Setting Border background with a template binding - silverlight

Question

Value="{TemplateBinding HeaderColor}"I've created my own control, and I'm wondering if I can bind a Border.Background to a template property. Currently i'm setting it with a StaticResource like the following:
<Color x:Key="ControlMouseOverColor">green</Color>
<ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Border.Background).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)" Storyboard.TargetName="headerLayout">
<EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0:0:6" Value="{StaticResource ControlMouseOverColor}" />
</ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
I'd like it be a property on my control, and be able to set it as a template binding
<ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Border.Background).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)" Storyboard.TargetName="headerLayout">
<EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0:0:6" Value="{TemplateBinding HeaderColor}" />
</ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
MainPage.xaml
<ctrl:Selection Grid.Column="0" HeaderColor="Red" HeaderText="Header Text" />
my class:
public static readonly DependencyProperty HeaderColorProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("HeaderColor", typeof(System.Windows.Media.Color), typeof(Selection), new PropertyMetadata(System.Windows.Media.Colors.Red));
public System.Windows.Media.Color HeaderColor {
get { return (System.Windows.Media.Color)GetValue(HeaderColorProperty); }
set { SetValue(HeaderColorProperty, value); }
}
This 2nd option does not work, should I be able to do this? I don't get an error, it just does not change to the color I set.
Comment left by AngelWPF asked for more code, pasting below, I'm in the beginning stages of learning to create a control, wanted to note that, because there is a lot I have not got to yet, one piece at a time :)
generic.xaml
<ResourceDictionary
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:controls="clr-namespace:SelectionControl.Library"
xmlns:ctrl="clr-namespace:SelectionControl.Library;assembly=SelectionControl">
<LinearGradientBrush x:Key="HeaderBackground" EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
<GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0" />
<GradientStop Color="Gray" Offset="1" />
</LinearGradientBrush>
<Color x:Key="ControlMouseEnterColor">aliceblue</Color>
<Color x:Key="ControlMouseLeaveColor">Gray</Color>
<Color x:Key="ControlLeftMouseUpColor">Red</Color>
<Style TargetType="ctrl:Selection">
<Setter Property="Width" Value="Auto" />
<Setter Property="Height" Value="Auto" />
<Setter Property="FontSize" Value="12" />
<Setter Property="FontWeight" Value="Bold" />
<Setter Property="Foreground" Value="AliceBlue" />
<Setter Property="Margin" Value="2,2,2,2" />
<Setter Property="Background" Value="{StaticResource ResourceKey=HeaderBackground}" />
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="ctrl:Selection">
<Grid x:Name="RootElement" Margin="{TemplateBinding Margin}">
<!-- Visual States -->
<VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<VisualStateGroup x:Name="CommonStates">
<VisualState x:Name="MouseEnter">
<Storyboard>
<ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Border.Background).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)" Storyboard.TargetName="headerLayout">
<EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0:0:.5" Value="{TemplateBinding HeaderColor}" />
</ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
<VisualState x:Name="MouseLeave">
<Storyboard>
<ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Border.Background).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)" Storyboard.TargetName="headerLayout">
<EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0:0:1" Value="{StaticResource ControlMouseLeaveColor}" />
</ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
<VisualState x:Name="MouseLeftUp">
<Storyboard>
<ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Border.Background).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)" Storyboard.TargetName="headerLayout">
<EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0:0:1" Value="{StaticResource ControlLeftMouseUpColor}" />
</ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
</VisualStateGroup>
</VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<!-- End Visual States-->
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
<RowDefinition Height="*"/>
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<!-- Header -->
<Border x:Name="headerLayout" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}" Grid.Row="0" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" VerticalAlignment="Stretch" CornerRadius="2,2,2,2" BorderBrush="Black" BorderThickness="1">
<StackPanel>
<ToggleButton ></ToggleButton>
<TextBlock Foreground="{TemplateBinding Foreground}" Text="{TemplateBinding HeaderText}" FontWeight="{TemplateBinding FontWeight}" FontSize="{TemplateBinding FontSize}" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" />
</StackPanel>
</Border>
<!-- Body Content -->
<ContentPresenter Grid.Row="1" Content="{TemplateBinding Content}" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" VerticalAlignment="Stretch" />
</Grid>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>
</ResourceDictionary>
Selection.cs
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Input;
namespace SelectionControl.Library {
[TemplateVisualState(Name = Selection.MouseEnterStateName, GroupName = Selection.CommonStatesGroupName)]
[TemplateVisualState(Name = Selection.MouseLeaveStateName, GroupName = Selection.CommonStatesGroupName)]
[TemplateVisualState(Name = Selection.MouseLeftUpStateName, GroupName = Selection.CommonStatesGroupName)]
public class Selection : ContentControl {
public const string CommonStatesGroupName = "CommonStates";
public const string MouseEnterStateName = "MouseEnter";
public const string MouseLeaveStateName = "MouseLeave";
public const string MouseLeftUpStateName = "MouseLeftUp";
public Selection() {
this.DefaultStyleKey = typeof(Selection);
this.MouseEnter += new MouseEventHandler(OnMouseEnter);
this.MouseLeave += new MouseEventHandler(OnMouseLeave);
this.MouseLeftButtonUp += new MouseButtonEventHandler(OnMouseLeftButtonUp);
}
void OnMouseLeftButtonUp(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e) {
this.GoToState(Selection.MouseLeftUpStateName, true);
}
void OnMouseLeave(object sender, MouseEventArgs e) {
this.GoToState(Selection.MouseLeaveStateName, true);
}
void OnMouseEnter(object sender, MouseEventArgs e) {
this.GoToState(Selection.MouseEnterStateName, true);
}
private void GoToState(string stateName, bool useTransitions) {
VisualStateManager.GoToState(this, stateName, useTransitions);
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty HeaderTextProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("HeaderText", typeof(string), typeof(Selection), new PropertyMetadata(""));
public string HeaderText {
get { return (string)GetValue(HeaderTextProperty); }
set { SetValue(HeaderTextProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty HeaderColorProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("HeaderColor", typeof(System.Windows.Media.Color), typeof(Selection), new PropertyMetadata(System.Windows.Media.Colors.Red));
public System.Windows.Media.Color HeaderColor {
get { return (System.Windows.Media.Color)GetValue(HeaderColorProperty); }
set { SetValue(HeaderColorProperty, value); }
}
}}

Answer 1

I have had mixed results using TemplateBinding on custom dependency properties. Because of this, I have used RelativeSource TemplatedParent which seems to work in every situation.
<EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0:0:.5" Value="{Binding HeaderColor, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}" />