WPF: ComboBox without dropdown button

Question

I want a ComboBox which has no dropdown button but can still be opened when I click on the text in the combobox. Is this possible with a WPF combobox?

Answer 1

It's possible, but you would need to retemplate it to achieve perfection. You can get most of the way there by overriding a system parameter as follows:

<ComboBox>
    <ComboBox.Resources>
        <sys:Double x:Key="{x:Static SystemParameters.VerticalScrollBarWidthKey}">0</sys:Double>
    </ComboBox.Resources>
    <ComboBoxItem>One</ComboBoxItem>
    <ComboBoxItem>Two</ComboBoxItem>
    <ComboBoxItem>Three</ComboBoxItem>
</ComboBox>

However, it isn't perfect because the focus rectangle still assumes there is a drop-down button present.

HTH, Kent

Answer 2

All WPF controls are "lookless," so you can completely redefine their appearance. However, it's not simple and even less so for ComboBox. ComboBox uses one of two templates, depending on whether it's editable. The non-editable version uses the ToggleButton for the control appearance, so you can just remove the arrow drawing (see below). The editable version uses a TextBox and a ToggleButton, and if you have no ToggleButton, it doesn't open. So here's a template without the ToggleButton; it's up to you to add the code to handle clicks on the editable template. (Or if you don't need to edit, you can just coerce IsEditable to false and be done with it.)

Caveat: This is the Aero template and uses Aero chrome, so it will not display in other themes. For that to happen you would need to pull the templates for each theme and make the appropriate changes or remove the theme chrome and draw your own borders.

Add this namespace definition and add a reference to PresentationFramework.Aero:

xmlns:t="clr-namespace:Microsoft.Windows.Themes;assembly=PresentationFramework.Aero"

Then add the following to your Window/Control Resources:

    <Style x:Key="ComboBoxFocusVisual">
        <Setter Property="Control.Template">
            <Setter.Value>
                <ControlTemplate>
                    <Rectangle Stroke="Black" StrokeDashArray="1 2" StrokeThickness="1" Margin="4,4,21,4" SnapsToDevicePixels="true"/>
                </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}">
                    <t:ButtonChrome x:Name="Chrome" SnapsToDevicePixels="true" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}" BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}" RenderMouseOver="{TemplateBinding IsMouseOver}" RenderPressed="{TemplateBinding IsPressed}">
                        <!-- Remove ToggleButton appearance; we still need the ToggleButton because it displays the content.
      <Grid HorizontalAlignment="Right" Width="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemParameters.VerticalScrollBarWidthKey}}">
       <Path x:Name="Arrow" Fill="Black" HorizontalAlignment="Center" Margin="3,1,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Center" Data="{StaticResource DownArrowGeometry}"/>
      </Grid>
      -->
                    </t:ButtonChrome>
                    <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                        <Trigger Property="IsChecked" Value="true">
                            <Setter Property="RenderPressed" TargetName="Chrome" Value="true"/>
                        </Trigger>
                        <!-- Remove ToggleButton appearance trigger
      <Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="false">
       <Setter Property="Fill" TargetName="Arrow" Value="#AFAFAF"/>
      </Trigger>
      -->
                    </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                </ControlTemplate>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
    </Style>
    <LinearGradientBrush x:Key="TextBoxBorder" EndPoint="0,20" StartPoint="0,0" MappingMode="Absolute">
        <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="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}">
                    <t:ButtonChrome x:Name="Chrome" Width="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemParameters.VerticalScrollBarWidthKey}}" SnapsToDevicePixels="true" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}" BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}" RenderMouseOver="{TemplateBinding IsMouseOver}" RenderPressed="{TemplateBinding IsPressed}" RoundCorners="false">
                        <Path x:Name="Arrow" Fill="Black" HorizontalAlignment="Center" Margin="0,1,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Center" Data="{StaticResource DownArrowGeometry}"/>
                    </t: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" IsOpen="{Binding IsDropDownOpen, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}" Placement="Bottom" PopupAnimation="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemParameters.ComboBoxPopupAnimationKey}}" Grid.ColumnSpan="2">
                <t:SystemDropShadowChrome x:Name="Shdw" MaxHeight="{TemplateBinding MaxDropDownHeight}" MinWidth="{Binding ActualWidth, ElementName=Placement}" Color="Transparent">
                    <Border x:Name="DropDownBorder" Background="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.WindowBrushKey}}" BorderBrush="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.WindowFrameBrushKey}}" BorderThickness="1">
                        <ScrollViewer>
                            <ItemsPresenter SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding SnapsToDevicePixels}" KeyboardNavigation.DirectionalNavigation="Contained"/>
                        </ScrollViewer>
                    </Border>
                </t:SystemDropShadowChrome>
            </Popup>
            <t:ListBoxChrome x:Name="Border" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}" BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}" BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}" RenderFocused="{TemplateBinding IsKeyboardFocusWithin}" RenderMouseOver="{TemplateBinding IsMouseOver}"/>
            <TextBox x:Name="PART_EditableTextBox" Margin="{TemplateBinding Padding}" Style="{StaticResource ComboBoxEditableTextBox}" HorizontalContentAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}" VerticalContentAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}" IsReadOnly="{Binding IsReadOnly, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}"/>
            <!-- Remove the ToggleButton button; now you make the textbox clickable....
    <ToggleButton Style="{StaticResource ComboBoxToggleButton}" Grid.Column="1" IsChecked="{Binding IsDropDownOpen, Mode=TwoWay, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}"/>
   -->
        </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>
        </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
    </ControlTemplate>
    <Style x:Key="ButtonlessComboBoxStyle" 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="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" Margin="1" AllowsTransparency="true" IsOpen="{Binding IsDropDownOpen, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}" Placement="Bottom" PopupAnimation="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemParameters.ComboBoxPopupAnimationKey}}" Grid.ColumnSpan="2">
                            <t:SystemDropShadowChrome x:Name="Shdw" MaxHeight="{TemplateBinding MaxDropDownHeight}" MinWidth="{Binding ActualWidth, ElementName=MainGrid}" Color="Transparent">
                                <Border x:Name="DropDownBorder" Background="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.WindowBrushKey}}" BorderBrush="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.WindowFrameBrushKey}}" BorderThickness="1">
                                    <ScrollViewer CanContentScroll="true">
                                        <ItemsPresenter SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding SnapsToDevicePixels}" KeyboardNavigation.DirectionalNavigation="Contained"/>
                                    </ScrollViewer>
                                </Border>
                            </t:SystemDropShadowChrome>
                        </Popup>
                        <ToggleButton Style="{StaticResource ComboBoxReadonlyToggleButton}" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}" BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" IsChecked="{Binding IsDropDownOpen, Mode=TwoWay, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}"/>
                        <ContentPresenter HorizontalAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}" Margin="{TemplateBinding Padding}" VerticalAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}" IsHitTestVisible="false" SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding SnapsToDevicePixels}" Content="{TemplateBinding SelectionBoxItem}" ContentStringFormat="{TemplateBinding SelectionBoxItemStringFormat}" ContentTemplate="{TemplateBinding SelectionBoxItemTemplate}" ContentTemplateSelector="{TemplateBinding ItemTemplateSelector}"/>
                    </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">
                            <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>
                    </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>

Then use:

<ComboBox HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="120" Style="{DynamicResource ButtonlessComboBoxStyle}">
    <ComboBox.Items>
        <ComboBoxItem>One</ComboBoxItem>
        <ComboBoxItem>Two</ComboBoxItem>
        <ComboBoxItem>Three</ComboBoxItem>
    </ComboBox.Items>
</ComboBox>

<ComboBox HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="120" IsEditable="True" Style="{DynamicResource ButtonlessComboBoxStyle}">
    <ComboBox.Items>
        <ComboBoxItem>One</ComboBoxItem>
        <ComboBoxItem>Two</ComboBoxItem>
        <ComboBoxItem>Three</ComboBoxItem>
    </ComboBox.Items>
</ComboBox>

Note: Styles are referenced as DynamicResource because they rely on theme chrome so need to respond to changes in the OS visual style. If you remove the chrome and use WPF borders then you should reference these as StaticResource for performance.