Watermark / hint text / placeholder TextBox

Question

How can I put some text into a textbox which is removed automatically when user types something in it? (In WPF)

Answer 1

I found this way to do it in a very fast and easy way

<ComboBox x:Name="comboBox1" SelectedIndex="0" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="202,43,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="149">
  <ComboBoxItem Visibility="Collapsed">
    <TextBlock Foreground="Gray" FontStyle="Italic">Please select ...</TextBlock>
  </ComboBoxItem>
  <ComboBoxItem Name="cbiFirst1">First Item</ComboBoxItem>
  <ComboBoxItem Name="cbiSecond1">Second Item</ComboBoxItem>
  <ComboBoxItem Name="cbiThird1">third Item</ComboBoxItem>
</ComboBox>

Maybe it can help to anyone trying to do this

Source: http://www.admindiaries.com/displaying-a-please-select-watermark-type-text-in-a-wpf-combobox/

Answer 2

<TextBox x:Name="OrderTxt" HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Top" VerticalContentAlignment="Center" Margin="10,10,0,0" Width="188" Height="32"/>

<Label IsHitTestVisible="False" Content="Order number" DataContext="{Binding ElementName=OrderTxt}" Foreground="DarkGray">
    <Label.Style>
        <Style TargetType="{x:Type Label}">
            <Setter Property="Visibility" Value="Collapsed"/>
            <Setter Property="Width" Value="{Binding Width}"/>
            <Setter Property="Height" Value="{Binding Height}"/>
            <Setter Property="Margin" Value="{Binding Margin}"/>
            <Setter Property="VerticalAlignment" Value="{Binding VerticalAlignment}"/>
            <Setter Property="HorizontalAlignment" Value="{Binding HorizontalAlignment}"/>
            <Setter Property="VerticalContentAlignment" Value="{Binding VerticalContentAlignment}"/>
            <Style.Triggers>
                <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding Text}" Value="">
                    <Setter Property="Visibility" Value="Visible"/>
                </DataTrigger>
            </Style.Triggers>
        </Style>
    </Label.Style>
</Label>

Answer 3

My solution is quite simple.

In my login window. the xaml is like this.

 <DockPanel HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" Height="80" Width="300" LastChildFill="True">
        <Button Margin="5,0,0,0" Click="login_Click" DockPanel.Dock="Right"  VerticalAlignment="Center" ToolTip="Login to system">
            Login
        </Button>
        <StackPanel>
            <TextBox x:Name="userNameWatermarked" Height="25" Foreground="Gray" Text="UserName" GotFocus="userNameWatermarked_GotFocus"></TextBox>
            <TextBox x:Name="userName" Height="25"  TextChanged="loginElement_TextChanged" Visibility="Collapsed" LostFocus="userName_LostFocus" ></TextBox>
            <TextBox x:Name="passwordWatermarked" Height="25" Foreground="Gray" Text="Password"  Margin="0,5,0,5" GotFocus="passwordWatermarked_GotFocus"></TextBox>
            <PasswordBox x:Name="password" Height="25" PasswordChanged="password_PasswordChanged" KeyUp="password_KeyUp" LostFocus="password_LostFocus" Margin="0,5,0,5" Visibility="Collapsed"></PasswordBox>
            <TextBlock x:Name="loginError" Visibility="Hidden" Foreground="Red" FontSize="12"></TextBlock>
        </StackPanel>
    </DockPanel>

the code is like this.

private void userNameWatermarked_GotFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        userNameWatermarked.Visibility = System.Windows.Visibility.Collapsed;
        userName.Visibility = System.Windows.Visibility.Visible;
        userName.Focus();
    }

    private void userName_LostFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(this.userName.Text))
        {
            userName.Visibility = System.Windows.Visibility.Collapsed;
            userNameWatermarked.Visibility = System.Windows.Visibility.Visible;
        }
    }

    private void passwordWatermarked_GotFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        passwordWatermarked.Visibility = System.Windows.Visibility.Collapsed;
        password.Visibility = System.Windows.Visibility.Visible;
        password.Focus();
    }

    private void password_LostFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(this.password.Password))
        {
            password.Visibility = System.Windows.Visibility.Collapsed;
            passwordWatermarked.Visibility = System.Windows.Visibility.Visible;
        }
    }

Just decide to hide or show the watermark textbox is enough. Though not beautiful,but work well.

Answer 4

Look at another simple solotion:

I'm focused GotFocus and LostFocus events.

XAML:

<Grid>
<TextBlock x:Name="DosyaİhtivaEdenDizinYansıması" Text="Hedef Dizin Belirtin" VerticalAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Center" TextAlignment="Center" Foreground="White" Background="Transparent" Width="500" MinWidth="300" Margin="10,0,0,0" Opacity="0.7"/>
<TextBox x:Name="DosyaİhtivaEdenDizin" CaretBrush="White" Foreground="White" Background="Transparent" VerticalContentAlignment="Center" HorizontalContentAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Center" MinHeight="40" BorderThickness="1" BorderBrush="White" Width="500" MinWidth="300" Margin="10,0,0,0" GotFocus="DosyaİhtivaEdenDizin_GotFocus" LostFocus="DosyaİhtivaEdenDizin_LostFocus"/>
</Grid>

C#:

    #region DosyaİhtivaEdenDizin
    private void DosyaİhtivaEdenDizin_GotFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        if (DosyaİhtivaEdenDizin.Text.Length == 0)
        {
            DosyaİhtivaEdenDizinYansıması.Text = "";
        }
    }

    private void DosyaİhtivaEdenDizin_LostFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        if (DosyaİhtivaEdenDizin.Text.Length == 0)
        {
            DosyaİhtivaEdenDizinYansıması.Text = "Hedef Dizin Belirtin";
        }
    }
    #endregion

Answer 5

<TextBox Controls:TextBoxHelper.Watermark="Watermark"/>

Add mahapps.metro to your project. Add textbox with the above code to the window.

Answer 6

There is an article on CodeProject on how to do it in "3 lines of XAML".

<Grid Background="{StaticResource brushWatermarkBackground}">
  <TextBlock Margin="5,2" Text="Type something..."
             Foreground="{StaticResource brushForeground}"
             Visibility="{Binding ElementName=txtUserEntry, Path=Text.IsEmpty,
                          Converter={StaticResource BooleanToVisibilityConverter}}" />
  <TextBox Name="txtUserEntry" Background="Transparent"
           BorderBrush="{StaticResource brushBorder}" />
</Grid>

Ok, well it might not be 3 lines of XAML formatted, but it is pretty simple.

One thing to note though, is that it uses a non-standard extension method on the Text property, called "IsEmpty". You need to implement this yourself, however the article doesn't seem to mention that.