Bind a ComboBox ItemsSource to all keys of a ResourceDictionary - wpf

I have a ResourceDictionary which contains multiple x:Key elements (A list of icons).
I want to bind a ComboBox ItemsSource to the list of keys in the ResourceDictionary.
<UserControl.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary x:Name="Icons" Source="..."/>
</UserControl.Resources>
<Grid>
<ComboBox ItemSource = {Binding ?}> //How to Bind here to Icons keys?
</Grid>
I thought about loading the dictionary into the code behind and than using
combobox1.ItemsSource = // Load dictionary keys here
but I want to know if I can do that xaml directly?

I'm sorry if my question wasn't clear enough.
Eventually the solution was pretty simple, the binding should be done like so -
<CombBox ItemsSource="{Binding ElementName=Icons, Path=Keys}"/>

Related

How can I set ComboBox DataContext in XAML?

I am trying to understand Binding so I have come up with a very simple program to try and test it.
I have the following element in my MainWindow:
<ComboBox Name="comboBox1" ItemsSource="{Binding}" />
In my Code I have the following observable collection:
public ObservableCollection<string> ComboItems = new ObservableCollection<string>();
I can successfully add items this way at any point during runtime:
comboBox1.DataContext = ComboItems;
ComboItems.Clea();
ComboItems.Add("Item");
My question is, how could I set the DataContext in XAML so that I don't have to do it in code? Is it possible?
Thank you!
Something common is:
<Window DataContext="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}}">
<ComboBox ItemsSource="{Binding ComboItems}" .../>
However usually you want to inject another object instance as DataContext, have a look at the MVVM pattern for example. Properties in WPF are inherited, so the ComboBox has the DataContext of the Window, it can be overwritten at any level though.
Note: For the Binding to work ComboItems needs to be a public property, not a field.
Resources of interest:
Data Binding Overview
Data Templating Overview
Depedency Properties Overview

WPF DataTemplate access to Resources within same ResourceDictionary

Simplified, I have a ResourceDictionary which contains a DataTemplate and a ViewModel-Class.
<ResourceDictionary>
<DataTemplate DataType="Whatever">
<ListBox ItemsSource="{Binding Source={StaticResource MyViewModel}, Path=SomeGlobalData}" />
</DataTemplate>
<MyViewModelClass x:Key="MyViewModel" />
</ResourceDictionary>
Of course the Binding won't work (it'll fire exceptions) because the DataType won't have the resource 'MyViewModel'. But in the VisualTree the "thing" that gets DataTemplated is a child of an object which has the ResourceDictionary merged to its Resources, so there might be a way to access it within runtime.
So my question is: Is there any clean way to access 'MyViewModel' within the DataTemplate?
Your problem is the order these resources are instantiated and the fact that you use StaticResource vs DynamicResource.
A StaticResource provides a value for any XAML property attribute by looking up a reference to an already defined resource. Try to find out more on the subject.
So please move your view model above the data template if you still plan on using StaticResource.

Setting the objectinstance to the current data item

I am fairly new to WPF, have been working on finding an answer to this for a couple days without much luck, it seems like there should be a way. I have set up a DataTemplate whose DataType is a custom class of mine. Within the DataTemplate definition, I have set up a resources collection using . I did this because I want to create an ObjectDataProvider that will be available to the controls in the DataTemplate - I want the ObjectInstance of this ObjectDataProvider, to be currently bound data item (teh current instance within a list, of my custom class) - because then I want to be able to run a method on the current data instance - when the user changes the text in a textbox that is part of the DataTemplate. Hard to explain but this should make it clearer, here is my xaml:
<DataTemplate x:Key="TierDisplay" DataType="{x:Type tiers:PopulatedTier}">
<DataTemplate.Resources>
<ObjectDataProvider x:Key="FilteredItems" MethodName="GetDisplayItems">
<ObjectDataProvider.MethodParameters>
<sys:Int32>0</sys:Int32>
</ObjectDataProvider.MethodParameters>
</ObjectDataProvider>
</DataTemplate.Resources>
<StackPanel Orientation="Vertical">
<TextBox Name="txtMaxSupplyDays" LostFocus="txtMaxSupplyDays_LostFocus"></TextBox>
<DataGrid ItemsSource="{Binding Source={StaticResource FilteredItems}}" />
</StackPanel>
</DataTemplate>
Each instance of the DataTemplate is bound to an instance of the PopulatedTier class. When the user leaves the textbox, txtMaxSupplyDays, I have code in the code-behind to take the value they have entered, and put it into the first MethodParameter of my ObjectDataProvider (whose key is FilteredItems). This works fine using the C# code-behind below, the code finds FilteredItems and plugs the desired value into the MethodParameter. But I can't figure how to tie FilteredItems into the current instance of PopulatedTier so that its GetDisplayItems will run. (If this worked, then presumably the DataGrid would refresh, using the output of GetDisplayItems as its ItemsSource.) In fact, in the C# below, it finds/recognizes the DataContext property of the textbox (sender) as being an instance of PopulatedTier. But how can I refer to this in the XAML within the ObjectDataProvider definition? THANK YOU and let me know if I can clarify further. Of cousre alternate suggestions are welcome; I'd like to keep as much in the XAML and out of the code-behind as I can.
private void txtMaxSupplyDays_LostFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
var textBox = sender as TextBox;
if (textBox == null) return;
int value;
bool valueOK = Int32.TryParse(textBox.Text, out value);
if (valueOK)
((ObjectDataProvider)textBox.FindResource("FilteredItems")).MethodParameters[0] = value;
}
You have right thoughts about your code-behind - it have to be as small as possible. Its one of the slogan of MVVM pattern, that is what you need - learn MVVM. Internet have a lot of resources, so it wouldn't be a problem to find it.

How to set a filter for a DataGrid ItemSource via MVVM

I have a DataGrid bound to a CollectionViewSource in XAML.
<Window.Resources>
<local:MainWindowViewModel x:Key="ViewModel"/>
<CollectionViewSource x:Key="cvsEntries"
Source="{Binding LogEntriesStore,
Source={StaticResource ViewModel}}"/>
</Window.Resources>
LogEntriesStore is an ObservableCollection (LogEntry is a DTO that's not important in this discussion)
The DataGrid is declared as:
<DataGrid AutoGenerateColumns="False"
Margin="0"
Name="dataGrid1"
ItemsSource="{Binding Source={StaticResource cvsEntries}}"
IsReadOnly="True">
Now I have context menus on various cells in this DataGrid, to kick off a request for filtering. Right click on a cell, and pick filter to filter all the rows, and show only this particular value.
The MVVM gets the request to filter, but the now the tricky bit. How do I set the filter on the CollectionViewSource?
(as an aside -- this would have been a walk in the park with a Silverlight PagedCollectionView but that doesn't seem to be available in WPF, is that right?)
Very simple. You just need to move the collection view inside the view model:
In MainWindowViewModel define a property of type ICollectionView:
public ICollectionView LogEntriesStoreView { get; private set; }
Right after you have initialized the LogEntriesStore property, you need to initialize the LogEntriesStoreView property with the following code:
LogEntriesStoreView = CollectionViewSource.GetDefaultView(LogEntriesStore);
Then you need to remove the CollectionViewSource from XAML and modify the ItemsSource binding to point to the newly created collection view property:
<DataGrid AutoGenerateColumns="False"
Margin="0"
Name="dataGrid1"
ItemsSource="{Binding LogEntriesStoreView, Source={StaticResource ViewModel}}"
IsReadOnly="True">
That's it. Now you have the access to the collection view inside your view model, where you can modify the filter.
There are several solutions to your problem, but in my opinion, the best solutions are the ones which uses only styles with the standard WPF DataGrid control without inventing a new inherited DataGird type or depending on another third-party control. The followings are the best solutions I found:
Option 1: which I personally use: Automatic WPF Toolkit DataGrid Filtering
Option 2: Auto-filter for Microsoft WPF DataGrid

WPF binding Listbox to a dictionary's Keys, and getting updates

I have a Dictionary in my C# code behind of a WPF application.
I wanted to bind a Listbox to the Keys of that Dictionary, and that works.
But I'd also obviously like it to update whenever the Dictionary has new elements, or when some are deleted (I thought it was the basic usage of Binding oO)... and I got troubles with this because as far as I understood browsing the net, I should use a ObersvableCollection, which does not exist for dictionaries =/
Plus I'd very much prefer to use the dictionary as it is.
It looks like this:
<ListBox Margin="5"
Name="listBoxAvailableReplays"
Background="Transparent"
ItemsSource="{Binding}"
DataContext="{Binding UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}"
/>
And the code-behind (that code is in the constructor):
listBoxAvailableReplays.DataContext =
m_IFileHandlingBaboon.AvailableReplays.Keys;
#FatalBaboon,
There doesn't seem to be a simple solution (requires creating a custom observable dictionary).
Related:
General Observable Dictionary Class for DataBinding/WPF C#
Two Way Data Binding With a Dictionary in WPF
Bind observable dictionary to listbox items. [WPF-C#]
http://drwpf.com/blog/2007/09/16/can-i-bind-my-itemscontrol-to-a-dictionary/

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