How to get a group of toggle buttons to act like radio buttons in WPF?

Getting 🔳Toggle Buttons🔳 to Act like 📻Radio Buttons📻 in WPF

Have you ever needed a group of buttons in your WPF application that behave like toggle buttons, but at the same time, only allow one button to be selected at a time? 🤔 Well, you're in luck! In this guide, I'll show you a simple and elegant solution to this common problem.

The Scenario

Imagine you have a group of buttons, and you want them to act as toggle buttons, meaning that each button can be toggled on and off individually. However, you also want to enforce a radio button-like behavior, where only one button can be selected at a time. Furthermore, you want to allow a state where none of the buttons are selected, just like the toolbar in Photoshop. 📸

The Solution

The solution to this problem lies in leveraging the power of data binding and the IsChecked property in WPF. Here are the steps to achieve the desired behavior:

1. Wrap your toggle buttons inside a container, such as a StackPanel or Grid, to create a cohesive group.

<StackPanel>
    <ToggleButton Content="Button 1" />
    <ToggleButton Content="Button 2" />
    <ToggleButton Content="Button 3" />
</StackPanel>

1. Bind the IsChecked property of each toggle button to a common property in your view model.

<StackPanel>
    <ToggleButton Content="Button 1" IsChecked="{Binding SelectedButton}" />
    <ToggleButton Content="Button 2" IsChecked="{Binding SelectedButton}" />
    <ToggleButton Content="Button 3" IsChecked="{Binding SelectedButton}" />
</StackPanel>

1. In your view model, create a property to hold the selected button.

private bool _selectedButton;
public bool SelectedButton
{
    get { return _selectedButton; }
    set
    {
        _selectedButton = value;
        OnPropertyChanged(nameof(SelectedButton));
    }
}

1. Implement a mechanism to enforce radio button-like behavior. In the property setter of the SelectedButton, ensure that only one button is selected at a time.

private bool _selectedButton;
public bool SelectedButton
{
    get { return _selectedButton; }
    set
    {
        if (_selectedButton != value)
        {
            _selectedButton = value;

            // Ensure only one button is selected
            if (_selectedButton)
            {
                foreach (var button in ButtonCollection)
                {
                    if (button != this)
                    {
                        button.SelectedButton = false;
                    }
                }
            }

            OnPropertyChanged(nameof(SelectedButton));
        }
    }
}

By implementing these steps, you now have a group of toggle buttons that act like radio buttons! 👏

The Engaging 🔥 Call-to-Action

Now that you've learned how to make your toggle buttons behave like radio buttons, it's time to try it out for yourself! Implement this solution in your WPF application and see the magic happen. Feel free to share any cool use cases or creative applications you come up with.

Remember, sharing is caring! Share this guide with your fellow WPF developers who might be struggling with the same problem. Let's spread the knowledge! 🌍🧠

Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts about this solution. Did it work for you? Do you have any other interesting solutions? We love to hear from you! 🗣💬

Happy coding! 💻✨