Retain DataGrid IsSelectionActive when ContextMenu opens in WPF?

Question

I have a DataGrid that has a style for IsSelectionActive ; however, as soon as ContextMenu opens, the grid loses IsSelectionActive , and the user looks as if the context menu somehow took the selection and may confuse the user.

Is there a way to save IsSelectionActive when opening the context menu?

 <ControlTemplate.Triggers> <MultiTrigger> <MultiTrigger.Conditions> <!--<Condition Property="Selector.IsFocused" Value="True" />--> <Condition Property="IsSelected" Value="True" /> </MultiTrigger.Conditions> <Setter Property="Background" Value="Red" /> </MultiTrigger> <MultiTrigger> <MultiTrigger.Conditions> <Condition Property="Selector.IsFocused" Value="False" /> <Condition Property="IsSelected" Value="False" /> </MultiTrigger.Conditions> <Setter Property="Background" Value="Green" /> </MultiTrigger> <MultiTrigger> <MultiTrigger.Conditions> <Condition Property="Selector.IsFocused" Value="False" /> <Condition Property="IsSelected" Value="True" /> </MultiTrigger.Conditions> <Setter Property="Background" Value="Blue" /> </MultiTrigger> 

Answer 1

Here is the whole XAML that I used in the test application to get the desired behavior:

 <Window x:Class="DataGridSelectionActive.MainWindow" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation" xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" xmlns:local="clr-namespace:DataGridSelectionActive" Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525"> <!-- People is just an ObservableCollection derived class. --> <Window.DataContext> <local:People/> </Window.DataContext> <Window.Resources> <ContextMenu x:Key="dataGridContextMenu"> <MenuItem Header="Some context menu item"/> </ContextMenu> <Style TargetType="{x:Type DataGridCell}"> <Style.Triggers> <Trigger Property="IsSelected" Value="True"> <Setter Property="Background" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.HighlightBrushKey}}"/> <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.HighlightTextBrushKey}}"/> <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.HighlightBrushKey}}"/> </Trigger> <MultiDataTrigger> <MultiDataTrigger.Conditions> <Condition Binding="{Binding IsSelected, RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}}" Value="True"/> <Condition Binding="{Binding IsKeyboardFocusWithin, RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType=DataGrid}}" Value="False"/> </MultiDataTrigger.Conditions> <Setter Property="Background" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.ControlBrushKey}}"/> <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.ControlTextBrushKey}}"/> <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.ControlBrushKey}}"/> </MultiDataTrigger> <MultiDataTrigger> <MultiDataTrigger.Conditions> <Condition Binding="{Binding IsSelected, RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}}" Value="True"/> <Condition Binding="{Binding ContextMenu.IsOpen, RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType=DataGrid}}" Value="True"/> </MultiDataTrigger.Conditions> <Setter Property="Background" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.HighlightBrushKey}}"/> <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.HighlightTextBrushKey}}"/> <Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="{DynamicResource {x:Static SystemColors.HighlightBrushKey}}"/> </MultiDataTrigger> </Style.Triggers> </Style> </Window.Resources> <DockPanel> <!-- Added button for testing keyboard focus. --> <Button DockPanel.Dock="Top" Content="Click me"/> <DataGrid ItemsSource="{Binding}" ContextMenu="{StaticResource dataGridContextMenu}"/> </DockPanel> </Window> 

The key to enabling this behavior is that if multiple triggers that conflict with Setters are active at the same time, the latter wins.