Stretch empty WPF ListView to take the remaining space

Question

I always have problems with a ListView inside a dynamic layout control like a Stackpanel.

Right now I have a Window with a Stackpanel as Root-Control. The Stackpanel streches perfectly and takes the complete window. Inside the StackPanel are some other controls like textboxes and button all aligned fine.

The last Object is a ListView. I want the ListView to take the remaining space from the StackPanel but it does not. Even with VerticalAlignment="Stretch" I only get the column headers. The ListView only grows when items are added to it. So I have to set the ListView height manually.

How can I make the ListView fill the remaining space in a StackPanel even when it is empty?

Answer 1

This has nothing to do with the ListView. It is the StackPanel's "fault". In a StackPanel the child items always consume only the space they need (in the direction of the orientation of the StackPanel). That's how the StackPanel is designed. Use a DockPanel instead, there you can make the last item fill up all the space that is left over using LastChildFill="true" (true is default, so no need to explicity specify it).

<DockPanel Background="Green">
    <Button DockPanel.Dock="Top">Text</Button>
    <ListView DockPanel.Dock="Top">
        <ListView.View>
            <GridView>
                <GridViewColumn/>
            </GridView>
        </ListView.View>
    </ListView>     
</DockPanel>

Answer 2

How about using a grid? Grids are made for this kind of layout. The DockPanel is a good suggestion too.

  <Grid>  
    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
      <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
      <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
      <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
     </Grid.RowDefinitions>

   <TextBlock Grid.Row="0" Text="row1"/>
   <Button Grid.Row="1" Content="row2"/>
   <ListView Grid.Row="2">
     <ListViewItem Content="Text"/>
     <ListViewItem Content="Text1"/>
     <ListViewItem Content="Text2"/>
   </ListView>
  </Grid>

The important part is the Height="*", this tells the row to take up all available space, you can leave this out if you want as it is the default behaviour.