TextBox Class
[ This article is for Windows Phone 8 developers. If you’re developing for Windows 10, see the latest documentation. ]
Represents a control that can be used to display or edit single-format, multi-line text.
System::Object
System.Windows::DependencyObject
System.Windows::UIElement
System.Windows::FrameworkElement
System.Windows.Controls::Control
System.Windows.Controls::TextBox
System.Windows::DependencyObject
System.Windows::UIElement
System.Windows::FrameworkElement
System.Windows.Controls::Control
System.Windows.Controls::TextBox
Assembly: System.Windows (in System.Windows.dll)
XMLNS for XAML: Not mapped to an xmlns.
The TextBox type exposes the following members.
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
 | AcceptsReturn | Gets or sets the value that determines whether the text box allows and displays the newline or return characters. |
| ActualHeight | Gets the rendered height of a FrameworkElement. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| ActualWidth | Gets the rendered width of a FrameworkElement. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| AllowDrop | Gets or sets a value that determines whether this UIElement can be a drop target for purposes of drag-and-drop operations. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| Background | (Inherited from Control.) |
| BaselineOffset | Gets a value by which each line of text is offset from a baseline. |
| BorderBrush | (Inherited from Control.) |
| BorderThickness | (Inherited from Control.) |
| CacheMode | Gets or sets a value that indicates that rendered content should be cached when possible. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| CaretBrush | Gets or sets the brush that is used to render the vertical bar that indicates the insertion point. |
| CharacterSpacing | (Inherited from Control.) |
| Clip | Gets or sets the Geometry used to define the outline of the contents of a UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| Cursor | Infrastructure. Gets or sets the cursor image that displays while the pointer is over a FrameworkElement. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| DataContext | Gets or sets the data context for a FrameworkElement when it participates in data binding. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
 | DefaultStyleKey | (Inherited from Control.) |
| DesiredSize | Gets the size that this UIElement computed during the measure pass of the layout process. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| Dispatcher | Gets the Dispatcher this object is associated with. (Inherited from DependencyObject.) |
| FlowDirection | Gets or sets the direction that text and other user interface elements flow within any parent element that controls their layout. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| FontFamily | (Inherited from Control.) |
| FontSize | (Inherited from Control.) |
| FontSource | Gets or sets the font source that is applied to the TextBox for rendering content. |
| FontStretch | (Inherited from Control.) |
| FontStyle | (Inherited from Control.) |
| FontWeight | (Inherited from Control.) |
| Foreground | (Inherited from Control.) |
| Height | Gets or sets the suggested height of a FrameworkElement. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| HorizontalAlignment | Gets or sets the horizontal alignment characteristics that are applied to a FrameworkElement when it is composed in a layout parent, such as a panel or items control. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| HorizontalContentAlignment | (Inherited from Control.) |
| HorizontalScrollBarVisibility | Gets or sets the visibility of the horizontal scroll bar. |
| InputScope | Gets or sets the context for input used by this TextBox. |
| IsEnabled | (Inherited from Control.) |
| IsHitTestVisible | Gets or sets whether the contained area of this UIElement can return true values for hit testing. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| IsReadOnly | Gets or sets the value that determines if the user can change the text in the text box. |
| IsTabStop | (Inherited from Control.) |
| Language | Gets or sets localization/globalization language information that applies to a FrameworkElement. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| LineHeight | Gets or sets the height of each line of content. |
| LineStackingStrategy | Gets or sets a value that indicates how a line box is determined for each line of text in the TextBox. |
| Margin | Gets or sets the outer margin of a FrameworkElement. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| MaxHeight | Gets or sets the maximum height constraint of a FrameworkElement. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| MaxLength | Gets or sets the value that determines the maximum number of characters allowed for user input. |
| MaxWidth | Gets or sets the maximum width constraint of a FrameworkElement. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| MinHeight | Gets or sets the minimum height constraint of a FrameworkElement. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| MinWidth | Gets or sets the minimum width constraint of a FrameworkElement. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| Name | Gets or sets the identifying name of the object. When a XAML processor creates the object tree from XAML markup, run-time code can refer to the XAML-declared object by this name. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| Opacity | Gets or sets the degree of the object's opacity. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| OpacityMask | Gets or sets the brush used to alter the opacity of regions of this object. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| Padding | (Inherited from Control.) |
| Parent | Gets the parent object of this FrameworkElement in the object tree. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| Projection | Gets or sets the perspective projection (3-D effect) to apply when rendering this UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| RenderSize | Gets the final render size of a UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| RenderTransform | Gets or sets transform information that affects the rendering position of a UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| RenderTransformOrigin | Gets or sets the origin point of any possible render transform declared by RenderTransform, relative to the bounds of the UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| Resources | Gets the locally defined resource dictionary. In XAML, you can establish resource items as child object elements of a frameworkElement.Resources property element, through XAML implicit collection syntax. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| SelectedText | Gets or sets the content of the current selection in the text box. |
| SelectionBackground | Gets or sets the brush that fills the background of the selected text. |
| SelectionForeground | Gets or sets the brush used for the selected text in the text box. |
| SelectionLength | Gets or sets the number of characters in the current selection in the text box. |
| SelectionStart | Gets or sets the starting position of the text selected in the text box. |
| Style | Gets or sets an instance Style that is applied for this object during rendering. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| TabIndex | (Inherited from Control.) |
| TabNavigation | (Inherited from Control.) |
| Tag | Gets or sets an arbitrary object value that can be used to store custom information about this object. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| Template | (Inherited from Control.) |
| Text | Gets or sets the text contents of the text box. |
| TextAlignment | Gets or sets how the text should be aligned in the text box. |
| TextWrapping | Gets or sets how line breaking occurs if a line of text extends beyond the available width of the text box. |
| Triggers | Gets the collection of triggers for animations that are defined for a FrameworkElement. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| UseLayoutRounding | Gets or sets a value that determines whether rendering for the object and its visual subtree should use rounding behavior that aligns rendering to whole pixels. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| UseOptimizedManipulationRouting | Gets or sets a value that indicates whether the system should handle input events or whether the FrameworkElement should handle input events. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| VerticalAlignment | Gets or sets the vertical alignment characteristics that are applied to a FrameworkElement when it is composed in a parent object such as a panel or items control. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| VerticalContentAlignment | (Inherited from Control.) |
| VerticalScrollBarVisibility | Gets or sets the visibility of the vertical scroll bar. |
| Visibility | Gets or sets the visibility of a UIElement. A UIElement that is not visible does not render and does not communicate its desired size to layout. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| Width | Gets or sets the width of a FrameworkElement. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
 | AddHandler | Adds a routed event handler for a specified routed event, adding the handler to the handler collection on the current element. Specify handledEventsToo as true to have the provided handler be invoked for routed event that had already been marked as handled by another element along the event route. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| ApplyTemplate | (Inherited from Control.) |
| Arrange | Positions child objects and determines a size for a UIElement. Parent objects that implement custom layout for their child elements should call this method from their layout override implementations to form a recursive layout update. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
 | ArrangeOverride | Provides the behavior for the Arrange pass of Windows Phone layout. Classes can override this method to define their own Arrange pass behavior. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| CaptureMouse | Sets touch capture to a UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| CheckAccess | Determines whether the calling thread has access to this object. (Inherited from DependencyObject.) |
| ClearValue | Clears the local value of a dependency property. (Inherited from DependencyObject.) |
| Equals(Object) | Determines whether the specified Object is equal to the current Object. (Inherited from Object.) |
| Finalize | Allows an object to try to free resources and perform other cleanup operations before the Object is reclaimed by garbage collection. (Inherited from Object.) |
| FindName | Retrieves an object that has the specified identifier name. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| Focus | (Inherited from Control.) |
| GetAnimationBaseValue | Returns any base value established for a Windows Phone dependency property, which would apply in cases where an animation is not active. (Inherited from DependencyObject.) |
| GetBindingExpression | Retrieves the BindingExpression for a dependency property where a binding is established. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| GetHashCode | Serves as a hash function for a particular type. (Inherited from Object.) |
| GetRectFromCharacterIndex(Int32) | Returns a rectangle for the leading edge of the character at the specified index. |
| GetRectFromCharacterIndex(Int32, Boolean) | Returns a rectangle for the leading or trailing edge of the character at the specified index. |
| GetTemplateChild | (Inherited from Control.) |
| GetType | Gets the Type of the current instance. (Inherited from Object.) |
| GetValue | Returns the current effective value of a dependency property from a DependencyObject. (Inherited from DependencyObject.) |
| InvalidateArrange | Invalidates the arrange state (layout) for a UIElement. After the invalidation, the UIElement will have its layout updated, which will occur asynchronously. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| InvalidateMeasure | Invalidates the measurement state (layout) for a UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| Measure | Updates the DesiredSize of a UIElement. Typically, objects that implement custom layout for their layout children call this method from their own MeasureOverride implementations to form a recursive layout update. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| MeasureOverride | Provides the behavior for the Measure pass of Windows Phone layout. Classes can override this method to define their own Measure pass behavior. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| MemberwiseClone | Creates a shallow copy of the current Object. (Inherited from Object.) |
| OnApplyTemplate | When overridden in a derived class, is invoked whenever application code or internal processes (such as a rebuilding layout pass) call ApplyTemplate. In simplest terms, this means the method is called just before a UI element displays in an application. For more information, see Remarks. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| OnCreateAutomationPeer | Returns a TextBoxAutomationPeer for use by the Windows Phone automation infrastructure. (Overrides UIElement::OnCreateAutomationPeer().) |
| OnDoubleTap | (Inherited from Control.) |
| OnDragEnter | (Inherited from Control.) |
| OnDragLeave | (Inherited from Control.) |
| OnDragOver | (Inherited from Control.) |
| OnDrop | (Inherited from Control.) |
| OnGotFocus | Called before GotFocus event occurs. (Overrides Control::OnGotFocus(RoutedEventArgs).) |
| OnHold | (Inherited from Control.) |
| OnKeyDown | Called when KeyDown event occurs. (Overrides Control::OnKeyDown(KeyEventArgs).) |
| OnKeyUp | Called before KeyUp event occurs. (Overrides Control::OnKeyUp(KeyEventArgs).) |
| OnLostFocus | Called before LostFocus event occurs. (Overrides Control::OnLostFocus(RoutedEventArgs).) |
| OnLostMouseCapture | Provides handling for the LostMouseCapture event. (Overrides Control::OnLostMouseCapture(MouseEventArgs).) |
| OnManipulationCompleted | (Inherited from Control.) |
| OnManipulationDelta | (Inherited from Control.) |
| OnManipulationStarted | (Inherited from Control.) |
| OnMouseEnter | Called before MouseEnter event occurs. (Overrides Control::OnMouseEnter(MouseEventArgs).) |
| OnMouseLeave | Called before MouseLeave event occurs. (Overrides Control::OnMouseLeave(MouseEventArgs).) |
| OnMouseLeftButtonDown | Called before MouseLeftButtonDown event occurs. (Overrides Control::OnMouseLeftButtonDown(MouseButtonEventArgs).) |
| OnMouseLeftButtonUp | Called before MouseLeftButtonUp event occurs. (Overrides Control::OnMouseLeftButtonUp(MouseButtonEventArgs).) |
| OnMouseMove | Called before MouseMove event occurs. (Overrides Control::OnMouseMove(MouseEventArgs).) |
| OnMouseRightButtonDown | (Inherited from Control.) |
| OnMouseRightButtonUp | (Inherited from Control.) |
| OnMouseWheel | (Inherited from Control.) |
| OnTap | (Inherited from Control.) |
| OnTextInput | Called before the TextInput event occurs. (Overrides Control::OnTextInput(TextCompositionEventArgs).) |
| OnTextInputStart | Called before the TextInputStart event occurs. (Overrides Control::OnTextInputStart(TextCompositionEventArgs).) |
| OnTextInputUpdate | Called before the TextInputUpdate event occurs. (Overrides Control::OnTextInputUpdate(TextCompositionEventArgs).) |
| ReadLocalValue | Returns the local value of a dependency property, if a local value is set. (Inherited from DependencyObject.) |
| ReleaseMouseCapture | Removes touch capture from a UIElement. After this call, typically no object holds touch capture. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| RemoveHandler | Removes the specified routed event handler from this UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| Select | Selects a range of text in the text box. |
| SelectAll | Selects the entire contents of the text box. |
| SetBinding | Attaches a binding to a FrameworkElement, using the provided binding object, and returns a BindingExpressionBase for possible later use. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| SetValue | Sets the local value of a dependency property on a DependencyObject. (Inherited from DependencyObject.) |
| ToString | Returns a string that represents the current object. (Inherited from Object.) |
| TransformToVisual | Returns a transform object that can be used to transform coordinates from the UIElement to the specified object. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| UpdateLayout | Ensures that all positions of child objects of a UIElement are properly updated for layout. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
 | BindingValidationError | Occurs when a data validation error is reported by a binding source. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| DoubleTap | Occurs when a DoubleTap gesture is committed while over this UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| GotFocus | Occurs when a UIElement receives focus. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| Hold | Occurs when a Hold gesture is committed while over this UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| IsEnabledChanged | (Inherited from Control.) |
| KeyDown | Occurs when a keyboard key is pressed while the UIElement has focus. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| KeyUp | Occurs when a keyboard key is released while the UIElement has focus. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| LayoutUpdated | Occurs when the layout of the Windows Phone visual tree changes. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| Loaded | Occurs when a FrameworkElement has been constructed and added to the object tree. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| LostFocus | Occurs when a UIElement loses focus. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| LostMouseCapture | Occurs when the UIElement loses touch capture. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| ManipulationCompleted | Occurs when a manipulation and inertia on the UIElement is complete. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| ManipulationDelta | Occurs when the input device changes position during a manipulation. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| ManipulationStarted | Occurs when an input device begins a manipulation on the UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| MouseEnter | Occurs when a screen tap occurs within the bounding area of a UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| MouseLeave | Occurs when a touch event occurs outside the bounding area of a UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| MouseLeftButtonDown | Occurs when a UIElement is tapped. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| MouseLeftButtonUp | Occurs when the finger is lifted off of a UIElement (or while a UIElement holds touch capture). (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| MouseMove | Occurs when the coordinate position of the finger on the screen while touching a UIElement (or while a UIElement holds touch capture). (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| MouseWheel | Infrastructure. Occurs when the user rotates the mouse wheel while the mouse pointer is over a UIElement, or the UIElement has focus. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| SelectionChanged | Occurs when the text selection has changed. |
| SizeChanged | Occurs when either the ActualHeight or the ActualWidth properties change value on a FrameworkElement. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| Tap | Occurs when a Tap gesture is committed while over this UIElement. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| TextChanged | Occurs when content changes in the text box. |
| TextInput | Occurs when a UI element gets text in a device-independent manner. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| TextInputStart | Occurs when a UI element initially gets text in a device-independent manner. (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| TextInputUpdate | Occurs when text continues to be composed via an input method editor (IME). (Inherited from UIElement.) |
| Unloaded | Occurs when this object is no longer connected to the main object tree. (Inherited from FrameworkElement.) |
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
  | AcceptsReturnProperty | Identifies the AcceptsReturn dependency property. |
| CaretBrushProperty | Identifies the CaretBrush dependency property. |
| InputScopeProperty | Identifies the InputScope dependency property. |
| IsReadOnlyProperty | Identifies the IsReadOnly dependency property. |
| LineHeightProperty | Identifies the LineHeight dependency property. |
| LineStackingStrategyProperty | Identifies the LineStackingStrategy dependency property. |
| MaxLengthProperty | Identifies the MaxLength dependency property. |
| SelectionBackgroundProperty | Identifies the SelectionBackground dependency property. |
| SelectionForegroundProperty | Identifies the SelectionForeground dependency property. |
| TextAlignmentProperty | Identifies the TextAlignment dependency property. |
| TextProperty | Identifies the Text dependency property. |
| TextWrappingProperty | Identifies the TextWrapping dependency property. |
You can enable multi-line text in a TextBox control by using the AcceptsReturn property. Use the HorizontalScrollBarVisibility or VerticalScrollBarVisibility property to enable the horizontal scrollbars or the vertical scrollbars. For an example that demonstrates a multi-line text box control with scrollbars, see the AcceptsReturn property.
You may want to use a text box to display text, but you may not want the user to be able to edit the text. You can do this by using the IsReadOnly property. If you set the IsReadOnly property of a text box to true, edit commands are not supported and the KeyUp and KeyDown events are marked as handled. If you require formatted text that cannot be edited by the user, use the TextBlock control. If you require an editable text box that accepts passwords or other sensitive input, see PasswordBox.
You can modify the border of the TextBox by using the BorderThickness and BorderBrush properties. The best way to hide the border around a TextBox is to set the BorderThickness property of the TextBox to 0.
You must arrange the visual child when you override the ArrangeOverride method. Otherwise, the arrange behavior may be undefined.
Content Model: The content property of the TextBox is Text.
When you set the FontFamily property to a font that is downloaded or contained in a file, the TextBox renders at the position (0,0). When the font has finished downloading the application renders again with the TextBox in the correct location.
Customizing the TextBox Control
To apply the same property settings to multiple TextBox controls, use the Style property. To change the visual structure and visual behavior of a TextBox, copy and modify its default style and template.
Dependency properties for this control might be set by the default style of the control. If a dependency property for a TextBox is set by its default style, the property might change from its default value when the TextBox appears in the application. For more information, see Dependency properties for Windows Phone 8.
 Note: |
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Setting a visual property will only have an effect if that property is both present in TextBox control's default template and is set by using aTemplateBinding. |
The following code example shows text box controls that demonstrate various properties and events of a TextBox object.
<StackPanel x:Name="LayoutRoot" Background="Transparent" > <TextBlock Margin="20,20,0,0" Text="Type Text Here"/> <TextBox x:Name="ReadWriteTB" TextChanged="ReadWriteTB_TextChanged" IsReadOnly="False" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="20,5,0,0" Height="70" Width="200" /> <TextBlock Margin="20,20,0,0" Text="Read Only TextBox"/> <TextBox x:Name="ReadOnlyTB" IsReadOnly="True" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="20,5,0,0" Height="70" Width="200" /> <TextBlock Margin="20,30,0,0" Text="Search Type TextBox" /> <TextBlock Margin="20,0,0,0" TextWrapping="Wrap"> The following text box has a watermark text (Search). The text is gray until you click inside the text box. <LineBreak /> When you click inside the text box the watermark text is removed and the cursor appears ready for input. </TextBlock> <TextBox x:Name="SearchTB" Margin="20,5,0,0" Text="Search" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Height="70" Width="200" Foreground="Gray" GotFocus="SearchTB_GotFocus" LostFocus="SearchTB_LostFocus" /> <TextBlock Margin="20,40,0,0" Text="Demonstrating styles for TextBox" /> <TextBlock Margin="20,0,0,0" TextWrapping="Wrap"> Select the following text to view the results of SelectionForeground and SelectionBackground properties. </TextBlock> <TextBox Text="Styles" Margin="20,5,0,0" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="200" Height="70" Foreground="White" Background="Black" BorderBrush="White" SelectionForeground="Black"> <TextBox.SelectionBackground> <LinearGradientBrush StartPoint="0,0" EndPoint="0,1"> <GradientStop Color="Gray" Offset="0.0" /> <GradientStop Color="White" Offset="1.0" /> </LinearGradientBrush> </TextBox.SelectionBackground> </TextBox> </StackPanel>
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