Gui not updating if property of other class object changed - wpf

Question

I want to bind some properties (FooClass.FooString) of a custom class (FooClass) to my MainWindow. Now below (Working known behavior) is the default working solution if binding some data to a gui.
What I want to do is in the second code block (Not working, but desired behavior). Expose some properties of another class objectto the gui and update it.
**Problem**: TheTestStringis not getting updated (on the gui, code behind works). ThePropertyChangedeventis alsonull` (not subscribed?!).
Is this the wrong way how to bind data?
If I bind the complete FooClass object to the gui and set Path (of TextBlock) to Foo.FooString, the gui and string is updated. But I don't want to do it this way.
Is this the way how to solve it?
Working known behavior
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
public FooClass Foo { get; } = new FooClass();
public MainWindow()
{
DataContext = this;
InitializeComponent();
Loaded += _OnLoaded;
}
private async void _OnLoaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
await Task.Delay(1000);
Foo.ChangeTheProperty();
}
}
public class FooClass : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public string FooString
{
get => _FooString;
set
{
if (_FooString == value) return;
_FooString = value;
OnPropertyChanged();
}
}
private string _FooString = "empty";
public void ChangeTheProperty()
{
FooString = "Loaded";
}
// ##############################################################################################################################
// PropertyChanged
// ##############################################################################################################################
#region PropertyChanged
/// <summary>
/// The PropertyChanged Eventhandler
/// </summary>
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
/// <summary>
/// Raise/invoke the propertyChanged event!
/// </summary>
/// <param name="propertyName"></param>
protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
#endregion
}
MainWindow.xaml
<Window x:Class="WpfApp1.MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:WpfApp1"
mc:Ignorable="d"
d:DataContext="{d:DesignInstance local:MainWindow}"
Title="MainWindow" Height="450" Width="800">
<Grid>
<TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=Foo.FooString}" VerticalAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Center"/>
</Grid>
</Window>
Not working, but desired behavior
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
public string TestString => _Foo.FooString;
private readonly FooClass _Foo;
public MainWindow()
{
_Foo = new FooClass();
DataContext = this;
InitializeComponent();
Loaded += _OnLoaded;
}
private async void _OnLoaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
await Task.Delay(1000);
_Foo.ChangeTheProperty();
}
}
public class FooClass : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public string FooString
{
get => _FooString;
set
{
if (_FooString == value) return;
_FooString = value;
OnPropertyChanged();
}
}
private string _FooString = "empty";
public void ChangeTheProperty()
{
FooString = "Loaded";
}
// ##############################################################################################################################
// PropertyChanged
// ##############################################################################################################################
#region PropertyChanged
/// <summary>
/// The PropertyChanged Eventhandler
/// </summary>
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
/// <summary>
/// Raise/invoke the propertyChanged event!
/// </summary>
/// <param name="propertyName"></param>
protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
#endregion
}
MainWindow.xaml
<Window x:Class="WpfApp1.MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:WpfApp1"
mc:Ignorable="d"
d:DataContext="{d:DesignInstance local:MainWindow}"
Title="MainWindow" Height="450" Width="800">
<Grid>
<TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=TestString}" VerticalAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Center"/>
</Grid>
</Window>
Solution 1
Subscribe to the Foo.PropertyChanged event and route it to MainWindow.PropertyChanged.
public partial class MainWindow : Window, INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public FooClass Foo { get; } = new FooClass();
public MainWindow()
{
Foo.PropertyChanged += (sender, args) => OnPropertyChanged(args.PropertyName);
DataContext = this;
InitializeComponent();
Loaded += _OnLoaded;
}
private async void _OnLoaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
await Task.Delay(1000);
Foo.ChangeTheProperty();
}
// ##############################################################################################################################
// PropertyChanged
// ##############################################################################################################################
#region PropertyChanged
/// <summary>
/// The PropertyChanged Eventhandler
/// </summary>
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
/// <summary>
/// Raise/invoke the propertyChanged event!
/// </summary>
/// <param name="propertyName"></param>
protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
#endregion
}

Answer 1

I might not have fully understood what you want, but here is a working example of data binding, that is somewhat close to your example.
The two main changes were:
Set the datacontext to the VM and not the code behind
Actually give OnPropertyChanged the argument it needs to correctly trigger the refresh, the name of the property.
Result:
MainWindow.xaml
<Window x:Class="ListViewColor.MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
mc:Ignorable="d"
Title="MainWindow" Height="450" Width="800">
<Grid>
<TextBlock Text="{Binding Foo.FooString}" VerticalAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Center" Background="Aqua"/>
</Grid>
</Window>
MainWindow.xaml.cs
namespace ListViewColor
{
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
public FooClass Foo { get; } = new FooClass();
public MainWindow()
{
DataContext = this;
InitializeComponent();
Loaded += _OnLoaded;
}
private async void _OnLoaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
await Task.Delay(1000);
Foo.ChangeTheProperty();
}
}
}
FooClass.cs
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
public class FooClass : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private string _FooString = "Empty";
public string FooString
{
get
{
return _FooString;
}
set
{
if (_FooString == value) return;
_FooString = value;
OnPropertyChanged();
}
}
public void ChangeTheProperty()
{
FooString = "Loaded";
}
#region PropertyChanged
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
#endregion
}
I hope that helps!