TextBox

The TextBox class enables you to display or edit unformatted text. A common use of a TextBox is editing unformatted text in a form. For example, a form asking for the user's name, phone number, and other information would use TextBox controls for text input.

The following table lists common tasks for working with the TextBox control:

TextBox or RichTextBox?

Both TextBox and RichTextBox allow users to input text, but the two controls are used for different scenarios. A TextBox requires less system resources than a RichTextBox, so it's ideal when only plain text needs to be edited (that is, usage in a form). A RichTextBox is a better choice when it's necessary for the user to edit formatted text, images, tables, or other supported content. For example, editing a document, article, or blog that requires formatting, images, and other content is best accomplished using a RichTextBox. The following table summarizes the primary features of TextBox and RichTextBox.

Features supported by TextBox are covered in the sections below. For more information about RichTextBox, see RichTextBox Overview.

Real-time spellchecking

You can enable real-time spellchecking in a TextBox or RichTextBox. When spellchecking is turned on, a red line appears underneath any misspelled words (see the following picture).

To learn how to enable spellchecking, see Enable Spell Checking in a Text Editing Control.

Context menu

By default, both TextBox and RichTextBox have a context menu that appears when a user right-clicks inside the control. The context menu allows the user to cut, copy, or paste (see the following picture).

You can create your own custom context menu to override the default behavior. For more information, see Use a Custom Context Menu with a TextBox.

Creating TextBoxes

A TextBox can be a single line in height or comprise multiple lines. A single line TextBox is best for inputting small amounts of plain text (for example, "Name", "Phone Number", and other information in a form). The following example shows how to create a single line TextBox.

<Page  xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
  xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
  <StackPanel>
    <TextBox Width="200" MaxLength="100" />
  </StackPanel>
</Page>

You can also create a TextBox that allows the user to enter multiple lines of text. For example, if your form asked for a biographical sketch of the user, you would want to use a TextBox that supports multiple lines of text. The following example shows how to use Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) to define a TextBox control that automatically expands to accommodate multiple lines of text.

<TextBox
  Name="tbMultiLine"
  TextWrapping="Wrap"
  AcceptsReturn="True"
  VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Visible"
>
  This TextBox will allow the user to enter multiple lines of text.  When the RETURN key is pressed, 
  or when typed text reaches the edge of the text box, a new line is automatically inserted.
</TextBox>

Setting the TextWrapping attribute to Wrap causes text to wrap to a new line when the edge of the TextBox control is reached, automatically expanding the TextBox control to include room for a new line, if necessary.

Setting the AcceptsReturn attribute to true causes a new line to be inserted when the RETURN key is pressed, once again automatically expanding the TextBox to include room for a new line, if necessary.

The VerticalScrollBarVisibility attribute adds a scroll bar to the TextBox, so that the contents of the TextBox can be scrolled through if the TextBox expands beyond the size of the frame or window that encloses it.

For more information on different tasks associated with using a TextBox, see the how-to topics listed at the top of this article.

Detect when content changes

Usually the TextChanged event should be used to detect whenever the text in a TextBox or RichTextBox changes, rather than KeyDown as you might expect. For an example, see Detect When Text in a TextBox Has Changed.

Styles and templates

You can modify the default ControlTemplate to give the TextBox control a unique appearance. For more information, see What are styles and templates? and How to create a template for a control.

Content property

The TextBox control uses the Text property to display the text content.

Parts

The following table lists the named parts for the TextBox control.

Visual states

The following table lists the visual states for the TextBox control.

See also

• PasswordBox
• RichTextBox
• TextBlock
• TextBox
• EditingCommands
• RichTextBox Overview
• Styling with ControlTemplates Sample
• WPF Controls Gallery Sample