I'm building a graphical designer, based upon an article by Sukram in CodeProject. I'm now trying to extend it so that each item on the canvas binds to a different ViewModel object - i.e. I'm setting the DataContext for each item.
Every item on the designer is actually a ContentControl, into which is placed a different template (based upon which toolbox item was dragged onto the canvas). So I have a template containing a TextBox, and I have a ViewModel object containing a Name property, and I bind the Text property of the TextBox to the Name property of the ViewModel, and ... nothing. I've checked the visual tree with Snoop, and it confirms that the DataContext of the TextBox is the ViewModel object. Yet the TextBox remains empty. And if I modify the (empty) Text in the TextBox, the Name property in the ViewModel does not change. So it looks like the binding is not being applied (or has been removed somehow).
I've found a few posts which talk about the ContentControl messing around with the DataContext and Content properties, but I'm not sure how applicable they all are. The code sets the ContentControl.Content as follows:
newItem = new ContentControl();
ControlTemplate template = toolbox.GetTemplate();
UIElement element = template.LoadContent() as UIElement;
ViewModelItem viewModel = new ViewModelItem() { Name = "Bob" };
newItem.Content = element;
newItem.DataContext = viewModel;
and the XAML for the template is:
<ControlTemplate>
<Border BorderBrush="Black" BorderThickness="1" Width="100">
<TextBox Text={Binding Name}/>
</Border>
</ControlTemplate>
Snoop shows that the TextBox has a DataContext, and if I Delve that DataContext I can see that it has a Name property whose value is "Bob". So why does the TextBox remain empty? Snoop allows me to change that Name property, but the TextBox remains empty.
What am I doing wrong?
A few more details. I've set the VS2010 Debug DataBinding option for the OutputWindow to Verbose, which seems to show that the binding is all being attempted before I set the DataContext. Is it possible that the change to the DataContext is not being recognised?
I've just found this post DataTemplate.LoadContent does not preserve bindings - apparently DataTemplate.LoadContent does not preserve bindings. So it looks like I have to write my own version of LoadContent().
I've realised that the template has come through a XamlWriter, which apparently strips all bindings. This wouldn't be helping.
I've not been able to fix the DataTemplate.LoadContent(), but I realised that I didn't actually need a DataTemplate, since the XamlWriter / XamlReader was already instantiating the UI element that I was after. I found a fix to make the XamlWriter write all the bindings here, and after that it all works.
Thanks for your help.
Maybe you need to tell the binding in the ControlTemplate to look at the TemplatedParent, as is mentioned in this thread?
<TextBox Text="{Binding Path=Name, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}"/>
Either that, or try to use a DataTemplate instead.
I can't test this at the moment, so I might just be guessing here.
I would use a DataTemplate, as bde suggests.
You are trying to put some UI on your own data (ViewModel), and this is what Data-Templates are meant for (ControlTemplate is usually what you use if you want to change how e.g. a Button looks).
Change your code to use ContentControl.ContentTemplate with a DataTemplate:
<DataTemplate>
<Border BorderBrush="Black" BorderThickness="1" Width="100">
<TextBox Text={Binding Name}/>
</Border>
</DataTemplate>
Code-behind:
newItem = new ContentControl();
//NOTE: .GetTemplate() needs to return a DataTemplate, and not a ControlTemplate:
newItem.ContentTemplate = toolbox.GetTemplate();
ViewModelItem viewModel = new ViewModelItem() { Name = "Bob" };
newItem.Content = viewModel;
newItem.DataContext = viewModel;
Related
I have a couple specific user controls to Show some Content, e.g. simple like Image, WebControl but also two complex specific custom controls drawing on a canvas.
Now I thought using the DataTemplateSelector to handle the different UserControls. I actully used this http://tech.pro/tutorial/807/wpf-tutorial-how-to-use-a-datatemplateselector as a reference.
I changed the code so the form loads the UserControls dynamically (according to the file extension) in the following collection:
ObservableCollection<string> _pathCollection = new ObservableCollection<string>();
The only difference to the reference is now I want to navigate back and forward to the next control by showing one control only at the time. Which control should I use instead of ListView?
<Grid>
<ListView ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll="False"
ItemsSource="{Binding ElementName=This, Path=PathCollection}"
ItemTemplateSelector="{StaticResource imgStringTemplateSelector}">
</ListView>
</Grid>
How do I need to bind it to the template (equal to ItemTemplateSelector above)? WPF is still very new to me and I am learning.
Use a ContentControl. Bind your current item to the Content-property and the DataTemplateSelector to the ContentTemplateSelector-property.
<ContentControl Content="{Binding Path=CurrentItem, Mode=OneWay}", ContentTemplateSelector="{StaticResource imgStringTemplateSelector}" />
Your CurrentItem should be a DependencyProperty or a INotifyPropertyChanged-property of your DataContext. When you change your CurrentItem, the ContentControl will update the template automatically with help of your TemplateSelector.
As a continuation of the question Linking DataContext with another property in WPF.
At the very end of the research I was very surprised to find out that when one writes something like that:
<Label Content="{Binding Path=Name}" />
The DataContext against which the Content property is binded is of the Label control itself! The fact that it still works is due to the default inheritance of the DataContext value from the nearest parent.
But if you have this label wrapped in a custom control, and you don't want to bind your data to the DataContext property of that control, you would more likely love to have:
<Controls:SearchSettings Settings="{Binding Path=Settings}" />
And here you are. Now you need to set Settings as the DataContext for the SearchSettings control, for Label inside to bind against, but you can't, because that will trigger re-binding of Settings property.
I can't see the point in mixing binding properties using different sources: DataContext, by ElementName, etc.
So why would I ever use DataContext?
When you write
<Label name="myLabel" Content="{Binding Path=Name}" />
you are binding to myLabel.DataContext.Name, and not myLabel.Name.
The XAML in WPF is just a pretty user interface to display and interact with the actual data, otherwise known as the DataContext. The purpose of other binding sources (RelativeSource, ElementName, etc) is to point to another property that doesn't exist in the current control's DataContext
So suppose you have a Window. Without setting the DataContext, the window still displays but there is no data behind it.
Now suppose to set myWindow.DataContext = new ClassA();. Now the data that the window is displaying is ClassA. If ClassA has a property called Name, I could write a label and bind it to Name (such as your example), and whatever value is stored in ClassA.Name would get displayed.
Now, suppose ClassA has a property of ClassB and both classes have a property called Name. Here is a block of XAML which illustrates the purpose of the DataContext, and an example of how a control would refer to a property not in it's own DataContext
<Window x:Name="myWindow"> <!-- DataContext is set to ClassA -->
<StackPanel> <!-- DataContext is set to ClassA -->
<!-- DataContext is set to ClassA, so will display ClassA.Name -->
<Label Content="{Binding Name}" />
<!-- DataContext is still ClassA, however we are setting it to ClassA.ClassB -->
<StackPanel DataContext="{Binding ClassB}">
<!-- DataContext is set to ClassB, so will display ClassB.Name -->
<Label Content="{Binding Name}" />
<!-- DataContext is still ClassB, but we are binding to the Window's DataContext.Name which is ClassA.Name -->
<Label Content="{Binding ElementName=myWindow, Path=DataContext.Name}" />
</StackPanel>
</StackPanel>
</Window>
As you can see, the DataContext is based on whatever data is behind the UI object.
Update: I see this question so often from new WPF users that I expanded this answer into a post on my blog: What is this “DataContext” you speak of?
From CodeProject by kishore Gaddam:
DataContext is one of the most fundamental concepts in Data Binding. The Binding object needs to get its data from somewhere, and there are a few ways to specify the source of the data like using Source property directly in the Binding, inheriting a DataContext from the nearest element when traversing up in the tree, setting the ElementName and RelativeSource properties in the Binding object.
Detailed example on CodeProject: http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/321899/DataContext-in-WPF
In that particular case, you could do:
<Controls:SearchSettings DataContext="{Binding Path=Settings}" Settings="{Binding}" />
Assuming you want everything that may be content of the SearchSettings to use Settings as it's data context. Basically, the DataContext affects the element itself an any descendants that don't explicitly override it.
In most cases you do want to bind to the DataContext, in some templates on ItemsControls it is the only way to bind to the currently templated item for example. Further bindings to the DataContext are nice to write and read as they are concise.
In your example you can still set the DataContext, you only need to modify the binding on the Settings respectively:
<Controls:SearchSettings DataContext="{Binding Settings}" Settings="{Binding}"/>
I've been going round in circles with this for a couple of days, and I'm hoping a WPF guru can see where I'm going wrong.
I'm setting CurrentViewModel in code. The Selected item of my ListBox and the Content of my ContentControl bind correctly. But when changing the selected item in the Listbox via the UI the CurrentViewModel is being set but the Content Control is not being updated.
I'm using a data template to map my Views and View Models.
<DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type ViewModel:MyViewModel}">
<View:MyView />
</DataTemplate>
I have a ListBox which is bound to an observable collection of ViewModels. The Selected Item is bound to the current view model.
<ListBox ItemsSource="{Binding MyViewModelCollection}" DisplayMemberPath="DisplayName" SelectedItem="{Binding CurrentViewModel, Mode=TwoWay}"/>
I also have a content control that is also bound to the CurrentView Model
<ContentControl Content="{Binding CurrentViewModel, Mode=TwoWay}"/>
This is the property that they are both bound to
public MyViewModel CurrentViewModel
{
get
{
return _currentViewModel;
}
set
{
if (_currentViewModel== value) return;
_currentViewModel= value;
OnPropertyChanged("CurrentViewModel");
}
}
I've edited the names for clarity and removed formatting information.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Daniel
EDIT: Came across the link How can I debug WPF bindings?. I set a break point on the Content binding and it does indeed only get called once when the binding is first set.
You should not be setting TwoWay as the mode on your ContentControl:
<ContentControl Content="{Binding CurrentViewModel, Mode=OneWay}"/>
This is because you intend your ContentControl to read the value, but never write it.
As an aside, you can also bind the ContentControl to the currently selected item in the collection, rather than to that property by doing this:
<ListBox ItemsSource="{Binding MyViewModelCollection}"
DisplayMemberPath="DisplayName"
IsSynchronizedWithCurrentItem="True"/>
<ContentControl Content="{Binding MyViewModelCollection/}"/>
The "slash" (/) at the end of the collection indicates the current item selected in the collection and setting that current item property is as simple as setting the IsSynchronizedWithCurrentItem equal to true.
A lot of times I find with this combination, I really don't need the extra property on my view model.
Anyway, I hope this helps.
The subject line says it all really! I have a user control which can be bound successfully to, say, a Fullname object - i.e. it works ok.
I now need to show a list of these and, again, this works ok when the control is in a DataTemplate within ItemsControl.Template.
But, the control has a property (InEditMode) that is not a property of the Fullname object but of the object that has the FullnameList property to which the ItemsControl is bound, via ItemsSource. This InEditMode property works fine when the control is not in a list and is bound to parent sibling properties named, say, ParentInEditMode and ParentFullname.
The question is - what style of binding expression is required to 'get at' the edit mode property of the parent object when the control is an ItemsControl?
Or, should I re-design the Fullname object to contain an EditMode property?
Many thanks in advance!
Update:
The item (i.e. that which is in collection bound to the ItemsControl) does NOT have such a property. Code is very simple:
<ItemsControl ItemsSource="{Binding Path=FullnameList}">
...then...
<ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<jasControls:NameView
NameValue="{Binding Path=.}"
InEditMode= ??????? />
The overall parent (the viewmodel for the window) has properties:
FullnameList
ParentInEditMode
Fullname (single item for testing NameView which works perfectly with this xaml outside of any list control using:
<jasControls:NameView NameValue="{Binding Path=Fullname}" InEditMode="{Binding Path=ParentInEditMode}"/>
I would like to apply the edit mode to the entire collection - making that flag part of Fullname does not seem right!?
I have found an answer to my own question, which I hope will help others.
The working syntax I have is this:
<StackPanel>
<ItemsControl ItemsSource="{Binding Path=FullnameList}">
...then...
<ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<jasControls:NameView
NameValue="{Binding Path=.}"
InEditMode= "{Binding DataContext.ParentInEditMode,RelativeSource={RelativeSource FindAncestor, AncestorType={x:Type StackPanel}}}" />
This correctly picks up the property that is a sibling of FullnameList and passes it to the data template item. More by luck than judgement, but I hope this is a valid way to do this!
For each Item in ItemsSource, ItemsControl creates the specified DataTemplate and to its DataContext it assigns the respective Item. Now every DataTemplate can bind to its item in its data context.
So I suppose your item does have a property "ParentInEditMode"; there should be no issue with binding to that property.
If it doesn't work, please update your question with some code.
I'm creating a Loading Adorner that has a swirling icon over it. I tried binding the visibility property directly in the XAML but that actually hides everything inside its hierarchy.
I have this in my XAML:
<AdornerDecorator Visibility="{Binding Path=RootGroup.Loading, Converter={StaticResource VisibilityConverter}}">
<TreeView x:Name="groupTreeView" />
</AdornerDecorator>
and this in my constructor
LoadingAdorner adorner = new LoadingAdorner(groupTreeView);
AdornerLayer.GetAdornerLayer(groupTreeView).Add(adorner);
This isn't want I wanted so I tried binding it in the code instead:
LoadingAdorner adorner = new LoadingAdorner(groupTreeView);
Binding bind = new Binding("RootGroup.Loading");
bind.Source = this.DataContext;
bind.Converter = new VisibilityConverter();
adorner.SetBinding(LoadingAdorner.VisibilityProperty, bind);
AdornerLayer.GetAdornerLayer(groupTreeView).Add(adorner);
This will work if the DataContext is not null because it can actually find RootGroup.Loading. But if it is null then the binding has no source to look at.
So I was wondering what does the XAML databinding use as its .Source ? Binding directly in the XAML binds to the correct property, but it doesn't achieve the same result. So I'm just wondering what I should be setting my .Source to So i can bind to RootGroup.Loading ?
Thanks,
Raul
This doesn't directly answer your question, but why are you using an adorner to get the loading animation effect.
Why not just use a border element that is a sibling of your TreeView that is Z-Ordered on top and then do your animation in that.
So you do something like this
<Grid>
<TreeView />
<Border x:Name="myBorder">... </Border>
</Grid>
Then you can do all your binding in XAML without hiding the entire Visual Tree.