Vista - What is the difference between DataTemplate and ControlTemplate

Hi, everyone

Can anyboday tell me why it is nessary for both DataTemplate
and ControlTemplate to exist?

Thanks.

datatemplate is how to style the data and controltemplate is to style the
control(how the control looks

More Specifically:

A ControlTemplate is used to define/change the way a class derived from
Control looks...

Buttons, ListBox, ScrollBar, ...

However, some "Controls" you use are not derived from Control: Best
example is the TextBlock class. The TextBlock cannot have a
ControlTemplate.

Alternatly, the concept of DataTemplate is closelly linked with the
Content Model in WPF application.

Certain controls are made to display "Content"... The content can be
anything... An Image, Text, an Object.... in fact, it is defined as an
"object" type.

The DataTemplate simply defines how a particular content (or content
type) is meant to be displayed... Example: Usually, a string is
displayed using a simple TextBlock... However, if you want a custom
text layout, decoration, alignement, ... you would need to define an
Alternate DataTemplate.

I hope this clears the topic a little more...

Ok, I've understood it to some extent.
Thanks a lot.

Just wanted to add that you can take a look at the before/after screenshots at the top and the bottom of this page: http://windowssdk.msdn.microsoft.com...75ec07da2e.asp

The ListBox at the top... a ControlTemplate is used to define the visuals of ListItems (what the Border looks like, what happens when an item is selected). A DataTemplate is used to describe how the Photo objects (the content/data items) should be displayed (in this case, as images instead of filenames).

Hope this helps,
Tina