Using Alignment, Margins, and Padding in Applicati

, , , and provide the positioning control necessary to create a complex user interface (UI). You can use the effects of each property to change child-element positioning, enabling flexibility in creating dynamic applications and user experiences.

The following example demonstrates each of the concepts that are detailed in this topic. Building on the infrastructure found in the first sample in this topic, this example adds a element as a child of the in the first sample. is applied to the parent element. The is used to partition space between three child elements. elements are again used to show the various effects of and . elements are added to each to better define the various properties applied to the elements in each column.

mainWindow = new Window();

myBorder = new Border();
myBorder.Background = Brushes.LightBlue;
myBorder.BorderBrush = Brushes.Black;
myBorder.BorderThickness = new Thickness(2);
myBorder.CornerRadius = new CornerRadius(45);
myBorder.Padding = new Thickness(25);

// Define the Grid.
myGrid = new Grid();
myGrid.Background = Brushes.White;
myGrid.ShowGridLines = true;

// Define the Columns.
ColumnDefinition myColDef1 = new ColumnDefinition();
myColDef1.Width = new GridLength(1, GridUnitType.Auto);
ColumnDefinition myColDef2 = new ColumnDefinition();
myColDef2.Width = new GridLength(1, GridUnitType.Star);
ColumnDefinition myColDef3 = new ColumnDefinition();
myColDef3.Width = new GridLength(1, GridUnitType.Auto);

// Add the ColumnDefinitions to the Grid.
myGrid.ColumnDefinitions.Add(myColDef1);
myGrid.ColumnDefinitions.Add(myColDef2);
myGrid.ColumnDefinitions.Add(myColDef3);

// Add the first child StackPanel.
StackPanel myStackPanel = new StackPanel();
myStackPanel.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Left;
myStackPanel.VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top;
Grid.SetColumn(myStackPanel, 0);
Grid.SetRow(myStackPanel, 0);
TextBlock myTextBlock1 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock1.FontSize = 18;
myTextBlock1.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center;
myTextBlock1.Margin = new Thickness(0, 0, 0, 15);
myTextBlock1.Text = "StackPanel 1";
Button myButton1 = new Button();
myButton1.Margin = new Thickness(0, 10, 0, 10);
myButton1.Content = "Button 1";
Button myButton2 = new Button();
myButton2.Margin = new Thickness(0, 10, 0, 10);
myButton2.Content = "Button 2";
Button myButton3 = new Button();
myButton3.Margin = new Thickness(0, 10, 0, 10);
TextBlock myTextBlock2 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock2.Text = @"ColumnDefinition.Width = ""Auto""";
TextBlock myTextBlock3 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock3.Text = @"StackPanel.HorizontalAlignment = ""Left""";
TextBlock myTextBlock4 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock4.Text = @"StackPanel.VerticalAlignment = ""Top""";
TextBlock myTextBlock5 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock5.Text = @"StackPanel.Orientation = ""Vertical""";
TextBlock myTextBlock6 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock6.Text = @"Button.Margin = ""1,10,0,10""";
myStackPanel.Children.Add(myTextBlock1);
myStackPanel.Children.Add(myButton1);
myStackPanel.Children.Add(myButton2);
myStackPanel.Children.Add(myButton3);
myStackPanel.Children.Add(myTextBlock2);
myStackPanel.Children.Add(myTextBlock3);
myStackPanel.Children.Add(myTextBlock4);
myStackPanel.Children.Add(myTextBlock5);
myStackPanel.Children.Add(myTextBlock6);

// Add the second child StackPanel.
StackPanel myStackPanel2 = new StackPanel();
myStackPanel2.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Stretch;
myStackPanel2.VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top;
myStackPanel2.Orientation = Orientation.Vertical;
Grid.SetColumn(myStackPanel2, 1);
Grid.SetRow(myStackPanel2, 0);
TextBlock myTextBlock7 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock7.FontSize = 18;
myTextBlock7.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center;
myTextBlock7.Margin = new Thickness(0, 0, 0, 15);
myTextBlock7.Text = "StackPanel 2";
Button myButton4 = new Button();
myButton4.Margin = new Thickness(10, 0, 10, 0);
myButton4.Content = "Button 4";
Button myButton5 = new Button();
myButton5.Margin = new Thickness(10, 0, 10, 0);
myButton5.Content = "Button 5";
Button myButton6 = new Button();
myButton6.Margin = new Thickness(10, 0, 10, 0);
myButton6.Content = "Button 6";
TextBlock myTextBlock8 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock8.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center;
myTextBlock8.Text = @"ColumnDefinition.Width = ""*""";
TextBlock myTextBlock9 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock9.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center;
myTextBlock9.Text = @"StackPanel.HorizontalAlignment = ""Stretch""";
TextBlock myTextBlock10 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock10.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center;
myTextBlock10.Text = @"StackPanel.VerticalAlignment = ""Top""";
TextBlock myTextBlock11 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock11.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center;
myTextBlock11.Text = @"StackPanel.Orientation = ""Horizontal""";
TextBlock myTextBlock12 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock12.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center;
myTextBlock12.Text = @"Button.Margin = ""10,0,10,0""";
myStackPanel2.Children.Add(myTextBlock7);
myStackPanel2.Children.Add(myButton4);
myStackPanel2.Children.Add(myButton5);
myStackPanel2.Children.Add(myButton6);
myStackPanel2.Children.Add(myTextBlock8);
myStackPanel2.Children.Add(myTextBlock9);
myStackPanel2.Children.Add(myTextBlock10);
myStackPanel2.Children.Add(myTextBlock11);
myStackPanel2.Children.Add(myTextBlock12);

// Add the final child StackPanel.
StackPanel myStackPanel3 = new StackPanel();
myStackPanel3.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Left;
myStackPanel3.VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top;
Grid.SetColumn(myStackPanel3, 2);
Grid.SetRow(myStackPanel3, 0);
TextBlock myTextBlock13 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock13.FontSize = 18;
myTextBlock13.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center;
myTextBlock13.Margin = new Thickness(0, 0, 0, 15);
myTextBlock13.Text = "StackPanel 3";
Button myButton7 = new Button();
myButton7.Margin = new Thickness(10);
myButton7.Content = "Button 7";
Button myButton8 = new Button();
myButton8.Margin = new Thickness(10);
myButton8.Content = "Button 8";
Button myButton9 = new Button();
myButton9.Margin = new Thickness(10);
myButton9.Content = "Button 9";
TextBlock myTextBlock14 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock14.Text = @"ColumnDefinition.Width = ""Auto""";
TextBlock myTextBlock15 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock15.Text = @"StackPanel.HorizontalAlignment = ""Left""";
TextBlock myTextBlock16 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock16.Text = @"StackPanel.VerticalAlignment = ""Top""";
TextBlock myTextBlock17 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock17.Text = @"StackPanel.Orientation = ""Vertical""";
TextBlock myTextBlock18 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock18.Text = @"Button.Margin = ""10""";
myStackPanel3.Children.Add(myTextBlock13);
myStackPanel3.Children.Add(myButton7);
myStackPanel3.Children.Add(myButton8);
myStackPanel3.Children.Add(myButton9);
myStackPanel3.Children.Add(myTextBlock14);
myStackPanel3.Children.Add(myTextBlock15);
myStackPanel3.Children.Add(myTextBlock16);
myStackPanel3.Children.Add(myTextBlock17);
myStackPanel3.Children.Add(myTextBlock18);

// Add child content to the parent Grid.
myGrid.Children.Add(myStackPanel);
myGrid.Children.Add(myStackPanel2);
myGrid.Children.Add(myStackPanel3);

// Add the Grid as the lone child of the Border.
myBorder.Child = myGrid;

// Add the Border to the Window as Content and show the Window.
mainWindow.Content = myBorder;
mainWindow.Title = "Margin, Padding, and Alignment Sample";
mainWindow.Show();

<Page xmlns="" WindowTitle="Margins, Padding and Alignment Sample">
  <Border Background="LightBlue" 
          BorderBrush="Black" 
          BorderThickness="2" 
          CornerRadius="45" 
          Padding="25">
    <Grid Background="White" ShowGridLines="True">
      <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
        <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
        <ColumnDefinition Width="*"/>
        <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
      Grid.ColumnDefinitions>

    <StackPanel Grid.Column="0" Grid.Row="0" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Name="StackPanel1" VerticalAlignment="Top">
        <TextBlock FontSize="18" HorizontalAlignment="Center" Margin="0,0,0,15">StackPanel1TextBlock>
        <Button Margin="0,10,0,10">Button 1Button>
        <Button Margin="0,10,0,10">Button 2Button>
        <Button Margin="0,10,0,10">Button 3Button>
        <TextBlock>ColumnDefinition.Width="Auto"TextBlock>
        <TextBlock>StackPanel.HorizontalAlignment="Left"TextBlock>
        <TextBlock>StackPanel.VerticalAlignment="Top"TextBlock>
        <TextBlock>StackPanel.Orientation="Vertical"TextBlock>
        <TextBlock>Button.Margin="0,10,0,10"TextBlock>
    StackPanel>

    <StackPanel Grid.Column="1" Grid.Row="0" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" Name="StackPanel2" VerticalAlignment="Top" Orientation="Vertical">
        <TextBlock FontSize="18" HorizontalAlignment="Center" Margin="0,0,0,15">StackPanel2TextBlock>
        <Button Margin="10,0,10,0">Button 4Button>
        <Button Margin="10,0,10,0">Button 5Button>
        <Button Margin="10,0,10,0">Button 6Button>
        <TextBlock HorizontalAlignment="Center">ColumnDefinition.Width="*"TextBlock>
        <TextBlock HorizontalAlignment="Center">StackPanel.HorizontalAlignment="Stretch"TextBlock>
        <TextBlock HorizontalAlignment="Center">StackPanel.VerticalAlignment="Top"TextBlock>
        <TextBlock HorizontalAlignment="Center">StackPanel.Orientation="Horizontal"TextBlock>
        <TextBlock HorizontalAlignment="Center">Button.Margin="10,0,10,0"TextBlock>
    StackPanel>        

    <StackPanel Grid.Column="2" Grid.Row="0" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Name="StackPanel3" VerticalAlignment="Top">
        <TextBlock FontSize="18" HorizontalAlignment="Center" Margin="0,0,0,15">StackPanel3TextBlock>
        <Button Margin="10">Button 7Button>
        <Button Margin="10">Button 8Button>
        <Button Margin="10">Button 9Button>
        <TextBlock>ColumnDefinition.Width="Auto"TextBlock>
        <TextBlock>StackPanel.HorizontalAlignment="Left"TextBlock>
        <TextBlock>StackPanel.VerticalAlignment="Top"TextBlock>
        <TextBlock>StackPanel.Orientation="Vertical"TextBlock>
        <TextBlock>Button.Margin="10"TextBlock>      
    StackPanel>
  Grid>
  Border>    
Page>

When compiled, the preceding application yields a UI that looks like the following illustration. The effects of the various property values are evident in the spacing between elements, and significant property values for elements in each column are shown within elements.