Wpf custom window TabControl-like template

Question

I'd like to create a CustomWindow class that behaves this way: 1. Non-client area of window is utilized too, TabControl's tabs are present instead of window title like in Google Chrome. 2. Tabs are right-padded so when window is too small, min/max/close buttons don't collide with tabs - this should be doable in TabControl template. 3. There is a button after tabs much like a "new tab" button in Google Chrome. Again, this should be doable with custom implementation of TabControl and creating a fake child for rendering I guess. 4. My class inherits from Window class and every child in children collection is mapped to a TabControl tab like if TabControl.ItemsSource was bound to Window.Children. 5. Window exposes property ItemsSource that behaves like children collection too. 6. Window offers a way to style what TabControl recognizes as ItemTemplate. When I feed the window like CustomWindow.ItemsSource = new string[] { "a", "b", "c" }; and I populate a template for items, three tabs will be created where tab header style is hardcoded in CustomWindow class and tab item content area is templated by user.

As you can see this is basically a outline of Google Chrome window which is exactly what I am trying to accomplish. I know how to bend window's chrome the way I want with everything like system menu, double-click maximizing etc. handled. But I don't know how to make inherited class from Window that will force it's only child to be a TabControl of my choice (tabs headers are styled) but in reality it's child collection will be TabControls child collection. I am not as much experienced with WPF as I'd like and I want to start this the right way so I don't need to rewrite it in future.

Additionaly, when this is resolved, I want to give user the way to tell the tab it's pinned, which I guess is best accomplished by defining an attached property in CustomWindow, something like CustomWindow.IsPinned for any child control?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Add a DependencyProperty ItemsSource to your window (of type IEnumerable<object> and in your window Template set the tabcontrol with ItemsSource="{TemplateBinding ItemsSource}". That will make the window have its own child collection, which will then be rendered as tab items in the tabcontrol.