Black Background for XAML Editor

Question

I am currently working on a user control that has white text and a transparent background. Unfortunately because the XAML design view within VS2010 has a white background I cann

Answer 1

In your XAML, set your background to black. Then in your user control, use the DesignerProperties to set the background at runtime:

XAML

Code Behind

public YourUserControl()
{
  InitializeComponent();

  if( !System.ComponentModel.DesignerProperties.GetIsInDesignMode( this ) )
  {
    this.Background = Brushes.Transparent;
  }

}

---

Alternate Method

UserControl:

In your user control, do not declare a background color:

UserControl Code Behind:

In your user control's constructor, use the DesignTime method as above, but check to see if it is Design Mode (opposite check from other method):

public YourUserControl()
{
  InitializeComponent();

  if( System.ComponentModel.DesignerProperties.GetIsInDesignMode( this ) )
  {
    this.Background = Brushes.Black;
  }

}

App.xaml:

Finally, in your App.xaml, add a style to set a background color for UserControls:

Here's what's happening:

1. The App.xaml will effect the UserControl at design time because a typed style is applied on an object automatically, but it is not applied to a derived object (UserControl in this case). So, at design time, VS thinks it should apply the style, but at runtime, it will be ignored.
2. The GetIsInDesignMode check will effect the UserControl when viewing the control in a Window that is using the UserControl because VS is compiling the UserControl at design time in order to render it in the Visual Designer.

HTH's