How to use TextBox.Watermark in Silverlight 4?

Question

While browsing MSDN documentation, you may come across this gem: TextBox.Watermark.

"Awesome! I've been wanting a built-in way to do watermarking on my text boxes! This is great, let me go ahead and set that in XAML!"

<TextBox Watermark="This is my watermark" Margin="20"></TextBox>

Unfortunately, if you run this you won’t get what you expect:

And the detail:

What is this? Well, look at the MSDN documentation closely:

That's right. It's supported in Silverlight 4, but it also says "Do not use in a Silverlight 4 application". If you do use it, you receive a System.NotImplemented exception. To verify, here is the code for the property decompiled via Reflector:

[EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never)]
public object Watermark
{
get
{
StubHelper.ThrowIfNotInDesignMode();
return base.GetValue(WatermarkProperty);
}
set
{
StubHelper.ThrowIfNotInDesignMode();
base.SetValue(WatermarkProperty, value);
}
}

There it is – it throws an exception any time it's not in design mode. This makes no sense right? Why would Microsoft do this?

Unfortunately I haven't found any definitive answer yet, however if I had to guess it's because Microsoft is planning on implementing a Watermark behavior on the TextBox control in a future version (perhaps v5) and wanted to effectively reserve this property so third party control creators don't subclass TextBox and create their own Watermark property. I know of at least one control vendor, ComponentOne, who has a control that inherits from TextBox and provides a Watermark property. To me, it seems this is Microsoft's way of discouraging people from using this property name on their own TextBox subclasses.

Answer 1

I revised @mani kandan's solution slightly to fix design-time error if Watermark property is not set. Also added a HasValue boolean property to be able to easily check whether user has entered text in the TextBox, and lastly changed to treat all-whitespace entries as non-entries (i.e., continue to display watermark).

Revised code:

public class WatermarkTextBox : TextBox
{

    private bool displayWatermark = true;
    private bool hasFocus = false;

    public WatermarkTextBox()
    {
        this.GotFocus += new RoutedEventHandler(WatermarkTextBox_GotFocus);
        this.LostFocus += new RoutedEventHandler(WatermarkTextBox_LostFocus);
        this.TextChanged += new TextChangedEventHandler(WatermarkTextBox_TextChanged);
        this.Unloaded += new RoutedEventHandler(WatermarkTextBox_Unloaded);
    }

    private void WatermarkTextBox_TextChanged(object sender, TextChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        if (!hasFocus && string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(this.Text))
        {
            setMode(true);
            displayWatermark = true;
            // avoid design-time error if Watermark not specified
            this.Text = (Watermark == null ? string.Empty : Watermark);
        }
    }

    private void WatermarkTextBox_Unloaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        this.GotFocus -= WatermarkTextBox_GotFocus;
        this.LostFocus -= WatermarkTextBox_LostFocus;
        this.Unloaded -= WatermarkTextBox_Unloaded;
        this.TextChanged -= WatermarkTextBox_TextChanged;
    }

    private void WatermarkTextBox_GotFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        hasFocus = true;
        if (displayWatermark)
        {
            setMode(false);
            this.Text = "";
        }
    }

    private void WatermarkTextBox_LostFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        hasFocus = false;
        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(this.Text))
        {
            displayWatermark = true;
            setMode(true);
            this.Text = (Watermark == null ? string.Empty : Watermark);
        }
        else
        {
            displayWatermark = false;
        }
    }

    private void setMode(bool watermarkStyle)
    {
        if (watermarkStyle)
        {
            this.FontStyle = FontStyles.Italic;
            this.Foreground = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Gray);
        }
        else
        {
            this.FontStyle = FontStyles.Normal;
            this.Foreground = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Black);
        }
    }

    public new string Watermark
    {
        get { return GetValue(WatermarkProperty) as string; }
        set { SetValue(WatermarkProperty, value); }
    }

    public static new readonly DependencyProperty WatermarkProperty =
        DependencyProperty.Register("Watermark", typeof(string), typeof(WatermarkTextBox), new PropertyMetadata(watermarkPropertyChanged));
    private static void watermarkPropertyChanged(DependencyObject obj, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        WatermarkTextBox textBox = obj as WatermarkTextBox;
        if (textBox.displayWatermark)
        {
            textBox.Text =  e.NewValue.ToString();
            textBox.setMode(true);
        }
    }

    public bool HasValue
    {
        get 
        {
            // if watermark has been specified, then compare to text value to determine if text set by user,
            // otherwise check to see if empty or whitespace.
            if (this.Watermark != null)
                return this.Watermark != this.Text;
            else
                return !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(this.Text);
        }
    }

}

Answer 2

Well you can use it successfully in Silverlight 5

Try out this link : TextBox.Watermark

I am successfully using the WatermarkTextBox in a Silverlight 5 MVVM application.

Answer 3

Create One Class library project . Add Class File use the Following code

using System;
using System.Net;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Documents;
using System.Windows.Ink;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Media.Animation;
using System.Windows.Shapes;

namespace Project.Controls
{
    public class WatermarkEditBox : TextBox
    {

        TextBlock lbl = new TextBlock()
        {
            IsHitTestVisible = false,
            Foreground = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.LightGray),
            VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Center,
            HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Left,
            Margin = new Thickness(3,0,0,0)
        };
        public string WatermarkText { get { return lbl.Text; } set { lbl.Text = value; } }

        public WatermarkEditBox()
        {
            this.Loaded += WatermarkEditBox_Loaded;
        }

        void WatermarkEditBox_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            this.UpdateLayout();
            Grid g = GetObjectOfType<Grid>(this, "RootElement");
            if (g != null)
            {
                g.Children.Add(lbl);
            }
            this.TextChanged += WatermarkEditBox_TextChanged;
        }

        void WatermarkEditBox_TextChanged(object sender, TextChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            if (this.Text.Length == 0)
                lbl.Visibility = System.Windows.Visibility.Visible;
            else
                lbl.Visibility = System.Windows.Visibility.Collapsed;
        }

        public TObject GetObjectOfType<TObject>(DependencyObject parent, string name) where TObject : DependencyObject
        {
            int count = VisualTreeHelper.GetChildrenCount(parent);
            for (int i = 0; i < count; ++i)
            {
                DependencyObject child = VisualTreeHelper.GetChild(parent, i);
                if (child is TObject && child.GetValue(NameProperty).ToString() == name)
                {
                    return child as TObject;
                }
                else
                {
                    TObject obj = GetObjectOfType<TObject>(child, name);
                    if (obj != null)
                    {
                        return obj;
                    }
                }
            }

            return null;
        }

    }
}

XAML:

xmlns:Controls="clr-namespace:Project.Controls"

<Controls:WatermarkEditBox WatermarkText="фильтр" Width="100"/>

Answer 4

Create One Class library project . Add Class File use the Following code .....After that Add The In this dll In Your Project.

public class WatermarkTextBox : TextBox 
{ 
    private bool displayWatermark = true; 
    private bool hasFocus = false; 
     public WatermarkTextBox() 
    { 
        this.GotFocus += new RoutedEventHandler(WatermarkTextBox_GotFocus); 
        this.LostFocus += new RoutedEventHandler(WatermarkTextBox_LostFocus); 
        this.TextChanged += new TextChangedEventHandler(WatermarkTextBox_TextChanged); 
        this.Unloaded += new RoutedEventHandler(WatermarkTextBox_Unloaded); 
    } 

    private void WatermarkTextBox_TextChanged(object sender, TextChangedEventArgs e) 
    { 
        if (!hasFocus && Text == "") 
        { 
            setMode(true); 
            displayWatermark = true; 
            this.Text = Watermark; 
        } 
    } 

    private void WatermarkTextBox_Unloaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) 
    { 
        this.GotFocus -= WatermarkTextBox_GotFocus; 
        this.LostFocus -= WatermarkTextBox_LostFocus; 
        this.Unloaded -= WatermarkTextBox_Unloaded; 
        this.TextChanged -= WatermarkTextBox_TextChanged; 
    } 

    private void WatermarkTextBox_GotFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) 
    { 
        hasFocus = true; 
        if (displayWatermark) 
        { 
            setMode(false); 
            this.Text = ""; 
        } 
    } 
    private void WatermarkTextBox_LostFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) 
    { 
        hasFocus = false; 
        if (this.Text == "") 
        { 
            displayWatermark = true; 
            setMode(true); 
            this.Text = Watermark; 
        } 
        else 
        { 
            displayWatermark = false; 
        } 
    } 
    private void setMode(bool watermarkStyle) 
    { 
        if (watermarkStyle) 
        { 
            this.FontStyle = FontStyles.Italic; 
            this.Foreground = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Gray); 
        } 
        else 
        { 
            this.FontStyle = FontStyles.Normal; 
            this.Foreground = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Black); 
        } 
    } 
    public new string Watermark 
    { 
        get { return GetValue(WatermarkProperty) as string; } 
        set { SetValue(WatermarkProperty, value); } 
    } 
    public static new readonly DependencyProperty WatermarkProperty = 
        DependencyProperty.Register("Watermark", typeof(string), typeof(WatermarkTextBox), new PropertyMetadata(watermarkPropertyChanged)); 
    private static void watermarkPropertyChanged(DependencyObject obj, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e) 
    { 
        WatermarkTextBox textBox = obj as WatermarkTextBox; 
        if (textBox.displayWatermark) 
        { 
            textBox.Text = e.NewValue.ToString(); 
            textBox.setMode(true); 
        } 
    } 

XAML:

  xmlns:watertext="clr-namespace:SilverlightClassLibrary1;assembly=SilverlightClassLibrary1"


    <watertext:WatermarkTextBox Watermark="WElcome" Margin="150,115,120,166"></watertext:WatermarkTextBox>

Answer 5

Check out this one based on behaviours

namespace MyNamespace
{
    public class WatermarkBehavior : Behavior<TextBox>
    {
        public String Watermark
        {
            get { return this.GetValue(WatermarkProperty) as String; }
            set { this.SetValue(WatermarkProperty, value); }
        }

        public static readonly DependencyProperty WatermarkProperty = DependencyProperty.Register("Watermark", typeof(String), typeof(WatermarkBehavior), new PropertyMetadata("", new PropertyChangedCallback(OnWatermarkChanged)));

        private static void OnWatermarkChanged(DependencyObject d, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            var behavior = d as WatermarkBehavior;
            if (!String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(e.NewValue as String))
            {
                behavior.SetWatermarkIfNeeded();
            }
        }

        protected override void OnAttached()
        {
            base.OnAttached();
            this.AssociatedObject.GotFocus += GotFocus;
            this.AssociatedObject.LostFocus += LostFocus;
        }

        protected override void OnDetaching()
        {
            base.OnDetaching();
            this.AssociatedObject.GotFocus -= GotFocus;
            this.AssociatedObject.LostFocus -= LostFocus;
        }

        private void GotFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            if (this.AssociatedObject.Text == this.Watermark)
            {
                this.AssociatedObject.Text = String.Empty;
                this.AssociatedObject.Foreground = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Black);
            }
        }

        private void LostFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            this.SetWatermarkIfNeeded();
        }

        private void SetWatermarkIfNeeded()
        {
            if (String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(this.AssociatedObject.Text))
            {
                this.SetWatermark();
            }
        }

        private void SetWatermark()
        {
            this.AssociatedObject.Text = this.Watermark;
            this.AssociatedObject.Foreground = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Gray);
        }
    }
}

XAML

<UserControl x:Class="GreenField.Targeting.Controls.BasketTargets.EditorView"
  xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
  xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
  xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
  xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"  
  xmlns:local="clr-namespace:MyNamespace"
  xmlns:i="clr-namespace:System.Windows.Interactivity;assembly=System.Windows.Interactivity"
  mc:Ignorable="d" d:DesignHeight="300" d:DesignWidth="400">
  <TextBox Text="{Binding Text}">
    <i:Interaction.Behaviors>
      <local:WatermarkBehavior Watermark="{Binding Watermark}" />
    </i:Interaction.Behaviors>
  </TextBox>
</UserControl>