How to Embed Arbitrary Content in a WPF Control

Ivan Krivyakov

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19 Sep 2012Apache5 min read

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Many WPF controls can display arbitrary XAML inside them. How can I do that with my own controls?

displayingcontent.zip
- DisplayingContent
  - ContentControl
    - UsingContentControl
      - App.xaml
      - App.xaml.cs
      - bin
        
        Debug
        
        UsingContentControl.exe
      - Properties
        
        AssemblyInfo.cs
        
        Resources.Designer.cs
        
        Resources.resx
        
        Settings.Designer.cs
        
        Settings.settings
      - UsingContentControl.csproj
      - Window1.xaml
      - Window1.xaml.cs
  - CustomControl
    - MyControls
      - HeaderFooterControl.cs
      - MyControls.csproj
      - Properties
        
        AssemblyInfo.cs
        
        Resources.Designer.cs
        
        Resources.resx
        
        Settings.Designer.cs
        
        Settings.settings
      - Themes
        
        Generic.xaml
      - XamlNamespaces.cs
    - UsingMyControls
      - App.xaml
      - App.xaml.cs
      - bin
        
        Debug
        
        MyControls.dll
        
        UsingMyControls.exe
      - Properties
        
        AssemblyInfo.cs
        
        Resources.Designer.cs
        
        Resources.resx
        
        Settings.Designer.cs
        
        Settings.settings
      - UsingMyControls.csproj
      - Window1.xaml
      - Window1.xaml.cs
  - DisplayingContent.htm
  - DisplayingContent.sln
  - img
    - AddingCustomControl.png
    - CustomControlHierarchy.jpg
    - QuickAndDirtyAttempt.png
    - UsingContentControl.png
    - UsingCustomControl.PNG
  - License.txt
  - NaiveAttempt
    - App.xaml
    - App.xaml.cs
    - bin
      - Debug
        
        NaiveAttempt.exe
    - Decorator.xaml
    - Decorator.xaml.cs
    - NaiveAttempt.csproj
    - Properties
    - Window1.xaml
    - Window1.xaml.cs
  - QuickAndDirtyAttempt
    - App.xaml
    - App.xaml.cs
    - bin
      - Debug
        
        QuickAndDirtyAttempt.exe
    - Decorator.xaml
    - Decorator.xaml.cs
    - Properties
    - QuickAndDirtyAttempt.csproj
    - Window1.xaml
    - Window1.xaml.cs


Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 10.00
# Visual Studio 2008
Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "Solution Items", "Solution Items", "{4C67766A-3C87-44F4-A3D9-980FD9B132E4}"
	ProjectSection(SolutionItems) = preProject
		DisplayingContent.htm = DisplayingContent.htm
		License.txt = License.txt
	EndProjectSection
EndProject
Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "NaiveAttempt", "NaiveAttempt", "{DB0BC5F1-3462-495E-9B79-FF9F21CF7051}"
EndProject
Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "CustomControl", "CustomControl", "{BDF33651-3F45-4C2E-B0C2-4C07B625B52E}"
EndProject
Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "QuickAndDirtyAttempt", "QuickAndDirtyAttempt", "{F8E2CE41-04A6-49FE-8298-79D1D7A308C2}"
EndProject
Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "NaiveAttempt", "NaiveAttempt\NaiveAttempt.csproj", "{47A71C4D-BE59-4C56-981A-BBFCB36B406A}"
EndProject
Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "QuickAndDirtyAttempt", "QuickAndDirtyAttempt\QuickAndDirtyAttempt.csproj", "{D5A25200-8159-4D65-BB03-742A5DF3245C}"
EndProject
Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "ContentControl", "ContentControl", "{3C203E7E-68B5-4F14-8C96-BEFF2E17BF3C}"
EndProject
Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "UsingContentControl", "ContentControl\UsingContentControl\UsingContentControl.csproj", "{7401DB06-E4DF-4335-8B1B-04BCD3D54F13}"
EndProject
Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "img", "img", "{822F8C8F-75A2-4A00-B8A2-2E7C6F251D81}"
	ProjectSection(SolutionItems) = preProject
		img\AddingCustomControl.png = img\AddingCustomControl.png
		img\CustomControlHierarchy.jpg = img\CustomControlHierarchy.jpg
		img\QuickAndDirtyAttempt.png = img\QuickAndDirtyAttempt.png
		img\UsingContentControl.png = img\UsingContentControl.png
	EndProjectSection
EndProject
Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "MyControls", "CustomControl\MyControls\MyControls.csproj", "{DFCFF8BD-60D6-4AA7-88BE-320414BE418F}"
EndProject
Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "UsingMyControls", "CustomControl\UsingMyControls\UsingMyControls.csproj", "{A4C28EDA-97A3-482A-9D25-C6E99AA4A7FA}"
EndProject
Global
	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
		Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU
		Release|Any CPU = Release|Any CPU
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(ProjectConfigurationPlatforms) = postSolution
		{47A71C4D-BE59-4C56-981A-BBFCB36B406A}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
		{47A71C4D-BE59-4C56-981A-BBFCB36B406A}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
		{47A71C4D-BE59-4C56-981A-BBFCB36B406A}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
		{47A71C4D-BE59-4C56-981A-BBFCB36B406A}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
		{D5A25200-8159-4D65-BB03-742A5DF3245C}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
		{D5A25200-8159-4D65-BB03-742A5DF3245C}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
		{D5A25200-8159-4D65-BB03-742A5DF3245C}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
		{D5A25200-8159-4D65-BB03-742A5DF3245C}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
		{7401DB06-E4DF-4335-8B1B-04BCD3D54F13}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
		{7401DB06-E4DF-4335-8B1B-04BCD3D54F13}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
		{7401DB06-E4DF-4335-8B1B-04BCD3D54F13}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
		{7401DB06-E4DF-4335-8B1B-04BCD3D54F13}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
		{DFCFF8BD-60D6-4AA7-88BE-320414BE418F}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
		{DFCFF8BD-60D6-4AA7-88BE-320414BE418F}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
		{DFCFF8BD-60D6-4AA7-88BE-320414BE418F}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
		{DFCFF8BD-60D6-4AA7-88BE-320414BE418F}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
		{A4C28EDA-97A3-482A-9D25-C6E99AA4A7FA}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
		{A4C28EDA-97A3-482A-9D25-C6E99AA4A7FA}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
		{A4C28EDA-97A3-482A-9D25-C6E99AA4A7FA}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
		{A4C28EDA-97A3-482A-9D25-C6E99AA4A7FA}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
		HideSolutionNode = FALSE
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(NestedProjects) = preSolution
		{822F8C8F-75A2-4A00-B8A2-2E7C6F251D81} = {4C67766A-3C87-44F4-A3D9-980FD9B132E4}
		{47A71C4D-BE59-4C56-981A-BBFCB36B406A} = {DB0BC5F1-3462-495E-9B79-FF9F21CF7051}
		{DFCFF8BD-60D6-4AA7-88BE-320414BE418F} = {BDF33651-3F45-4C2E-B0C2-4C07B625B52E}
		{A4C28EDA-97A3-482A-9D25-C6E99AA4A7FA} = {BDF33651-3F45-4C2E-B0C2-4C07B625B52E}
		{D5A25200-8159-4D65-BB03-742A5DF3245C} = {F8E2CE41-04A6-49FE-8298-79D1D7A308C2}
		{7401DB06-E4DF-4335-8B1B-04BCD3D54F13} = {3C203E7E-68B5-4F14-8C96-BEFF2E17BF3C}
	EndGlobalSection
EndGlobal

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License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Apache License, Version 2.0

Written By

Ivan Krivyakov

Technical Lead Thomson Reuters

United States

Ivan is a hands-on software architect/technical lead working for Thomson Reuters in the New York City area. At present I am mostly building complex multi-threaded WPF application for the financial sector, but I am also interested in cloud computing, web development, mobile development, etc.

Please visit my web site: www.ikriv.com.

How to Embed Arbitrary Content in a WPF Control

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