
the resource dictionary boundaries when you want to use them to refer the
resources within the theme or generic resource dictionaries.

I suppose you define the custom control styles in separate resource
dictionaries, and merge them into generic.xaml resource dictionary. If this
is not the case, please elaborate more one your usage scenario, if this is
the case, there are two options which you could try:

First option: Put the "templateCustom Button" control template resource in a
separate resource dictionary, and merge it into the
"SpecialCustomB utton.generic.x aml" resource dictionary, so that you could
reference it as it is with local resources.

Second option: Instead of using string ResourceKey to identify
"templateCustom Button" control template, try strongly typed
ComponentResour ceKey, something like the following:

<ControlTemplat e x:Key="{Compone ntResourceKey
ResourceId=temp lateCustomButto n, TypeInTargetAss embly={x:Type
local:CustomBut ton}}">
<TextBlock Text="SpecialCu stomButton"/>
</ControlTemplate >

And you could use DynamicResource to refer to it as follows:

<Style TargetType="{x: Type local:SpecialCu stomButton}">
<Setter Property="Templ ate" Value="{Dynamic Resource {ComponentResou rceKey
ResourceId=temp lateCustomButto n, TypeInTargetAss embly={x:Type
local:CustomBut ton}}}" />
</Style>

--------------------------------------------------
Best regards,
Macro Zhou (v-*****@online.mi crosoft.com, remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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