Meziantou.Framework

Closing on Escape

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Set the WindowUtilities.CloseOnEscapeKeyDown attached property to True on a window to close it when the user presses Escape, as dialog boxes usually do:

<Window xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:wpf="clr-namespace:Meziantou.Framework.WPF;assembly=Meziantou.Framework.WPF"
        wpf:WindowUtilities.CloseOnEscapeKeyDown="True">
</Window>
  • The window handles the key before its controls: Escape closes it even when a text box has the focus, and the key is marked as handled, so a Cancel button or another handler does not react to it too.
  • The property only has an effect on a Window. Setting it back to False stops closing the window on Escape.
  • From code, call WindowUtilities.SetCloseOnEscapeKeyDown(window, true).
  • Closing the window raises its Closing event as usual, so the window can still cancel the close, for instance when there are unsaved changes.