DaisyBaseContentControl

Overview

Most controls in the library inherit from this class to ensure consistent behavior and high performance across all platforms (WinUI, Android, iOS, WASM).

Core Systems

1. Lifecycle Management

The base class automatically handles Loaded and Unloaded events. It ensures that event subscriptions (like theme changes) are properly cleaned up to prevent memory leaks, which is critical for long-running cross-platform applications.

2. Theme Integration

Subscribes to DaisyThemeManager.ThemeChanged automatically. Derived controls can override OnThemeChanged() to update their visual state whenever the application theme (e.g., Light, Dark, Dracula) switches.

3. Sizing & Scaling

Integrates with FlowerySizeManager to support global sizing tiers (XS to XL).

• Automatically applies the global size if no local Size is set.
• Respects the IgnoreGlobalSize attached property.
• Provides OnGlobalSizeChanged() for derived controls to react to layout changes.

4. Visual Effects (Neumorphism)

Hosts the hardware-accelerated neumorphic effect engine using the Composition API. This creates 3D-like "Soft UI" highlights and shadows without adding expensive UIElement layers to the visual tree.

See neumorphic.md for detailed technical implementation.

5. Click/Command Support

The base class provides button-like interaction support:

• Click event for simple click handling
• Command and CommandParameter properties for MVVM binding

Instance Properties

Scope Overrides

Use the NeumorphicScopeEnabled attached property to enable or disable neumorphic effects for a subtree.

This is useful for apps like the Gallery where only certain sections should opt into the global toggle.

<!-- Disable for the entire shell -->
<Grid daisy:DaisyBaseContentControl.NeumorphicScopeEnabled="False">
    <!-- Re-enable only for the examples area -->
    <Grid x:Name="MainContentHost"
          daisy:DaisyBaseContentControl.NeumorphicScopeEnabled="True" />
</Grid>

Static Configuration (Global)

Configure library-wide defaults via static properties on DaisyBaseContentControl:

Automatic State Synchronization

The global neumorphic properties have automatic state synchronization:

• Setting GlobalNeumorphicMode to a non-None value (Raised, Inset, Flat) automatically sets GlobalNeumorphicEnabled = true
• Setting GlobalNeumorphicMode = None automatically sets GlobalNeumorphicEnabled = false
• Setting GlobalNeumorphicEnabled = true when Mode was None restores the last non-None mode (defaults to Raised)
• The last non-None mode is remembered, so toggling Enabled on/off preserves the user's mode preference

This bidirectional synchronization ensures the dropdown selector works intuitively - selecting "Raised" immediately enables the effect.

Transparent Control Heuristic

When picking up from the global flag (no local or scope override), transparent controls are automatically excluded from neumorphic effects. This prevents structural containers (shells, mockups, grids) from creating massive opaque surfaces.

Events

// Example: Enable neumorphism globally
DaisyBaseContentControl.GlobalNeumorphicEnabled = true;
DaisyBaseContentControl.GlobalNeumorphicMode = DaisyNeumorphicMode.Raised;

// Advanced effects (opt-in)
DaisyBaseContentControl.GlobalNeumorphicRimLightEnabled = true;
DaisyBaseContentControl.GlobalNeumorphicSurfaceGradientEnabled = true;

Implementation Guide (for Contributors)

When creating a new control that inherits from DaisyBaseContentControl:

Required Overrides

To participate in the theme and sizing systems, implement these hooks:

protected override void OnThemeChanged(string themeName) => ApplyAll();

protected override void OnGlobalSizeChanged(DaisySize size) => Size = size;

protected override DaisySize? GetControlSize() => Size;

protected override void SetControlSize(DaisySize size) => Size = size;

Visual Tree Construction

Use the provided protected helpers to keep code-behind clean:

• CreateThemedBorder() (static): Creates a standard border with theme-aware colors.
• ApplyHoverEffect(): Sets up PointerEntered/Exited background switching.
• WrapWithPadding() (static): Quick utility for layout nesting. It creates a Grid containing a Border with the specified Padding, which then hosts the provided UIElement. This is useful for adding spacing around a control's internal parts without modifying the parts themselves.

Example: WrapWithPadding Usage

// Inside a control's visual tree construction
var myInnerPart = new TextBlock { Text = "Padded Content" };
var paddedContainer = WrapWithPadding(myInnerPart, new Thickness(12));
// paddedContainer is now a Grid -> Border -> TextBlock

Debugging