IsEnabled

Introduction

IsEnabled controls whether the framework element responds to input from the user. Many controls reflect whether they are enabled visually, so a disabled element (such as a Button) appears differently than an enabled button.

Code Example - Disabling a Control

Set IsEnabled to false to prevent a control from responding to user input. The control immediately transitions to its Disabled visual state.

// Initialize
var button = new Button();
button.AddToRoot();
button.Text = "Purchase";
button.Width = 150;
button.Height = 40;

// Disable the button so it cannot be clicked
button.IsEnabled = false;

Try on XnaFiddle.NET

Cascading to Child Controls

Disabling a parent control also prevents all of its children from responding to input. Gum checks IsEnabledRecursively when processing cursor events, so a child whose own IsEnabled is true still ignores input when any ancestor is disabled. You do not need to disable each child individually.

// Initialize
var panel = new StackPanel();
panel.AddToRoot();
panel.Width = 200;
panel.Height = 120;

var button1 = new Button();
button1.Text = "Button 1";
button1.Width = 180;
button1.Height = 40;
panel.AddChild(button1);

var button2 = new Button();
button2.Text = "Button 2";
button2.Width = 180;
button2.Height = 40;
panel.AddChild(button2);

// Disabling the parent panel disables all child controls
panel.IsEnabled = false;

Try on XnaFiddle.NET

Visual State Change

When IsEnabled is set to false, the control transitions to its Disabled state category, which is defined in the Gum component's state machine. Most default controls (such as Button, CheckBox, and ComboBox) include a Disabled state that visually distinguishes them from their enabled counterparts — typically by reducing opacity or changing color. Setting IsEnabled back to true returns the control to its normal enabled state and triggers a full state update.