How to localize the WPF 4.0 DatePicker control

Question

When you clear the box on the new WPF 4.0 DatePicker control it shows "Select a date"

Is there a way to localize the text?

Answer 1

I have taken Matt's idea, and extended it somewhat; I've implemented an Attached Behaviour which allows you to define the watermark for each DatePicker control through XAML. Here is the code:

namespace DatePickerWatermark
{
    using System.Windows;
    using System.Windows.Controls;
    using System.Windows.Controls.Primitives;
    using System.Windows.Media;

    public static class DatePickerWatermarkBehaviour
    {
        public static readonly DependencyProperty WatermarkProperty =
            DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached(
                "Watermark",
                typeof(string),
                typeof(DatePickerWatermarkBehaviour),
                new UIPropertyMetadata(null, OnWatermarkChanged));

        public static string GetWatermark(Control control)
        {
            return (string)control.GetValue(WatermarkProperty);
        }

        public static void SetWatermark(Control control, string value)
        {
            control.SetValue(WatermarkProperty, value);
        }

        private static void OnWatermarkChanged(DependencyObject dependencyObject, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            var datePicker = dependencyObject as DatePicker;
            if (datePicker == null)
                return;

            if ((e.NewValue != null) && (e.OldValue == null))
                datePicker.Loaded += DatePickerLoaded;
            else if ((e.NewValue == null) && (e.OldValue != null))
                datePicker.Loaded -= DatePickerLoaded;
        }

        private static void DatePickerLoaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            var datePicker = sender as DatePicker;
            if (datePicker == null)
                return;

            var datePickerTextBox = GetFirstChildOfType<DatePickerTextBox>(datePicker);
            if (datePickerTextBox == null)
                return;

            var partWatermark = datePickerTextBox.Template.FindName("PART_Watermark", datePickerTextBox) as ContentControl;
            if (partWatermark == null)
                return;

            partWatermark.Content = GetWatermark(datePicker);
        }

        private static T GetFirstChildOfType<T>(DependencyObject dependencyObject) where T : DependencyObject
        {
            if (dependencyObject == null)
                return null;

            for (var i = 0; i < VisualTreeHelper.GetChildrenCount(dependencyObject); i++)
            {
                var child = VisualTreeHelper.GetChild(dependencyObject, i);
                var result = (child as T) ?? GetFirstChildOfType<T>(child);
                if (result != null)
                    return result;
            }

            return null;
        }
    }
}

Here's some example XAML:

<Window x:Class="DatePickerWatermark.MainWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" xmlns:b="clr-namespace:DatePickerWatermark" Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
    <Grid>
        <Grid.Resources>
            <Style TargetType="DatePicker">
                <Setter Property="Margin" Value="10,5"/>
            </Style>
            <Style x:Key="EnglishDatePicker" TargetType="DatePicker" BasedOn="{StaticResource {x:Type DatePicker}}">
                <Setter Property="b:DatePickerWatermarkBehaviour.Watermark" Value="Please select a date:"/>
            </Style>
        </Grid.Resources>
        <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
            <ColumnDefinition Width="200"/>
        </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
        <Grid.RowDefinitions>
            <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
            <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
            <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
            <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
            <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
        </Grid.RowDefinitions>
        <DatePicker Grid.Row="0" b:DatePickerWatermarkBehaviour.Watermark=""/>
        <DatePicker Grid.Row="1" b:DatePickerWatermarkBehaviour.Watermark="Wählen Sie ein Datum"/>
        <DatePicker Grid.Row="2" b:DatePickerWatermarkBehaviour.Watermark="Sélectionner une date"/>
        <DatePicker Grid.Row="3" Style="{StaticResource EnglishDatePicker}"/>
        <DatePicker Grid.Row="4" Style="{StaticResource EnglishDatePicker}"/>
    </Grid>
</Window>

Answer 2

Here's how to do it without having to derive a new control from DatePicker:

Customizing the WPF DatePicker's Watermark