How to modify Expander button background only? WPF

Question

I have an Expander placed on a window with a blue background and I would like to make the button for the expander another color than the default (blue, which it is receiving from the window). When I modify the background property of the expander it changes the entire expander, header and all to the new color. However, I would like only the button itself to change. Could anyone point me to the right property that I am looking for? Thank you

Answer 1

You not only have to retemplate the Expander ... you need to retemplate the ToggleButton within the Expander's template ... so that you can template bind the Background brush set on the Expander all the way down through the Expander's visuals and into the ToggleButton's visuals (using two TemplateBindings).

One thing that is helpful (at least for me) when you are learning how to modify the visuals of the WPF controls is to use the SimpleStyles as these are much easier to copy and modify ... than the full fledged, normal styles & templates.

To do this, open up Blend and go into the Asset Library (the bottom most tool) ... if you click on that you will see two sets of controls: System Controls and Simple Styles. Grab one of the controls (whichever one you want) from the Simple Styles and plunk it down on the design surface. Then, you can right click on it, Edit Control Parts (Template), and Edit a Copy. This will create a copy of the Simple Styles style and template ... which you can then (more easily) modify to your hearts content.

(I should note at this point that I would then modify that xaml (generated by Blend) in both Visual Studio and Blend ... flipping back and forth as necessary ... and taking advantage of the strengths of each: Blend for its WYSIWYG design surface ... and Visual Studio for its code editing and IntelliSense support.)

I have drafted up some quick xaml that does what you are asking and will include it below. You should be able to drop this xaml in Kaxaml or another loose xaml editor.

Hope this helps.

<Page
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    Width="640"
    Height="480"
>
    <Page.Resources>
        <LinearGradientBrush x:Key="NormalBrush" EndPoint="0,1" StartPoint="0,0">
            <GradientStop Color="#EEE" Offset="0.0"/>
            <GradientStop Color="#CCC" Offset="1.0"/>
        </LinearGradientBrush>
        <LinearGradientBrush x:Key="NormalBorderBrush" EndPoint="0,1" StartPoint="0,0">
            <GradientStop Color="#CCC" Offset="0.0"/>
            <GradientStop Color="#444" Offset="1.0"/>
        </LinearGradientBrush>
        <SolidColorBrush x:Key="GlyphBrush" Color="#444"/>
        <LinearGradientBrush x:Key="MouseOverBrush" EndPoint="0,1" StartPoint="0,0">
            <GradientStop Color="#FFF" Offset="0.0"/>
            <GradientStop Color="#AAA" Offset="1.0"/>
        </LinearGradientBrush>
        <LinearGradientBrush x:Key="PressedBrush" EndPoint="0,1" StartPoint="0,0">
            <GradientStop Color="#BBB" Offset="0.0"/>
            <GradientStop Color="#EEE" Offset="0.1"/>
            <GradientStop Color="#EEE" Offset="0.9"/>
            <GradientStop Color="#FFF" Offset="1.0"/>
        </LinearGradientBrush>

        <ControlTemplate x:Key="newToggleButtonControlTemplate" TargetType="{x:Type ToggleButton}">
            <Grid Background="{TemplateBinding Background}">
                <Rectangle
                    x:Name="Rectangle"
                    Margin="0,0,0,0"
                    Fill="Transparent"
                    Stroke="{DynamicResource NormalBorderBrush}"
                />
                <Path
                    x:Name="Up_Arrow"
                    HorizontalAlignment="Center"
                    VerticalAlignment="Center"
                    Fill="{DynamicResource GlyphBrush}"
                    Data="M 0 0 L 4 4 L 8 0 Z"
                />
                <Path
                    x:Name="Down_Arrow"
                    Visibility="Collapsed"
                    HorizontalAlignment="Center"
                    VerticalAlignment="Center"
                    Fill="{DynamicResource GlyphBrush}"
                    Data="M 0 4 L 4 0 L 8 4 Z"
                />
            </Grid>
            <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                <Trigger Property="IsMouseOver" Value="true">
                    <Setter Property="Fill" Value="{DynamicResource MouseOverBrush}" TargetName="Rectangle"/>
                </Trigger>
                <Trigger Property="IsPressed" Value="true">
                    <Setter Property="Fill" Value="{DynamicResource PressedBrush}" TargetName="Rectangle"/>
                </Trigger>
                <Trigger Property="IsChecked" Value="true">
                    <Setter Property="Visibility" Value="Visible" TargetName="Down_Arrow"/>
                    <Setter Property="Visibility" Value="Collapsed" TargetName="Up_Arrow"/>
                </Trigger>
            </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
        </ControlTemplate>
        <Style x:Key="newExpanderStyle" TargetType="{x:Type Expander}">
            <Setter Property="Template">
                <Setter.Value>
                    <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Expander}">
                        <Grid>
                            <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                                <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
                                <RowDefinition Height="*" x:Name="ContentRow"/>
                            </Grid.RowDefinitions>
                            <Border
                                x:Name="Border"
                                Grid.Row="0"
                                BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}"
                                CornerRadius="2,2,0,0"
                            >
                                <Grid>
                                    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                                        <ColumnDefinition Width="20"/>
                                        <ColumnDefinition Width="*"/>
                                    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                                    <ToggleButton
                                        Template="{DynamicResource newToggleButtonControlTemplate}"
                                        Background="{TemplateBinding Background}"
                                        IsChecked="{Binding Path=IsExpanded, Mode=TwoWay, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}"
                                        OverridesDefaultStyle="True"
                                    />
                                    <ContentPresenter Grid.Column="1" Margin="4" RecognizesAccessKey="True" ContentSource="Header"/>
                                </Grid>
                            </Border>
                            <Border
                                x:Name="ExpandSite"
                                Grid.Row="1"
                                Visibility="Collapsed"
                                BorderThickness="1,0,1,1"
                                CornerRadius="0,0,2,2"
                            >
                                <ContentPresenter
                                    HorizontalAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}"
                                    VerticalAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}"
                                    Margin="{TemplateBinding Padding}"
                                    Focusable="false"
                                />
                            </Border>
                        </Grid>
                        <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                            <Trigger Property="IsExpanded" Value="True">
                                <Setter Property="Visibility" Value="Visible" TargetName="ExpandSite"/>
                            </Trigger>
                        </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                    </ControlTemplate>
                </Setter.Value>
            </Setter>
        </Style>
    </Page.Resources>

    <Page.Background>
        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.997,0.996" StartPoint="0.002,0.058">
            <GradientStop Color="#FF63A6DE" Offset="0"/>
            <GradientStop Color="#FFC2DEF5" Offset="1"/>
        </LinearGradientBrush>
    </Page.Background>

    <Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot">
        <Expander
            Style="{DynamicResource newExpanderStyle}"
            Header="Expander"
            HorizontalAlignment="Left"
            VerticalAlignment="Top"
            Background="{DynamicResource NormalBrush}"
        >
            <Grid>
                <Button Content="Hello World"/>
            </Grid>
        </Expander>
    </Grid>
</Page>