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Controls by Function

Microsoft Silverlight will reach end of support after October 2021. Learn more.

Silverlight offers client controls that perform many functions. You can select the appropriate control for your scenario by comparing controls that offer similar functionality. Some of these controls are part of the Silverlight libraries in the Silverlight SDK. If a control is only available as part of the Silverlight SDK, it is specified in the Location column. For information about the Silverlight SDK, see Silverlight Tools.

For an alphabetical list of controls, see Controls and Dialog Boxes.

Controls by Function

The following table lists common Silverlight controls according to general function.

Function

Control

Location

Description

Button/Command controls

Button

Runtime

Responds to user input from a mouse, keyboard, stylus, or other input device and raises a Click event.

HyperlinkButton

Runtime

Represents a button control that displays a hyperlink. When clicked, the HyperlinkButton enables users to move to a Web page in the same Web application or a Web page that is external to the current application.

RepeatButton

Runtime

Represents a button that raises its click event repeatedly from when the button is pressed until it is released.

Selection controls

CheckBox

Runtime

Represents a control that a user can select or clear. A check box optionally offers an, indeterminate state.

ComboBox

Runtime

Displays a drop-down list of items a user can select from.

ListBox

Runtime

Displays a list of items a user can select by clicking.

RadioButton

Runtime

Allows a user to select a single option from a list of options. When radio buttons are grouped together they are mutually exclusive.

Slider

Runtime

Represents a control that lets the user select from a range of values by moving a Thumb control along a track.

Date display and selection

Calendar

Silverlight SDK

Allows a user to select a date from a visual calendar display. The calendar can be used on its own or in combination with the DatePicker control..

DatePicker

Silverlight SDK

Allows a user to select a date by typing it in a text field or selecting it from a drop-down calendar control.

Information display (read-only)

TextBlock

Runtime

Displays small amounts of read-only text.

ProgressBar

Runtime

Displays the current progress of an operation to the user.

RichTextBlock

(Silverlight 5)

Runtime

Provides a control for displaying rich text. Supports formatted text, hyperlinks, images, and other rich content.

Text display and editing

AutoCompleteBox

Silverlight SDK

Represents a control that provides a text box for user input and a drop-down that contains possible matches based on the input in the text box.

PasswordBox

Runtime

Provides a control that allows the user to enter sensitive data, such as a password.

TextBox

Runtime

Provides a control for displaying or editing text.

System.Windows.Controls.RichTextBox

(Silverlight 4 or later)

Runtime

Provides a control for displaying or editing rich text. Supports formatted text, hyperlinks, images, and other rich content.

Data display

DataGrid

Silverlight SDK

Displays a collection of data in rows and columns. You can change the type of row or column to fit the needs of your application.

DataPager

Silverlight SDK

Provides a user interface for paging through a collection of data that implements IPagedCollectionView.

TreeView

Silverlight SDK

Displays hierarchical data in a tree structure that has items that can expand and collapse.

System.Windows.Controls.Pivot.PivotViewer

(Silverlight 5)

Silverlight SDK

Displays a large amount of data at once in a way that is easily consumable by the user. Users can browse the data in such a way that helps them see the trends and quickly find information they need.

Graphics and video display

DrawingSurface

(Silverlight 5)

Runtime

Defines an area where 3-D content can be composed and rendered.

Image

Runtime

Displays an image.

MultiScaleImage

Runtime

Enables users to open a multi-resolution image which can be scaled or repositioned for detail viewing.

MediaElement

Runtime

Hosts audio or video content. Provides a rectangular region that can display video on its surface, or play audio if no video is present.

InkPresenter

Runtime

Provides a drawing surface to support Tablet PC features.

HTML display, out of browser

WebBrowser

(Silverlight 4 or later)

Runtime

Provides a surface for displaying HTML content when the application is hosted outside the browser or in Silverlight 5, a in-browser trusted application.

Layout and element grouping

Border

Runtime

Provides a border, background, or both to another control.

Canvas

Runtime

Provides a surface to display child elements at specific coordinates in the canvas.

ContentControl

Runtime

Represents a control with a single piece of content.

Grid

Runtime

Provides a surface composed of rows and columns to display child elements. You define the rows and columns for a grid, than assign objects to a specific row or column in the grid.

GridSplitter

Silverlight SDK

Allows a user to resize the columns or rows in a Grid control.

StackPanel

Runtime

Provides a surface to display child elements in a line; either horizontally or vertically.

Viewbox

(Silverlight 4 or later)

Runtime

Provides a control that can stretch or scale its content to fill the available space.

VirtualizingStackPanel

Runtime

Provides a stack panel control that arranges content that is visible on the screen, creating additional UI items as needed.

ScrollBar

Runtime

Represents a control that provides a scroll bar that has a sliding Thumb whose position corresponds to a value.

ScrollViewer

Runtime

Provides a scrollable surface for displaying a child element.

TabControl

Silverlight SDK

Provides a tabbed interface for displaying elements. Child elements are hosted in a TabItem.

User Help

DescriptionViewer

Silverlight SDK

Displays a description and tracks error state for an associated control.

Label

Silverlight SDK

Displays a caption, required field indicator, and validation error indicator for an associated control.

ToolTip

Runtime

Provides the user with information about an element in the UI using a popup window.

ValidationSummary

Silverlight SDK

Displays a summary of the validation errors on a form.

Navigation

Frame

Silverlight SDK

Supports navigation to Page controls.

Page

Silverlight SDK

Encapsulates content that can be navigated to by a Frame.

Dialog boxes and windows

OpenFileDialog

Runtime

Enables the user to select one or more files from the file system.

SaveFileDialog

Runtime

Enables the user to specify options for saving a file.

ChildWindow

Silverlight SDK

Provides a window that can be displayed over a parent window and blocks interaction with the parent window.

Popup

Runtime

Overlays content on top of the existing content within the bounds of the Silverlight plug-in.