How to get ListBox ItemsPanel in code behind

Question

I have a ListBox with an ItemsPanel

Answer 1

sorry I just noticed I forgot to save the edit...I realize you've already accepted an answer, but it seems more of a hack to me. Here's my implementation of FindChild, you might want to use it for the future or if you're going to be doing this often.

public static T FindChild<T>(this FrameworkElement obj, string name)
{
    DependencyObject dep = obj as DependencyObject;
    T ret = default(T);

    if (dep != null)
    {
        int childcount = VisualTreeHelper.GetChildrenCount(dep);
        for (int i = 0; i < childcount; i++)
        {
            DependencyObject childDep = VisualTreeHelper.GetChild(dep, i);
            FrameworkElement child = childDep as FrameworkElement;

            if (child.GetType() == typeof(T) && child.Name == name)
            {
                ret = (T)Convert.ChangeType(child, typeof(T));
                break;
            }

            ret = child.FindChild<T>(name);
            if (ret != null)
                break;
        }
    }
    return ret;
}

It checks all the children and the children's children comparing the type and Name set on the control. Use it like this:

StackPanel ipanel = ThumbListBox.FindChild<StackPanel>("ThumbListStack");
if(ipanel == null)
    MessageBox.Show("couldn't find anything");
else
    MessageBox.Show("Aha! Found: " ipanel.Name);

Answer 2

You can use the Loaded event for the StackPanel that is in the ItemsPanelTemplate

<Grid>
    <Grid.Resources>
        <Style TargetType="ListBox">
            <Setter Property="ItemsPanel">
                <Setter.Value>
                    <ItemsPanelTemplate>
                        <StackPanel x:Name="ThumbListStack" Orientation="Horizontal"
                                    Loaded="StackPanel_Loaded" />
                    </ItemsPanelTemplate>
                </Setter.Value>
            </Setter>
        </Style>
    </Grid.Resources>
    <ListBox />
</Grid>

And then in code behind

private StackPanel m_itemsPanelStackPanel;
private void StackPanel_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    m_itemsPanelStackPanel = sender as StackPanel;
}

Another way is to traverse the Visual Tree and find the StackPanel which will be the first child of the ItemsPresenter.

public void SomeMethod()
{
    ItemsPresenter itemsPresenter = GetVisualChild<ItemsPresenter>(listBox);
    StackPanel itemsPanelStackPanel = GetVisualChild<StackPanel>(itemsPresenter);
}

private static T GetVisualChild<T>(DependencyObject parent) where T : Visual
{
    T child = default(T);

    int numVisuals = VisualTreeHelper.GetChildrenCount(parent);
    for (int i = 0; i < numVisuals; i++)
    {
        Visual v = (Visual)VisualTreeHelper.GetChild(parent, i);
        child = v as T;
        if (child == null)
        {
            child = GetVisualChild<T>(v);
        }
        if (child != null)
        {
            break;
        }
    }
    return child;
}

Answer 3

Try out following extension method:

var childStackPanels = FindVisualChildren<StackPanel>(ThumbListBox);

Method itself:

public static IEnumerable<T> FindVisualChildren<T>(this DependencyObject depObj) where T : DependencyObject
{
    if (depObj != null)
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < VisualTreeHelper.GetChildrenCount(depObj); i++)
        {
            DependencyObject child = VisualTreeHelper.GetChild(depObj, i);
            var typedChild = child as T;
            if (typedChild != null)
            {
                yield return typedChild;
            }    

            foreach (T childOfChild in FindVisualChildren<T>(child))
            {
                yield return childOfChild;
            }
        }
    }
}

PS: You can yourself extend it to check for specific control name so method would return single control instead of list.