TemplatedParent is null when used inside a ControlTemplate's DataTrigger

Question

Consider this (edited-down) Style, designed for a Button whose Content is a String:

<Style x:Key="Test" TargetType="Button">
    <Setter Property="Template">
        <Setter.Value>
            <ControlTemplate TargetType="Button">
               <StackPanel>
                   <TextBlock x:Name="text" Text="{TemplateBinding Content}" />
                   <TextBlock x:Name="demo" Text="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}" />
                </StackPanel>
                <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                    <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}, Path=Content}">
                        <DataTrigger.Value>
                            <system:String>Test</system:String>
                        </DataTrigger.Value>
                        <Setter TargetName="test" Property="Foreground" Value="Red" />
                    </DataTrigger>
                </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
            </ControlTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
</Style>

The intention in this example is to turn the button text red if it equals the word "Test"¹. But it doesn't work, because the trigger's TemplatedParent binding resolves to null instead of to the Button the Style is applied to. However, the TextBlock named "demo" will have its Text set to "System.Windows.Controls.Button: [ButtonText]" as expected, which means TemplatedParent works correctly at that level. Why doesn't it work inside the DataTrigger?

---

¹ I know there are other ways to achieve that, but I'm trying to understand why the binding doesn't work the way I expect it to.

Answer 1

TemplatedParent in your ControlTemplate.Triggers is not what you expect. Inside trigger it actually references Button.TemplatedParent. As such, it will only be non-null if your create that button inside template. You don't create button inside template, so it is null in your case. Now consider this xaml:

<Window.Resources>
    <Style x:Key="Test"
           TargetType="Button">
        <Setter Property="Template">
            <Setter.Value>
                <ControlTemplate TargetType="Button">
                    <StackPanel>
                        <TextBlock x:Name="text"
                                   Text="dummy" />
                        <TextBlock x:Name="demo"
                                   Text="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}" />
                    </StackPanel>
                    <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                        <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}, Path=Content}">
                            <DataTrigger.Value>
                                <system:String>Test</system:String>
                            </DataTrigger.Value>
                            <Setter TargetName="text"
                                    Property="Foreground"
                                    Value="Red" />
                        </DataTrigger>
                    </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                </ControlTemplate>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
    </Style>
    <Style x:Key="Test2" TargetType="ContentControl">
        <Setter Property="Template">
            <Setter.Value>
                <ControlTemplate TargetType="ContentControl">
                    <Button Style="{StaticResource Test}"></Button>
                </ControlTemplate>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
    </Style>
</Window.Resources>
<Grid>
    <!--<Button Content="Test" Style="{StaticResource Test}"/>-->
    <ContentControl Style="{StaticResource Test2}" Content="Test" />
</Grid>

Here I retemplate ContentControl and inside template I use button with your template. If you run this code, you will see "dummy" text in red, because Button.TemplatedParent is now ContentControl, and it has it's Content equals "Test", which confirms what I said above.

Now back to your problem: just change RelativeSource TemplatedParent to RelativeSource Self (no need to change DataTrigger to Trigger) - this one would reference your Button.