Create custom binding property for window.resources style

Question

I\'ve created a couple of custom bindings for a custom control before, but since this case is for a window.resources style for a button, (A control template rather), I don\'

Answer 1

Creating a viewmodel to customize wpf button colors is a wrong approach. Button color scheme is something which belongs strictly to a view. Also many buttons means many view model instances, since each button might want to be unique - too much code for such a simple setting.

Button class doesn't have enough dependency properties to set color representing HoverColorBackground/HoverColorBorder/HoverColorForeground. Alternatives are to create a derived Button class (way to go when DP are of some complex type and/or have associated logic) or use attached properties. I have written a tip, which coveres the second approach.

short version

create an attached DP

public static class Alt
{
    #region Background
    public static readonly DependencyProperty BackgroundProperty =
              DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("Background", typeof(Brush),
              typeof(Alt), new PropertyMetadata(null));

    public static Brush GetBackground(DependencyObject obj)
    {
        return (Brush)obj.GetValue(Alt.BackgroundProperty);
    }

    public static void SetBackground(DependencyObject obj, Brush value)
    {
        obj.SetValue(Alt.BackgroundProperty, value);
    }
    #endregion
}

set custom value for that property

<Button Content="Blue" Foreground="White" Margin="5"
        Background="Blue" ui:Alt.Background="DarkBlue"/>

make sure that template know how to use that property

<Trigger Property="IsMouseOver" Value="True">
    <Setter TargetName="ButtonGrid" 
            Property="Background" 
            Value="{Binding Path=(ui:Alt.Background),
                            RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}"/>
</Trigger>

Works for any control. Many DP can be mixed in any combination.