Custom object as a DependencyProperty - wpf

I have a custom class, MyPerson. All (relevant) properties implement INotifyPropertyChanged.
I created a UserControl to display it, and it all worked fine. Binding to properties like MyPerson.FirstName (a string) all work - they display and update (two way binding) as expected.
Now I want to do more complex stuff in the codebehind, so I wanted to create a DependencyProperty with a PropertyType of MyPerson, but I'm not sure how to construct the DependencyProperty, in particular the PropertyChangedCallback part.
Can this be done? How so?

Read on this article - Custom Dependency Properties
Something like -
public static readonly DependencyProperty MyPersonValueProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register( "MyPersonValue", typeof(MyPerson),
typeof(MyPersonControl), new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(null,
FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.AffectsRender,
new PropertyChangedCallback(OnPersonChanged) ) );
public MyPerson ThePerson
{
get { return (MyPerson)GetValue(MyPersonValueProperty); }
set { SetValue(MyPersonValueProperty, value); }
}
private static void OnPersonChanged(DependencyObject d,
DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
// Property change code here
}

Related

WPF Set Out of the Box Property to Inheritable

Is it possible to change the inheritance settings for a WPF property? Ideally, I would set ToolTipService.ShowDelay at the Window or UserControl level and everything in the visual tree would inherit from there. I know this is possible with a custom dependency property, but with the default properties?
You can't do this directly because you're working with an attached property. With a normal DP you can override the metadata on a specific (usually derived) type, but there's not really a place you can do this for an attached property because the metadata is declared on the owner (ToolTipService) but it's used on every other type by referencing that owner, and also the metadata it originally declared.
You can simulate the behavior you want by declaring your own version of the property and then using that to set the real one on each inheritor of that value. Here's the property declaration:
public static readonly DependencyProperty InitialShowDelayProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached(
"InitialShowDelay",
typeof(int),
typeof(MyWindow),
new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(0, FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.Inherits, InitialShowDelayPropertyChanged));
public static int GetInitialShowDelay(DependencyObject target)
{
return (int)target.GetValue(InitialShowDelayProperty);
}
public static void SetInitialShowDelay(DependencyObject target, int value)
{
target.SetValue(InitialShowDelayProperty, value);
}
private static void InitialShowDelayPropertyChanged(DependencyObject d, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
ToolTipService.SetInitialShowDelay(d, (int)e.NewValue);
}
And then to set the inheriting value just set your new property and it should set ToolTipService's real one for you on all children:
local:MyWindow.InitialShowDelay="555"

Binding public property in UserControl to property on parent does not work [duplicate]

I have a WPF UserControl project named FormattedTextBox that contains a TextBox and a WPF window project in the same solution.
My user control has two dependency properties registered like this:
public static readonly DependencyProperty NumberProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Number",
typeof(double),
typeof(FormattedTextBox),
new FrameworkPropertyMetadata());
public static readonly DependencyProperty NumberFormatStringProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("NumberFormatString",
typeof(string),
typeof(FormattedTextBox),
new FrameworkPropertyMetadata());
I make an instance of my usercontrol in the main window. The main window inplements INotifyPropertyChanged and has a property named MyNumber. In the XAML of the main window I try to bind to MyNumber like this:
Number="{Binding Path=MyNumber,Mode=TwoWay,UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}"
The binding doesn't work - I never get into the get or set on the Number property in the user control. Can anybody help?
When a dependency property is set in XAML (or by binding or animation etc.), WPF directly accesses the underlying DependencyObject and DependencyProperty without calling the CLR wrapper. See XAML Loading and Dependency Properties,
Implications for Custom Dependency Properties.
In order to get notified about changes of the Number property, you have to register a PropertyChangedCallback:
public static readonly DependencyProperty NumberProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Number",
typeof(double),
typeof(FormattedTextBox),
new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(NumberPropertyChanged));
private static void NumberPropertyChanged(
DependencyObject obj, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
var textBox = obj as FormattedTextBox;
...
}

How can I get databinding debug information in MVVM/Prism?

I am making my first serious foray into Prism(Unity). I have a module with a toolbar control that gets loaded (properly) into the region that it is supposed to. This toolbar is a listbox with ItemsSource databound to the ToolButtons property on its ViewModel, the constructor for which instantiates and adds three ToolButtons to the ToolButtons collection.
My ToolButton class has three custom DependencyProperties: Title (string), ButtonFace (Image), ActiveDocumentCount (int). Styling is taken care of by a resource dictionary in the module with a Style and associated ControlTemplate. I have databound the properties, but none of the values or the image are displaying (other elements in the style are however) via TemplateBinding.
I am trying to debug the databinding, but to no avail. I do not get any massages pertinent in the Output window, and the 2nd and 3rd suggestions in this blog have produced no output either. I think that if I could get the verbose (i.e. PresentationTraceSources.TraceLevel=High) output, I could figure out what is happening on the databinding front.
EDIT:
Toolbutton Class
public class ToolButton : Button
{
public ToolButton()
{
//DefaultStyleKeyProperty.OverrideMetadata(typeof(ToolButton), new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(typeof(ToolButton)));
}
public Image ButtonFace
{
get { return (Image)this.GetValue(ButtonFaceProperty); }
set { this.SetValue(ButtonFaceProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty ButtonFaceProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("ButtonFace", typeof(Image), typeof(ToolButton), new PropertyMetadata(null));
public string Title
{
get { return (string)this.GetValue(TitleProperty); }
set { this.SetValue(TitleProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty TitleProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Title", typeof(string), typeof(ToolButton), new PropertyMetadata(""));
public int OpenRecordCount
{
get { return (int)this.GetValue(OpenRecordCountProperty); }
set { this.SetValue(OpenRecordCountProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty OpenRecordCountProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("OpenRecordCount", typeof(int), typeof(ToolButton), new PropertyMetadata(null));
}
Those DPs look ok SetValue in the CLR backed property is fine....but if you or anyone is setting a local value on those properites (e.g. by calling your CLR backed properties or DependencyObject.SetValue) then that will destroy the binding.
Related links:
http://arbel.net/2009/11/04/local-values-in-dependencyobjects/
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/vinsibal/archive/2009/05/21/the-control-local-values-bug-solution-and-new-wpf-4-0-related-apis.aspx
http://wpf.2000things.com/2010/12/06/147-use-setcurrentvalue-when-you-want-to-set-a-dependency-property-value-from-within-a-control/
Whats the difference between Dependency Property SetValue() & SetCurrentValue()

Co-opting Binding to listen to PropertyChanged events without a FrameworkElement

I have some nested view models that implement INotifyPropertyChanged. I'd like to bind an event listener to a nested property path (e.g. "Parent.Child.Name"), much like FrameworkElement dependency properties can be bound to arbitrary nested properties.
However, I just want something like a PropertyChanged event listener -- I don't actually have any UI element I'd like to bind. Is there any way to use the existing framework to set up such an event source? Ideally, I shouldn't need to modify my view model classes (as this is not required for regular data binding in Silverlight).
You can certainly co-opt the binding/dependency-property infrastructure to listen for changes to a nested property. The code below is WPF but I believe you can do something similar in Silverlight:
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.DataContext = new Parent { Child = new Child { Name = "Bob" } };
this.SetBinding(ChildNameProperty, new Binding("Child.Name"));
}
public string ChildName
{
get { return (string)GetValue(ChildNameProperty); }
set { SetValue(ChildNameProperty, value); }
}
// Using a DependencyProperty as the backing store for ChildName. This enables animation, styling, binding, etc...
public static readonly DependencyProperty ChildNameProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("ChildName", typeof(string), typeof(MainWindow), new UIPropertyMetadata(ChildNameChanged));
static void ChildNameChanged(DependencyObject d, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
MessageBox.Show("Child name is now " + e.NewValue);
}
}
So I've defined my own DependencyProperty, not part of any UI per se (just the MainWindow class), and bound "Child.Name" to it directly. I'm then able to be notified when Child.Name changes.
Will that work for you?

wpf how to tell when databinding has finished?

I've got a custom control which has a DependencyProperty MyAnimal - I'm binding an Animal Property on my ViewModel to the MyAnimal DependencyProperty.
I've stuck a TextBox on the Control so I can trigger an Event - whenever I trigger the event the MyAnimal property has been set - however if I put a break point on the Setter of the MyAnimal property it never gets fired!
I guess I'm missing something fundamental about WPF Dependency Properties/Binding?!
And so my question is, if I can't use the Setter how can I find out when its been set? If I put if I put a break point after InitializeComponent() its null and I had a look to see if theres an Event a can hook up to - DatabindingFinished or similar? but can't see what it would be ...
Can anyone assist please?
Thanks,
Andy
public partial class ControlStrip
{
public ControlStrip()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
public Animal MyAnimal
{
get
{
return (Animal)GetValue(MyAnimalProperty);
}
set
{
SetValue(MyAnimalProperty, value);
}
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty MyAnimalProperty =
DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("MyAnimal", typeof (Animal), typeof (ControlStrip));
private void TextBox_TextChanged(object sender, System.Windows.Controls.TextChangedEventArgs e)
{
var myAnimal = MyAnimal;
MessageBox.Show(myAnimal.Name);
}
}
The setter methods are never called by the runtime. They go directly to the DependencyProperty. You will need to add an additional argument to your call to RegisterAttached(). There you can add a PropertyChangedCallback.
Here is some sample code:
public static readonly DependencyProperty MyAnimalProperty =
DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("MyAnimal", typeof (Animal), typeof (ControlStrip), new PropertyMetadata(AnimalChanged));
private static void AnimalChanged(DependencyObject obj, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
// Do work here
}
The setter is only there for your use - you actually can leave the property off entirely, since DataBinding uses the actual DependencyProperty itself, not the CLR property.
If you need to see when the property changes, you will need to specify PropertyMetadata on your dependency property, and provide a PropertyChangedCallback.
For details, I recommend reading Dependency Property Metadata.

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