How do I make a WPF button look like a link?

Zack Peterson picture Zack Peterson · Feb 25, 2011 · Viewed 38.7k times · Source

I want to use buttons in WPF that are styled like links. Microsoft does this (seemingly inconsistently) in its Windows dialog boxes.

They look like blue text. And change color and underline when the mouse cursor hovers over.

Example:

LinkButton in Windows 7

I got it working. (thanks to Christian, Anderson Imes, and MichaC) But, I had to put a TextBlock inside my button.

How can I improve my style—to make it work without requiring the TextBlock inside my Button?

Usage XAML

<Button Style="{StaticResource HyperlinkLikeButton}">
    <TextBlock>Edit</TextBlock>
</Button>

Style XAML

<Style x:Key="HyperlinkLikeButton" TargetType="Button">
    <Setter Property="Template">
        <Setter.Value>
            <ControlTemplate TargetType="Button">
                <ContentPresenter />
            </ControlTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
    <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.HotTrackBrushKey}}" />
    <Setter Property="Cursor" Value="Hand" />
    <Style.Triggers>
        <Trigger Property="IsMouseOver" Value="true">
            <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.HighlightBrushKey}}" />
            <Setter Property="Template">
                <Setter.Value>
                    <ControlTemplate TargetType="Button">
                        <ControlTemplate.Resources>
                            <Style TargetType="{x:Type TextBlock}">
                                <Setter Property="TextDecorations" Value="Underline" />
                            </Style>
                        </ControlTemplate.Resources>
                        <ContentPresenter />
                    </ControlTemplate>
                </Setter.Value>
            </Setter>
        </Trigger>
    </Style.Triggers>
</Style>

Answer

Matěj Z&#225;bsk&#253; picture Matěj Zábský · Feb 25, 2011

Do you know there is a Hyperlink class/tag? It looks like a hyperlink and can work also as button (can use URI and/or command and/or click event).

EDIT:

Example of usage:

<TextBlock>                                
    <Hyperlink Command="{Binding SomeCommand, ElementName=window}" CommandParameter="{Binding}">Link
    </Hyperlink>
</TextBlock>