Custom ItemsSource property for a UserControl - wpf

Question

Does anyone know how to make a custom ItemsSource?
What I want to do is to make an itemsSource to my own UserControl so that it could be bound by ObservableCollection<>.
Also, I could know Whenever the number of items in the itemsSource updated, so as to do further procedures.
Thank you so much.

Answer 1

You may need to do something like this in your control
public IEnumerable ItemsSource
{
get { return (IEnumerable)GetValue(ItemsSourceProperty); }
set { SetValue(ItemsSourceProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty ItemsSourceProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("ItemsSource", typeof(IEnumerable), typeof(UserControl1), new PropertyMetadata(new PropertyChangedCallback(OnItemsSourcePropertyChanged)));
private static void OnItemsSourcePropertyChanged(DependencyObject sender, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
var control = sender as UserControl1;
if (control != null)
control.OnItemsSourceChanged((IEnumerable)e.OldValue, (IEnumerable)e.NewValue);
}
private void OnItemsSourceChanged(IEnumerable oldValue, IEnumerable newValue)
{
// Remove handler for oldValue.CollectionChanged
var oldValueINotifyCollectionChanged = oldValue as INotifyCollectionChanged;
if (null != oldValueINotifyCollectionChanged)
{
oldValueINotifyCollectionChanged.CollectionChanged -= new NotifyCollectionChangedEventHandler(newValueINotifyCollectionChanged_CollectionChanged);
}
// Add handler for newValue.CollectionChanged (if possible)
var newValueINotifyCollectionChanged = newValue as INotifyCollectionChanged;
if (null != newValueINotifyCollectionChanged)
{
newValueINotifyCollectionChanged.CollectionChanged += new NotifyCollectionChangedEventHandler(newValueINotifyCollectionChanged_CollectionChanged);
}
}
void newValueINotifyCollectionChanged_CollectionChanged(object sender, NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs e)
{
//Do your stuff here.
}

Answer 2

Use a DependencyProperty ItemsSource in your CustomControl and then bind to this DependencyProperty
This is the XAML-Code (Recognize the DataContext of the ListBox):
<UserControl
x:Name="MyControl">
<ListBox
DataContext="{Binding ElementName=MyControl}"
ItemsSource="{Binding ItemsSource}">
</ListBox>
</UserControl>
This is the CodeBehind:
public partial class MyCustomControl
{
public IEnumerable ItemsSource
{
get { return (IEnumerable)GetValue(ItemsSourceProperty); }
set { SetValue(ItemsSourceProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty ItemsSourceProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("ItemsSource", typeof(IEnumerable),
typeof(ToolboxElementView), new PropertyMetadata(null));
}
This is the Code, where you use your "MyCustomControl":
<Window>
<local:MyCustomControl
ItemsSource="{Binding MyItemsIWantToBind}">
</local:MyCustomControl>
</Window>

Answer 3

Simplified answer.
public IEnumerable ItemsSource
{
get => (IEnumerable)GetValue(ItemsSourceProperty);
set => SetValue(ItemsSourceProperty, value);
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty ItemsSourceProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("ItemsSource", typeof(IEnumerable), typeof(UserControl1), new PropertyMetadata(null, (s, e) =>
{
if (s is UserControl1 uc)
{
if (e.OldValue is INotifyCollectionChanged oldValueINotifyCollectionChanged)
{
oldValueINotifyCollectionChanged.CollectionChanged -= uc.ItemsSource_CollectionChanged;
}
if (e.NewValue is INotifyCollectionChanged newValueINotifyCollectionChanged)
{
newValueINotifyCollectionChanged.CollectionChanged += uc.ItemsSource_CollectionChanged;
}
}
}));
private void ItemsSource_CollectionChanged(object sender, NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs e)
{
// Logic Here
}
// Do Not Forget To Remove Event On UserControl Unloaded
private void UserControl1_Unloaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
if (ItemsSource is INotifyCollectionChanged incc)
{
incc.CollectionChanged -= ItemsSource_CollectionChanged;
}
}