>>>>Hi people
>>>>
>>>>On Kevin Goff's recommendation I got the book "Microsoft Visual C# 2008 Step by Step"
>>>>
>>>>In the very first stage they describe creating a simple WPF form with a label, textbox and button.
>>>>I followed it exactly, and the button is the same height as the textbox in the IDE.
>>>>
>>>>However after compiling and running it, the button shows up slightly larger and taller than the textbox and the form looks like crap because the button looks mis-sized.
>>>>
>>>>How can I make sure that the development and runtime is properly WISIWYG and if this were to happen to a form with many buttons and textboxes, it would look a mess.
>>>>
>>>>An image of what I am talking about can be viewed here:
>>>>
>>>>http://www.foxite.com/uploads/5fdee885-ecb1-42dc-b555-c6a5a6eb99e6.jpg
>>>>
>>>>Notice that in design time the button and textbox appear to have the same height, but in the runtime the button has grown downwards and looks terrible.
>>>>
>>>>I am sure it has something to do with the Margin since the button resizes with the form but cannot see what.
>>>>
>>>>Thanks.
>>>
>>>Don't have the book so don't know what steps you followed. Can you post the XAML for the window?
>>>Best,
>>>Viv
>>
>>Hi Viv
>>
>>This is what I did (C#):
>>
>>1. in VS, New Project - select WPF Project
>>2. Resize the default form as in the image below (after point 4)
>>3. From toolbar select a textbox and click on form. Resize textbox width
>>4. Select button from toolbar and click on form. Reposition the button so the VS indicators show they are aligned. See image below:
>>
>>http://www.foxite.com/uploads/ec51f8fa-33d3-4b05-8656-c8194a6acc57.jpg
>>
>>5. Run the form. Result is below.
>>
>>http://www.foxite.com/uploads/e512a3e9-c326-45b4-bb82-6ff9619eacfc.jpg
>>
>>Note that I made no other changes to the objects and the VS IDE showed that the textbox and button were the same size. Yet when I run the form I get a larger button.
>>
>>This is the XML produced by VS in the above steps:
>>
>>

>><Window x:Class="WpfApplication2.Window1"
>>    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
>>    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
>>    Title="Window1" Height="117" Width="386">
>>    <Grid>
>>        <TextBox Height="23" Margin="24,27,134,0" Name="textBox1" VerticalAlignment="Top" />
>>        <Button HorizontalAlignment="Right" Margin="0,27,53,29" Name="button1" Width="75">Button</Button>
>>    </Grid>
>></Window>
>>

>>
>>Is this a bug in the IDE for WPF of what is causing this non WSYWIG effect. Since I am a complete newbie at WPF, this is most frustrating.
>>
>>Another thing is that although I have not set any "anchor" property, the button assumes its own setting and acts like it is anchored by expanding when the form is resized. The textbox does not. I am sure there is some step missing from this but this is what the book says exactly step by step.
>>
>>Please ease my frustration :)
>>
>>Bernard
>
>Hi,
>Firstly remember that the default behaviour of controls in WPF is to expand to fill the available area. If you look at the XAML you will see that you have explicitly set the Height of the TextBox but the height of the Button is not set in XAML (and will show up as 'Auto' in the property window. Try resizing the window to see the full effect of what's going on.
>
>HTH,
>Viv

Hi Viv

As I explained, I did not set any properties at all, especially explicitly. I just dropped a couple of controls on a form. I resized the WIDTH of the textbox but did not change anything with the button, other than reposition it visaually to align both top and bottom with the textbox.

Yet at runtime, it took on a life of its own and properties of its own, that I did not set, although these properties were wrong.

Since I am just getting to grips with this WPF I expected it to behave like windows forms form, but it does not.

I guess I will just plod along and hope that they fix this in 2010.

Thanks

Bernard