AppBar styles and templates

[ This article is for Windows 8.x and Windows Phone 8.x developers writing Windows Runtime apps. If you’re developing for Windows 10, see the latest documentation ]

This topic describes the styles and templates for the AppBar control. You can modify these resources and the default ControlTemplate to give the control a unique appearance.

Visual states

These are the VisualStates defined in the control's default style.

VisualState name VisualStateGroup name Description
FloatingVisible FloatingStates The app bar is visible.
FloatingHidden FloatingStates The app bar is hidden.
Top DockPositions The app bar is at the top of the screen.
Bottom DockPositions The app bar is at the bottom of the screen.

 

Theme resources

These resources are used in the control's default style.

Dark theme brushes

To change the colors of the control in the dark theme, override these brushes in App.xaml.

<SolidColorBrush x:Key="AppBarBackgroundThemeBrush" Color="#FF000000" />
<SolidColorBrush x:Key="AppBarBorderThemeBrush" Color="#FF000000" />

Light theme brushes

To change the colors of the control in the light theme, override these brushes in App.xaml.

<SolidColorBrush x:Key="AppBarBackgroundThemeBrush" Color="#FFF0F0F0" />
<SolidColorBrush x:Key="AppBarBorderThemeBrush" Color="#FFF0F0F0" />

Other resources

<x:Double x:Key="AppBarThemeMinHeight">68</x:Double>
<Thickness x:Key="AppBarBottomBorderThemeThickness">0,2,0,0</Thickness>
<Thickness x:Key="AppBarBottomThemePadding">0,0,0,2</Thickness>
<Thickness x:Key="AppBarTopBorderThemeThickness">0,0,0,2</Thickness>
<Thickness x:Key="AppBarTopThemePadding">0,2,0,0</Thickness>

For more info on theme resources, including the values that are used for the HighContrast theme, see XAML theme resources reference.

Default style

<!-- Default style for Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.AppBar -->
<Style TargetType="AppBar">
    <Setter Property="Background" Value="{ThemeResource AppBarBackgroundThemeBrush}" />
    <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="{ThemeResource AppBarBorderThemeBrush}" />
    <Setter Property="HorizontalContentAlignment" Value="Stretch" />
    <Setter Property="VerticalContentAlignment" Value="Stretch" />
    <Setter Property="MinHeight" Value="{ThemeResource AppBarThemeMinHeight}" />
    <Setter Property="Template">
        <Setter.Value>
            <ControlTemplate TargetType="AppBar">
                <Border x:Name="LayoutRoot"
                        Background="{TemplateBinding Background}"
                        BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}">
                    <VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
                        <VisualStateGroup x:Name="FloatingStates">
                            <VisualState x:Name="FloatingVisible">
                                <Storyboard>
                                    <FadeInThemeAnimation TargetName="LayoutRoot" />
                                    <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="IsHitTestVisible" Storyboard.TargetName="LayoutRoot">
                                        <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">
                                            <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
                                                <x:Boolean>True</x:Boolean>
                                            </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
                                        </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
                                    </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                                </Storyboard>
                            </VisualState>
                            <VisualState x:Name="FloatingHidden">
                                <Storyboard>
                                    <FadeOutThemeAnimation TargetName="LayoutRoot" />
                                    <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="IsHitTestVisible" Storyboard.TargetName="LayoutRoot">
                                        <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">
                                            <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
                                                <x:Boolean>False</x:Boolean>
                                            </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
                                        </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
                                    </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                                </Storyboard>
                            </VisualState>
                        </VisualStateGroup>
                        <VisualStateGroup x:Name="DockPositions">
                            <VisualState x:Name="Top">
                                <Storyboard>
                                    <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="LayoutRoot"
                                                                   Storyboard.TargetProperty="BorderThickness">
                                        <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{ThemeResource AppBarTopBorderThemeThickness}" />
                                    </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                                    <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="LayoutRoot"
                                                                   Storyboard.TargetProperty="Padding">
                                        <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{ThemeResource AppBarTopThemePadding}" />
                                    </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                                </Storyboard>
                            </VisualState>
                            <VisualState x:Name="Bottom">
                                <Storyboard>
                                    <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="LayoutRoot"
                                                                   Storyboard.TargetProperty="BorderThickness">
                                        <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{ThemeResource AppBarBottomBorderThemeThickness}" />
                                    </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                                    <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="LayoutRoot"
                                                                   Storyboard.TargetProperty="Padding">
                                        <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{ThemeResource AppBarBottomThemePadding}" />
                                    </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                                </Storyboard>
                            </VisualState>
                        </VisualStateGroup>
                    </VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
                    <ContentPresenter Content="{TemplateBinding Content}"
                                      ContentTemplate="{TemplateBinding ContentTemplate}"
                                      ContentTransitions="{TemplateBinding ContentTransitions}"
                                      Margin="{TemplateBinding Padding}"
                                      HorizontalAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}"
                                      VerticalAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}" />
                </Border>
            </ControlTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
</Style>