XAML Intellisense doesn't work for Referenced Assembly Resources - wpf

Question

I'm trying to create a project dll file that holds core styles, resources, controls, etc. This will then be referenced into various other projects to use as a graphic base to unify the appearance.
Anyway, I have the graphics project set up and I can use it in other projects and it all seems to display correctly. However, XAML intellisense for my static resources doesn't seem to be working.
Here is my resource dictionary reference:
<ResourceDictionary Source="pack://application:,,,/BIT.GraphicElements;component/BITCoreStyles.xaml" />
As you can see I'm using pack notation to reference it inside it's assembly. I can style elements like I would expect (StButtonAction is in the above dictionary):
Style="{StaticResource StButtonAction}"
However, I have to type it in manually. Intellisense doesn't give it as an option but if I type it manually is applies it successfully. It also works if I add the project to the solution and reference it there, however this is intended to be used by those that don't necessarily have access to the graphics project so that's not a good solution in the long run...
What am I missing? Is there a way to make Intellisense work for these?

Answer 1

Maybe this'll help future searchers even if it doesn't fix your specific problem.
When you have a solution involves external dll then you can occasionally find resources just don't get loaded at design time. At all. Even though you merge in app.xaml the things don't turn up until you run.
It looks like some sort of subtle bug to me.
The way I work round this is to use functionality originally intended for Blend. We are now using the blend designer in visual studio.
In solution explorer, add a resource dictionary to Properties. Yes. Properties. Create it first in your project and drag it up there. This must be called DesignTimeResources. This can then merge any resource dictionaries you will want to use just for design time or when you have an issue makes you think resource dictionaries aren't getting loaded for design time.
Mine is in army editor but uses resources from a referenced dll, UILIb. It looks like:
<ResourceDictionary xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:ArmyEditor">
<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<ResourceDictionary Source="pack://application:,,,/UILib;component/Resources/UILibResources.xaml"/>
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
</ResourceDictionary>
This is a resource dictionary in a bit of an odd place but nothing particularly weird so far.
Next is the bit that many developers will never have done - editing your csproj.
Right click your project and choose unload.
Right click it again and edit it.
In there you will have entries for all the stuff makes up your project. And of course breaking this would be bad so maybe you want to back up first.
If you don't use blend then I think the important thing here is to add a node which says ContainsDesignTimeResources True, but here's mine:
<Page Include="Properties\DesignTimeResources.xaml" Condition="'$(DesignTime)'=='true' OR ('$(SolutionPath)'!='' AND Exists('$(SolutionPath)') AND '$(BuildingInsideVisualStudio)'!='true' AND '$(BuildingInsideExpressionBlend)'!='true')">
<Generator>MSBuild:Compile</Generator>
<SubType>Designer</SubType>
<ContainsDesignTimeResources>true</ContainsDesignTimeResources>
</Page>
Save your edits.
Reload your project.
When the designer is open, you should find resources from it are loaded. Maybe this will help intellisense find them.
I mentioned this earlier but.. In my experience, such intellisense on resources is often unreliable.
This definitely solved a similar issue I have had in this solution. It is also useful when you want to temporarily overlay resource dictionaries for localisation/branding testing.