WPF - How to make Style.Triggers trigger a different named style to be applied

Question

Hi guys

Lets say I have the below:

<Style TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
    <Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="1" />
    <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="Gray" />
    <Style.Triggers>
        <Trigger Property="IsFocused" Value="true"> 
            <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="Green" />
            <Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="2" />
        </Trigger>
    </Style.Triggers> 
</Style>

This works fine and there is nothing too much wrong here, but it is a fairly simple case. What happens if I want to have the IsFocused style state listed as a exsplicit style how do reference that style as being the IsFocused style, i.e.

<Style x:key="ActiveStyle" TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
    <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="Green" />
    <Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="2" />
</Style>

<Style TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
    <Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="1" />
    <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="Gray" />
    <Style.Triggers>
        <Trigger Property="IsFocused" Value="true">
           -- Here I want to reference ActiveStyle and not copy the copy the setters
        </Trigger>
    </Style.Triggers> 
</Style>

Cheers Anthony

Answer 1

I don't think you can however, you can reuse a style this way :

<Style x:Key="ActiveStyle" TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
    <Style.Triggers>
     <Trigger Property="IsFocused" Value="true">
      <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="Green" />
      <Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="2" />
     </Trigger>
    </Style.Triggers>
</Style>

<Style TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}" BasedOn="{StaticResource ActiveStyle}">
    <Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="1" />
    <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="Gray" />
</Style>

I don't see another solution :(

Answer 2

WPF is providing a special property for this FrameworkElement.FocusVisualStyle So go ahead and assign that :)

<TextBox FocusVisualStyle="{StaticResource ActiveStyle}" .....

Or another way using setters

<Style TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
 <Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="1" />
 <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="Gray" />    
 <Setter Property="FocusVisualStyle" >
  <Setter.Value>
    <Style x:key="ActiveStyle" TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
       <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="Green" />
       <Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="2" />
    </Style>
   </Setter.Value>
  <\Setter>
 </Style>