How to create a WPF UserControl with NAMED content

Question

I have a set of controls with attached commands and logic that are constantly reused in the same way. I decided to create a user control that holds all the common controls and logic.

However I also need the control to be able to hold content that can be named. I tried the following:

<UserControl.ContentTemplate>
    <DataTemplate>
        <Button>a reused button</Button>
        <ContentPresenter Content="{TemplateBinding Content}"/>
        <Button>a reused button</Button>
    </DataTemplate>
</UserControl.ContentTemplate>

However it seems any content placed inside the user control cannot be named. For example if I use the control in the following way:

<lib:UserControl1>
     <Button Name="buttonName">content</Button>
</lib:UserControl1>

I receive the following error:

Cannot set Name attribute value 'buttonName' on element 'Button'. 'Button' is under the scope of element 'UserControl1', which already had a name registered when it was defined in another scope.

If I remove the buttonName, then it compiles, however I need to be able to name the content. How can I achieve this?

Answer 1

The answer is to not use a UserControl to do it.

Create a class that extends ContentControl

public class MyFunkyControl : ContentControl
{
    public static readonly DependencyProperty HeadingProperty =
        DependencyProperty.Register("Heading", typeof(string),
        typeof(HeadingContainer), new PropertyMetadata(HeadingChanged));

    private static void HeadingChanged(DependencyObject d, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        ((HeadingContainer) d).Heading = e.NewValue as string;
    }

    public string Heading { get; set; }
}

then use a style to specify the contents

<Style TargetType="control:MyFunkyControl">
    <Setter Property="Template">
        <Setter.Value>
            <ControlTemplate TargetType="control:MyFunkyContainer">
                <Grid>
                    <ContentControl Content="{TemplateBinding Content}"/>
                </Grid>
            </ControlTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
</Style>

and finally - use it

<control:MyFunkyControl Heading="Some heading!">            
    <Label Name="WithAName">Some cool content</Label>
</control:MyFunkyControl>