1

It seems like the background color for a WPF combobox is not overrideable when IsEnabled is set to False. Setting the Foreground property does work correctly. Even using snoop and setting the background does not change the combobox background color in the disabled state. Here is the style I'm using (based on Blend's template copy). Any Ideas?

<!-- COMBO BOX-->
    <Style x:Key="ComboBoxFocusVisual">
        <Setter Property="Control.Template">
            <Setter.Value>
                <ControlTemplate>
                    <Rectangle Margin="4,4,21,4" SnapsToDevicePixels="true" Stroke="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.ControlTextBrushKey}}" StrokeThickness="1" StrokeDashArray="1 2"/>
                </ControlTemplate>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
    </Style>
    <LinearGradientBrush x:Key="ButtonNormalBackground" EndPoint="0,1" StartPoint="0,0">
        <GradientStop Color="#F3F3F3" Offset="0"/>
        <GradientStop Color="#EBEBEB" Offset="0.5"/>
        <GradientStop Color="#DDDDDD" Offset="0.5"/>
        <GradientStop Color="#CDCDCD" Offset="1"/>
    </LinearGradientBrush>
    <SolidColorBrush x:Key="ButtonNormalBorder" Color="#FF707070"/>
    <Geometry x:Key="DownArrowGeometry">M 0 0 L 3.5 4 L 7 0 Z</Geometry>
    <Style x:Key="ComboBoxReadonlyToggleButton" TargetType="{x:Type ToggleButton}">
        <Setter Property="OverridesDefaultStyle" Value="true"/>
        <Setter Property="IsTabStop" Value="false"/>
        <Setter Property="Focusable" Value="false"/>
        <Setter Property="ClickMode" Value="Press"/>
        <Setter Property="Template">
            <Setter.Value>
                <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type ToggleButton}">
                    <Microsoft_Windows_Themes:ButtonChrome x:Name="Chrome" BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}" RenderMouseOver="{TemplateBinding IsMouseOver}" RenderPressed="{TemplateBinding IsPressed}" SnapsToDevicePixels="true">
                        <Grid HorizontalAlignment="Right" Width="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemParameters.VerticalScrollBarWidthKey}}">
                            <Path x:Name="Arrow" Data="{StaticResource DownArrowGeometry}" Fill="Black" HorizontalAlignment="Center" Margin="3,1,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                        </Grid>
                    </Microsoft_Windows_Themes:ButtonChrome>
                    <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                        <Trigger Property="IsChecked" Value="true">
                            <Setter Property="RenderPressed" TargetName="Chrome" Value="true"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <!-- This controls the down arrow in the disabled state-->
                        <Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="false">
                            <Setter Property="Visibility" TargetName="Arrow" Value="Collapsed"/>
                        </Trigger>
                    </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                </ControlTemplate>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
    </Style>
    <LinearGradientBrush x:Key="TextBoxBorder" EndPoint="0,20" MappingMode="Absolute" StartPoint="0,0">
        <GradientStop Color="#ABADB3" Offset="0.05"/>
        <GradientStop Color="#E2E3EA" Offset="0.07"/>
        <GradientStop Color="#E3E9EF" Offset="1"/>
    </LinearGradientBrush>
    <Style x:Key="ComboBoxEditableTextBox" TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
        <Setter Property="OverridesDefaultStyle" Value="true"/>
        <Setter Property="AllowDrop" Value="true"/>
        <Setter Property="MinWidth" Value="0"/>
        <Setter Property="MinHeight" Value="0"/>
        <Setter Property="FocusVisualStyle" Value="{x:Null}"/>
        <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.PanningMode" Value="VerticalFirst"/>
        <Setter Property="Stylus.IsFlicksEnabled" Value="False"/>
        <Setter Property="Template">
            <Setter.Value>
                <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
                    <ScrollViewer x:Name="PART_ContentHost" Background="Transparent" Focusable="false" HorizontalScrollBarVisibility="Hidden" VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Hidden"/>
                </ControlTemplate>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
    </Style>
    <Style x:Key="ComboBoxToggleButton" TargetType="{x:Type ToggleButton}">
        <Setter Property="OverridesDefaultStyle" Value="true"/>
        <Setter Property="IsTabStop" Value="false"/>
        <Setter Property="Focusable" Value="false"/>
        <Setter Property="ClickMode" Value="Press"/>
        <Setter Property="Template">
            <Setter.Value>
                <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type ToggleButton}">
                    <Microsoft_Windows_Themes:ButtonChrome x:Name="Chrome" BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}" RenderMouseOver="{TemplateBinding IsMouseOver}" RenderPressed="{TemplateBinding IsPressed}" RoundCorners="false" SnapsToDevicePixels="true" Width="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemParameters.VerticalScrollBarWidthKey}}">
                        <Path x:Name="Arrow" Data="{StaticResource DownArrowGeometry}" Fill="Black" HorizontalAlignment="Center" Margin="0,1,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                    </Microsoft_Windows_Themes:ButtonChrome>
                    <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                        <Trigger Property="IsChecked" Value="true">
                            <Setter Property="RenderPressed" TargetName="Chrome" Value="true"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="false">
                            <Setter Property="Fill" TargetName="Arrow" Value="#AFAFAF"/>
                        </Trigger>
                    </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                </ControlTemplate>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
    </Style>
    <ControlTemplate x:Key="ComboBoxEditableTemplate" TargetType="{x:Type ComboBox}">
        <Grid x:Name="Placement" SnapsToDevicePixels="true">
            <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                <ColumnDefinition Width="*"/>
                <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
            </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
            <Popup x:Name="PART_Popup" AllowsTransparency="true" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" IsOpen="{Binding IsDropDownOpen, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}" PopupAnimation="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemParameters.ComboBoxPopupAnimationKey}}" Placement="Bottom">
                <Microsoft_Windows_Themes:SystemDropShadowChrome x:Name="Shdw" Color="Transparent" MaxHeight="{TemplateBinding MaxDropDownHeight}" MinWidth="{Binding ActualWidth, ElementName=Placement}">
                    <Border x:Name="DropDownBorder" BorderBrush="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.WindowFrameBrushKey}}" BorderThickness="1" Background="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.WindowBrushKey}}">
                        <ScrollViewer x:Name="DropDownScrollViewer">
                            <Grid RenderOptions.ClearTypeHint="Enabled">
                                <Canvas HorizontalAlignment="Left" Height="0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="0">
                                    <Rectangle x:Name="OpaqueRect" Fill="{Binding Background, ElementName=DropDownBorder}" Height="{Binding ActualHeight, ElementName=DropDownBorder}" Width="{Binding ActualWidth, ElementName=DropDownBorder}"/>
                                </Canvas>
                                <ItemsPresenter x:Name="ItemsPresenter" KeyboardNavigation.DirectionalNavigation="Contained" SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding SnapsToDevicePixels}"/>
                            </Grid>
                        </ScrollViewer>
                    </Border>
                </Microsoft_Windows_Themes:SystemDropShadowChrome>
            </Popup>
            <Microsoft_Windows_Themes:ListBoxChrome x:Name="Border" BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}" BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" RenderMouseOver="{TemplateBinding IsMouseOver}" RenderFocused="{TemplateBinding IsKeyboardFocusWithin}"/>
            <TextBox x:Name="PART_EditableTextBox" HorizontalContentAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}" IsReadOnly="{Binding IsReadOnly, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}" Margin="{TemplateBinding Padding}" Style="{StaticResource ComboBoxEditableTextBox}" VerticalContentAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}"/>
            <ToggleButton Grid.Column="1" IsChecked="{Binding IsDropDownOpen, Mode=TwoWay, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}" Style="{StaticResource ComboBoxToggleButton}"/>
        </Grid>
        <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
            <Trigger Property="IsKeyboardFocusWithin" Value="true">
                <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="Black"/>
            </Trigger>
            <Trigger Property="IsDropDownOpen" Value="true">
                <Setter Property="RenderFocused" TargetName="Border" Value="true"/>
            </Trigger>
            <Trigger Property="HasItems" Value="false">
                <Setter Property="Height" TargetName="DropDownBorder" Value="95"/>
            </Trigger>
            <Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="false">
                <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.GrayTextBrushKey}}"/>
                <Setter Property="Background" Value="#FFF4F4F4"/>
            </Trigger>
            <Trigger Property="IsGrouping" Value="true">
                <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll" Value="false"/>
            </Trigger>
            <Trigger Property="HasDropShadow" SourceName="PART_Popup" Value="true">
                <Setter Property="Margin" TargetName="Shdw" Value="0,0,5,5"/>
                <Setter Property="Color" TargetName="Shdw" Value="#71000000"/>
            </Trigger>
            <Trigger Property="ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll" SourceName="DropDownScrollViewer" Value="false">
                <Setter Property="Canvas.Top" TargetName="OpaqueRect" Value="{Binding VerticalOffset, ElementName=DropDownScrollViewer}"/>
                <Setter Property="Canvas.Left" TargetName="OpaqueRect" Value="{Binding HorizontalOffset, ElementName=DropDownScrollViewer}"/>
            </Trigger>
        </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
    </ControlTemplate>
    <Style x:Key="ComboBoxStyle1" TargetType="{x:Type ComboBox}">
        <Setter Property="FocusVisualStyle" Value="{StaticResource ComboBoxFocusVisual}"/>
        <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.WindowTextBrushKey}}"/>
        <Setter Property="Background" Value="{StaticResource ButtonNormalBackground}"/>
        <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="{StaticResource ButtonNormalBorder}"/>
        <Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="1"/>
        <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.HorizontalScrollBarVisibility" Value="Auto"/>
        <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.VerticalScrollBarVisibility" Value="Auto"/>
        <Setter Property="Padding" Value="4,3"/>
        <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll" Value="true"/>
        <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.PanningMode" Value="Both"/>
        <Setter Property="Stylus.IsFlicksEnabled" Value="False"/>
        <Setter Property="Template">
            <Setter.Value>
                <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type ComboBox}">
                    <Grid x:Name="MainGrid" SnapsToDevicePixels="true">
                        <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                            <ColumnDefinition Width="*"/>
                            <ColumnDefinition MinWidth="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemParameters.VerticalScrollBarWidthKey}}" Width="0"/>
                        </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                        <Popup x:Name="PART_Popup" AllowsTransparency="true" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" IsOpen="{Binding IsDropDownOpen, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}" Margin="1" PopupAnimation="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemParameters.ComboBoxPopupAnimationKey}}" Placement="Bottom">
                            <Microsoft_Windows_Themes:SystemDropShadowChrome x:Name="Shdw" Color="Transparent" MaxHeight="{TemplateBinding MaxDropDownHeight}" MinWidth="{Binding ActualWidth, ElementName=MainGrid}">
                                <Border x:Name="DropDownBorder" BorderBrush="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.WindowFrameBrushKey}}" BorderThickness="1" Background="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.WindowBrushKey}}">
                                    <ScrollViewer x:Name="DropDownScrollViewer">
                                        <Grid RenderOptions.ClearTypeHint="Enabled">
                                            <Canvas HorizontalAlignment="Left" Height="0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="0">
                                                <Rectangle x:Name="OpaqueRect" Fill="{Binding Background, ElementName=DropDownBorder}" Height="{Binding ActualHeight, ElementName=DropDownBorder}" Width="{Binding ActualWidth, ElementName=DropDownBorder}"/>
                                            </Canvas>
                                            <ItemsPresenter x:Name="ItemsPresenter" KeyboardNavigation.DirectionalNavigation="Contained" SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding SnapsToDevicePixels}"/>
                                        </Grid>
                                    </ScrollViewer>
                                </Border>
                            </Microsoft_Windows_Themes:SystemDropShadowChrome>
                        </Popup>
                        <ToggleButton BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" IsChecked="{Binding IsDropDownOpen, Mode=TwoWay, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}" Style="{StaticResource ComboBoxReadonlyToggleButton}"/>
                        <ContentPresenter ContentTemplate="{TemplateBinding SelectionBoxItemTemplate}" ContentTemplateSelector="{TemplateBinding ItemTemplateSelector}" Content="{TemplateBinding SelectionBoxItem}" ContentStringFormat="{TemplateBinding SelectionBoxItemStringFormat}" HorizontalAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}" IsHitTestVisible="false" Margin="{TemplateBinding Padding}" SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding SnapsToDevicePixels}" VerticalAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}"/>
                    </Grid>
                    <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                        <Trigger Property="HasDropShadow" SourceName="PART_Popup" Value="true">
                            <Setter Property="Margin" TargetName="Shdw" Value="0,0,5,5"/>
                            <Setter Property="Color" TargetName="Shdw" Value="#71000000"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger Property="HasItems" Value="false">
                            <Setter Property="Height" TargetName="DropDownBorder" Value="95"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="false">
                            <!-- Text color for disabled state-->
                            <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.WindowTextBrushKey}}"/>
                            <!-- Backround not working, something must be overriding it
                            <Setter Property="Background" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.WindowBrushKey}}"/>
                            -->
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger Property="IsGrouping" Value="true">
                            <Setter Property="ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll" Value="false"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <Trigger Property="ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll" SourceName="DropDownScrollViewer" Value="false">
                            <Setter Property="Canvas.Top" TargetName="OpaqueRect" Value="{Binding VerticalOffset, ElementName=DropDownScrollViewer}"/>
                            <Setter Property="Canvas.Left" TargetName="OpaqueRect" Value="{Binding HorizontalOffset, ElementName=DropDownScrollViewer}"/>
                        </Trigger>
                    </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                </ControlTemplate>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
        <Style.Triggers>
            <Trigger Property="IsEditable" Value="true">
                <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="{StaticResource TextBoxBorder}"/>
                <Setter Property="Background" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.WindowBrushKey}}"/>
                <Setter Property="IsTabStop" Value="false"/>
                <Setter Property="Padding" Value="3"/>
                <Setter Property="Template" Value="{StaticResource ComboBoxEditableTemplate}"/>
            </Trigger>
        </Style.Triggers>
    </Style>
Dave Clemmer
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Adam
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  • I have left feedback on the [microsoft connect site](https://connect.microsoft.com/WPF/feedback/details/654866/cannot-style-combobox-background-color-when-isenabled-is-false#details) for any future readers – Adam Mar 30 '11 at 19:16
  • This isn't a full answer, but I think it shows a reason for why this is happening : http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4424699/overriding-button-background-in-wpf-on-aero. The ComboBox uses a ToggleButton in its template, and the ToggleButton in turn uses a ButtonChrome, which is the issue addressed in the link. – skybluecodeflier Apr 09 '12 at 01:09

2 Answers2

0

Depends on what you mean by "not overrideable". This trigger in the template:

<Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="false">
    <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.GrayTextBrushKey}}"/>
    <Setter Property="Background" Value="#FFF4F4F4"/>
</Trigger>

It is what is setting the background. Thus, you have to override the template in order to customize it - there's no property on the control itself that is used to set the background when disabled, and there's no resource look up, so you can't alter it there either.

Mohammad Roshani
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Kent Boogaart
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    I've tried changing that, it has no effect. Give it a try if you don't believe me. Or am I understanding you incorrectly? – Adam Mar 30 '11 at 17:03
  • Adam is right, if you change the Background value in the setter there is no visible difference. – H.B. Mar 30 '11 at 17:51
  • There are several IsEnabled triggers (I may have copied the wrong one). Did you try the correct one? – Kent Boogaart Mar 30 '11 at 20:47
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    I tried all of them. Like I mentioned before, feel free to prove me wrong. – Adam Apr 01 '11 at 13:27
0

Related: WPF ComboBox: background color when disabled

Community
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publicgk
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