How to define TextBox input restrictions?

How can I restrict TextBox to accept only capital letters, or for example digits, or forbid to put any special character?

Sure it's a piece of cake to catch TextInput event and handle the text here, but is it the proper way to do this?

I've done this in the past with an attached behavior, which can be used like this:

<TextBox b:Masking.Mask="^\p{Lu}*$"/>

The attached behavior code looks like this:

/// <summary>
/// Provides masking behavior for any <see cref="TextBox"/>.
/// </summary>
public static class Masking
{
    private static readonly DependencyPropertyKey _maskExpressionPropertyKey = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttachedReadOnly("MaskExpression",
        typeof(Regex),
        typeof(Masking),
        new FrameworkPropertyMetadata());

    /// <summary>
    /// Identifies the <see cref="Mask"/> dependency property.
    /// </summary>
    public static readonly DependencyProperty MaskProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("Mask",
        typeof(string),
        typeof(Masking),
        new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(OnMaskChanged));

    /// <summary>
    /// Identifies the <see cref="MaskExpression"/> dependency property.
    /// </summary>
    public static readonly DependencyProperty MaskExpressionProperty = _maskExpressionPropertyKey.DependencyProperty;

    /// <summary>
    /// Gets the mask for a given <see cref="TextBox"/>.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="textBox">
    /// The <see cref="TextBox"/> whose mask is to be retrieved.
    /// </param>
    /// <returns>
    /// The mask, or <see langword="null"/> if no mask has been set.
    /// </returns>
    public static string GetMask(TextBox textBox)
    {
        if (textBox == null)
        {
            throw new ArgumentNullException("textBox");
        }

        return textBox.GetValue(MaskProperty) as string;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Sets the mask for a given <see cref="TextBox"/>.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="textBox">
    /// The <see cref="TextBox"/> whose mask is to be set.
    /// </param>
    /// <param name="mask">
    /// The mask to set, or <see langword="null"/> to remove any existing mask from <paramref name="textBox"/>.
    /// </param>
    public static void SetMask(TextBox textBox, string mask)
    {
        if (textBox == null)
        {
            throw new ArgumentNullException("textBox");
        }

        textBox.SetValue(MaskProperty, mask);
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Gets the mask expression for the <see cref="TextBox"/>.
    /// </summary>
    /// <remarks>
    /// This method can be used to retrieve the actual <see cref="Regex"/> instance created as a result of setting the mask on a <see cref="TextBox"/>.
    /// </remarks>
    /// <param name="textBox">
    /// The <see cref="TextBox"/> whose mask expression is to be retrieved.
    /// </param>
    /// <returns>
    /// The mask expression as an instance of <see cref="Regex"/>, or <see langword="null"/> if no mask has been applied to <paramref name="textBox"/>.
    /// </returns>
    public static Regex GetMaskExpression(TextBox textBox)
    {
        if (textBox == null)
        {
            throw new ArgumentNullException("textBox");
        } 

        return textBox.GetValue(MaskExpressionProperty) as Regex;
    }

    private static void SetMaskExpression(TextBox textBox, Regex regex)
    {
        textBox.SetValue(_maskExpressionPropertyKey, regex);
    }

    private static void OnMaskChanged(DependencyObject dependencyObject, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        var textBox = dependencyObject as TextBox;
        var mask = e.NewValue as string;
        textBox.PreviewTextInput -= textBox_PreviewTextInput;
        textBox.PreviewKeyDown -= textBox_PreviewKeyDown;
        DataObject.RemovePastingHandler(textBox, Pasting);

        if (mask == null)
        {
            textBox.ClearValue(MaskProperty);
            textBox.ClearValue(MaskExpressionProperty);
        }
        else
        {
            textBox.SetValue(MaskProperty, mask);
            SetMaskExpression(textBox, new Regex(mask, RegexOptions.Compiled | RegexOptions.IgnorePatternWhitespace));
            textBox.PreviewTextInput += textBox_PreviewTextInput;
            textBox.PreviewKeyDown += textBox_PreviewKeyDown;
            DataObject.AddPastingHandler(textBox, Pasting);
        }
    }

    private static void textBox_PreviewTextInput(object sender, TextCompositionEventArgs e)
    {
        var textBox = sender as TextBox;
        var maskExpression = GetMaskExpression(textBox);

        if (maskExpression == null)
        {
            return;
        }

        var proposedText = GetProposedText(textBox, e.Text);

        if (!maskExpression.IsMatch(proposedText))
        {
            e.Handled = true;
        }
    }

    private static void textBox_PreviewKeyDown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
    {
        var textBox = sender as TextBox;
        var maskExpression = GetMaskExpression(textBox);

        if (maskExpression == null)
        {
            return;
        }

        //pressing space doesn't raise PreviewTextInput - no idea why, but we need to handle
        //explicitly here
        if (e.Key == Key.Space)
        {
            var proposedText = GetProposedText(textBox, " ");

            if (!maskExpression.IsMatch(proposedText))
            {
                e.Handled = true;
            }
        }
    }

    private static void Pasting(object sender, DataObjectPastingEventArgs e)
    {
        var textBox = sender as TextBox;
        var maskExpression = GetMaskExpression(textBox);

        if (maskExpression == null)
        {
            return;
        }

        if (e.DataObject.GetDataPresent(typeof(string)))
        {
            var pastedText = e.DataObject.GetData(typeof(string)) as string;
            var proposedText = GetProposedText(textBox, pastedText);

            if (!maskExpression.IsMatch(proposedText))
            {
                e.CancelCommand();
            }
        }
        else
        {
            e.CancelCommand();
        }
    }

    private static string GetProposedText(TextBox textBox, string newText)
    {
        var text = textBox.Text;

        if (textBox.SelectionStart != -1)
        {
            text = text.Remove(textBox.SelectionStart, textBox.SelectionLength);
        }

        text = text.Insert(textBox.CaretIndex, newText);

        return text;
    }
}

I've improved Kent Boogaart's answer by also handling the following actions that previously could cause the pattern to be violated:

• Backspace
• Selecting and dragging text in a way that can violate the pattern
• Cut command

For example, Kent Boogaart's answer allowed the user to enter "ac" by first entering "abc" and afterwards delete the "b" with the backspace which violates the following regex

^(a|ab|abc)$

Usage (unchanged):

<TextBox b:Masking.Mask="^\p{Lu}*$"/>

Mask class:

public static class Masking
{
    private static readonly DependencyPropertyKey _maskExpressionPropertyKey = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttachedReadOnly("MaskExpression",
            typeof(Regex),
            typeof(Masking),
            new FrameworkPropertyMetadata());

    /// <summary>
    /// Identifies the <see cref="Mask"/> dependency property.
    /// </summary>
    public static readonly DependencyProperty MaskProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("Mask",
            typeof(string),
            typeof(Masking),
            new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(OnMaskChanged));

    /// <summary>
    /// Identifies the <see cref="MaskExpression"/> dependency property.
    /// </summary>
    public static readonly DependencyProperty MaskExpressionProperty = _maskExpressionPropertyKey.DependencyProperty;

    /// <summary>
    /// Gets the mask for a given <see cref="TextBox"/>.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="textBox">
    /// The <see cref="TextBox"/> whose mask is to be retrieved.
    /// </param>
    /// <returns>
    /// The mask, or <see langword="null"/> if no mask has been set.
    /// </returns>
    public static string GetMask(TextBox textBox)
    {
        if (textBox == null)
        {
            throw new ArgumentNullException("textBox");
        }

        return textBox.GetValue(MaskProperty) as string;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Sets the mask for a given <see cref="TextBox"/>.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="textBox">
    /// The <see cref="TextBox"/> whose mask is to be set.
    /// </param>
    /// <param name="mask">
    /// The mask to set, or <see langword="null"/> to remove any existing mask from <paramref name="textBox"/>.
    /// </param>
    public static void SetMask(TextBox textBox, string mask)
    {
        if (textBox == null)
        {
            throw new ArgumentNullException("textBox");
        }

        textBox.SetValue(MaskProperty, mask);
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Gets the mask expression for the <see cref="TextBox"/>.
    /// </summary>
    /// <remarks>
    /// This method can be used to retrieve the actual <see cref="Regex"/> instance created as a result of setting the mask on a <see cref="TextBox"/>.
    /// </remarks>
    /// <param name="textBox">
    /// The <see cref="TextBox"/> whose mask expression is to be retrieved.
    /// </param>
    /// <returns>
    /// The mask expression as an instance of <see cref="Regex"/>, or <see langword="null"/> if no mask has been applied to <paramref name="textBox"/>.
    /// </returns>
    public static Regex GetMaskExpression(TextBox textBox)
    {
        if (textBox == null)
        {
            throw new ArgumentNullException("textBox");
        }

        return textBox.GetValue(MaskExpressionProperty) as Regex;
    }

    private static void SetMaskExpression(TextBox textBox, Regex regex)
    {
        textBox.SetValue(_maskExpressionPropertyKey, regex);
    }

    private static void OnMaskChanged(DependencyObject dependencyObject, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        var textBox = dependencyObject as TextBox;
        var mask = e.NewValue as string;
        textBox.PreviewTextInput -= textBox_PreviewTextInput;
        textBox.PreviewKeyDown -= textBox_PreviewKeyDown;
        DataObject.RemovePastingHandler(textBox, Pasting);
        DataObject.RemoveCopyingHandler(textBox, NoDragCopy);
        CommandManager.RemovePreviewExecutedHandler(textBox, NoCutting);


        if (mask == null)
        {
            textBox.ClearValue(MaskProperty);
            textBox.ClearValue(MaskExpressionProperty);
        }
        else
        {
            textBox.SetValue(MaskProperty, mask);
            SetMaskExpression(textBox, new Regex(mask, RegexOptions.Compiled | RegexOptions.IgnorePatternWhitespace));
            textBox.PreviewTextInput += textBox_PreviewTextInput;
            textBox.PreviewKeyDown += textBox_PreviewKeyDown;
            DataObject.AddPastingHandler(textBox, Pasting);
            DataObject.AddCopyingHandler(textBox, NoDragCopy);
            CommandManager.AddPreviewExecutedHandler(textBox, NoCutting);
        }
    }

    private static void NoCutting(object sender, ExecutedRoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        if(e.Command == ApplicationCommands.Cut)
        {
            e.Handled = true;
        }
    }

    private static void NoDragCopy(object sender, DataObjectCopyingEventArgs e)
    {
        if (e.IsDragDrop)
        {
            e.CancelCommand();
        }
    }

    private static void textBox_PreviewTextInput(object sender, TextCompositionEventArgs e)
    {
        var textBox = sender as TextBox;
        var maskExpression = GetMaskExpression(textBox);

        if (maskExpression == null)
        {
            return;
        }

        var proposedText = GetProposedText(textBox, e.Text);

        if (!maskExpression.IsMatch(proposedText))
        {
            e.Handled = true;
        }
    }

    private static void textBox_PreviewKeyDown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
    {
        var textBox = sender as TextBox;
        var maskExpression = GetMaskExpression(textBox);

        if (maskExpression == null)
        {
            return;
        }

        string proposedText = null;

        //pressing space doesn't raise PreviewTextInput, reasons here http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/wpf/thread/446ec083-04c8-43f2-89dc-1e2521a31f6b?prof=required
        if (e.Key == Key.Space)
        {
            proposedText = GetProposedText(textBox, " ");
        }
        // Same story with backspace
        else if(e.Key == Key.Back)
        {
            proposedText = GetProposedTextBackspace(textBox);
        }

        if (proposedText != null && proposedText != string.Empty && !maskExpression.IsMatch(proposedText))
        {
            e.Handled = true;
        }

    }

    private static void Pasting(object sender, DataObjectPastingEventArgs e)
    {
        var textBox = sender as TextBox;
        var maskExpression = GetMaskExpression(textBox);

        if (maskExpression == null)
        {
            return;
        }

        if (e.DataObject.GetDataPresent(typeof(string)))
        {
            var pastedText = e.DataObject.GetData(typeof(string)) as string;
            var proposedText = GetProposedText(textBox, pastedText);

            if (!maskExpression.IsMatch(proposedText))
            {
                e.CancelCommand();
            }
        }
        else
        {
            e.CancelCommand();
        }
    }

    private static string GetProposedTextBackspace(TextBox textBox)
    {
        var text = GetTextWithSelectionRemoved(textBox);
        if (textBox.SelectionStart > 0 && textBox.SelectionLength == 0)
        {
            text = text.Remove(textBox.SelectionStart-1, 1);
        }

        return text;
    }


    private static string GetProposedText(TextBox textBox, string newText)
    {
        var text = GetTextWithSelectionRemoved(textBox);
        text = text.Insert(textBox.CaretIndex, newText);

        return text;
    }

    private static string GetTextWithSelectionRemoved(TextBox textBox)
    {
        var text = textBox.Text;

        if (textBox.SelectionStart != -1)
        {
            text = text.Remove(textBox.SelectionStart, textBox.SelectionLength);
        }
        return text;
    }
}