How to get ListBox ItemsPanel in code behind

Question

I have a ListBox with an ItemsPanel

<Setter Property="ItemsPanel">
    <Setter.Value>
        <ItemsPanelTemplate>
             <StackPanel x:Name="ThumbListStack" Orientation="Horizontal" />
        </ItemsPanelTemplate>
    </Setter.Value>
</Setter>

I am wanting to move the Stack Panel along the X-axis using a TranslateTransform in code behind.

Problem is, I can't find the Stack Panel.

ThumbListBox.FindName("ThumbListStack")

Returns nothing. I want to use it in:

Storyboard.SetTarget(x, ThumbListBox.FindName("ThumbListStack"))

How do I get the Stack Panel so I can then use it with the TranslateTransform

Thanks

Answer 1

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;
}