How to automatically select all text on focus in WPF TextBox?

I have chosen part of Donnelle's answer (skipped the double-click) for I think this a more natural. However, like Grokys I dislike the need to create a derived class. But I also don't like Grokys' OnStartup method. And I need this on a "generally but not always" basis.

I have Implemented this as an attached DependencyProperty so I can set local:SelectTextOnFocus.Active = "True" in xaml. I find this way the most pleasing.

using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;

public class SelectTextOnFocus : DependencyObject
{
    public static readonly DependencyProperty ActiveProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached(
        "Active",
        typeof(bool),
        typeof(SelectTextOnFocus),
        new PropertyMetadata(false, ActivePropertyChanged));

    private static void ActivePropertyChanged(DependencyObject d, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        if (d is TextBox)
        {
            TextBox textBox = d as TextBox;
            if ((e.NewValue as bool?).GetValueOrDefault(false))
            {
                textBox.GotKeyboardFocus += OnKeyboardFocusSelectText;
                textBox.PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown += OnMouseLeftButtonDown;
            }
            else
            {
                textBox.GotKeyboardFocus -= OnKeyboardFocusSelectText;
                textBox.PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown -= OnMouseLeftButtonDown;
            }
        }
    }

    private static void OnMouseLeftButtonDown(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
    {
        DependencyObject dependencyObject = GetParentFromVisualTree(e.OriginalSource);

        if (dependencyObject == null)
        {
            return;
        }

        var textBox = (TextBox)dependencyObject;
        if (!textBox.IsKeyboardFocusWithin)
        {
            textBox.Focus();
            e.Handled = true;
        }
    }

    private static DependencyObject GetParentFromVisualTree(object source)
    {
        DependencyObject parent = source as UIElement;
        while (parent != null && !(parent is TextBox))
        {
            parent = VisualTreeHelper.GetParent(parent);
        }

        return parent;
    }

    private static void OnKeyboardFocusSelectText(object sender, KeyboardFocusChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        TextBox textBox = e.OriginalSource as TextBox;
        if (textBox != null)
        {
            textBox.SelectAll();
        }
    }

    [AttachedPropertyBrowsableForChildrenAttribute(IncludeDescendants = false)]
    [AttachedPropertyBrowsableForType(typeof(TextBox))]
    public static bool GetActive(DependencyObject @object)
    {
        return (bool) @object.GetValue(ActiveProperty);
    }

    public static void SetActive(DependencyObject @object, bool value)
    {
        @object.SetValue(ActiveProperty, value);
    }
}

For my "general but not always" feature I set this Attache Property to True in a (global) TextBox Style. This way "selecting the Text" is always "on", but I can disable it on a per-textbox-basis.

Donnelle's answer works the best, but having to derive a new class to use it is a pain.

Instead of doing that I register handlers the handlers in App.xaml.cs for all TextBoxes in the application. This allows me to use a Donnelle's answer with standard TextBox control.

Add the following methods to your App.xaml.cs:

public partial class App : Application
{
    protected override void OnStartup(StartupEventArgs e) 
    {
        // Select the text in a TextBox when it receives focus.
        EventManager.RegisterClassHandler(typeof(TextBox), TextBox.PreviewMouseLeftButtonDownEvent,
            new MouseButtonEventHandler(SelectivelyIgnoreMouseButton));
        EventManager.RegisterClassHandler(typeof(TextBox), TextBox.GotKeyboardFocusEvent, 
            new RoutedEventHandler(SelectAllText));
        EventManager.RegisterClassHandler(typeof(TextBox), TextBox.MouseDoubleClickEvent,
            new RoutedEventHandler(SelectAllText));
        base.OnStartup(e); 
    }

    void SelectivelyIgnoreMouseButton(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
    {
        // Find the TextBox
        DependencyObject parent = e.OriginalSource as UIElement;
        while (parent != null && !(parent is TextBox))
            parent = VisualTreeHelper.GetParent(parent);

        if (parent != null)
        {
            var textBox = (TextBox)parent;
            if (!textBox.IsKeyboardFocusWithin)
            {
                // If the text box is not yet focused, give it the focus and
                // stop further processing of this click event.
                textBox.Focus();
                e.Handled = true;
            }
        }
    }

    void SelectAllText(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        var textBox = e.OriginalSource as TextBox;
        if (textBox != null)
            textBox.SelectAll();
    }
}

We have it so the first click selects all, and another click goes to cursor (our application is designed for use on tablets with pens).

You might find it useful.

public class ClickSelectTextBox : TextBox
{
    public ClickSelectTextBox()
    {
        AddHandler(PreviewMouseLeftButtonDownEvent, 
          new MouseButtonEventHandler(SelectivelyIgnoreMouseButton), true);
        AddHandler(GotKeyboardFocusEvent, 
          new RoutedEventHandler(SelectAllText), true);
        AddHandler(MouseDoubleClickEvent, 
          new RoutedEventHandler(SelectAllText), true);
    }

    private static void SelectivelyIgnoreMouseButton(object sender, 
                                                     MouseButtonEventArgs e)
    {
        // Find the TextBox
        DependencyObject parent = e.OriginalSource as UIElement;
        while (parent != null && !(parent is TextBox))
            parent = VisualTreeHelper.GetParent(parent);

        if (parent != null)
        {
            var textBox = (TextBox)parent;
            if (!textBox.IsKeyboardFocusWithin)
            {
                // If the text box is not yet focussed, give it the focus and
                // stop further processing of this click event.
                textBox.Focus();
                e.Handled = true;
            }
        }
    }

    private static void SelectAllText(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        var textBox = e.OriginalSource as TextBox;
        if (textBox != null)
            textBox.SelectAll();
    }
}