/// <summary>
/// Finds a Child of a given item in the visual tree.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="parent">A direct parent of the queried item.</param>
/// <typeparam name="T">The type of the queried item.</typeparam>
/// <param name="childName">x:Name or Name of child. </param>
/// <returns>The first parent item that matches the submitted type parameter.
/// If not matching item can be found,
/// a null parent is being returned.</returns>
public static T FindChild<T>(DependencyObject parent, string childName)
where T : DependencyObject
{
// Confirm parent and childName are valid.
if (parent == null) return null;
T foundChild = null;
int childrenCount = VisualTreeHelper.GetChildrenCount(parent);
for (int i = 0; i < childrenCount; i++)
{
var child = VisualTreeHelper.GetChild(parent, i);
// If the child is not of the request child type child
T childType = child as T;
if (childType == null)
{
// recursively drill down the tree
foundChild = FindChild<T>(child, childName);
// If the child is found, break so we do not overwrite the found child.
if (foundChild != null) break;
}
else if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(childName))
{
var frameworkElement = child as FrameworkElement;
// If the child's name is set for search
if (frameworkElement != null && frameworkElement.Name == childName)
{
// if the child's name is of the request name
foundChild = (T)child;
break;
}
}
else
{
// child element found.
foundChild = (T)child;
break;
}
}
return foundChild;
}
