Databinding TextBlock Runs in Silverlight / WP7 - silverlight

Question

I'm using Silverlight on Windows Phone 7.
I want to display the first part of some text in a TextBlock in bold, and the rest in normal font. The complete text must wrap. I want the bolded part to contain text from one property in my ViewModel, and the plain text to contain text from a different property.
The TextBlock is defined in a DataTemplate associated with a LongListSelector.
My initial attempt was:
<TextBlock TextWrapping="Wrap">
<TextBlock.Inlines>
<Run Text="{Binding Property1}" FontWeight="Bold"/>
<Run Text="{Binding Property2}"/>
</TextBlock.Inlines>
</TextBlock>
This fails at runtime with the spectacularly unhelpful "AG_E_RUNTIME_MANAGED_UNKNOWN_ERROR". This is a known issue because the Run element is not a FrameworkElement and cannot be bound.
My next attempt was to put placeholders in place, and then update them in code:
<TextBlock Loaded="TextBlockLoaded" TextWrapping="Wrap">
<TextBlock.Inlines>
<Run FontWeight="Bold">Placeholder1</Run>
<Run>Placeholder2</Run>
</TextBlock.Inlines>
</TextBlock>
In the code-behind (yes I am desparate!):
private void TextBlockLoaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
var textBlock = (TextBlock)sender;
var viewModel = (ViewModel)textBlock.DataContext;
var prop1Run = (Run)textBlock.Inlines[0];
var prop2Run = (Run)textBlock.Inlines[1];
prop1Run.Text = viewModel.Property1;
prop2Run.Text = viewModel.Property2;
}
This seemed to work, but because I am using the LongListSelector, although items get recycled, the Loaded codebehind event handler doesn't re-initialize the Runs, so very quickly the wrong text is displayed...
I've looked at using the LongListSelector's Linked event (which I already use to free up images that I display in the list), but I can't see how I can use that to re-initialize the Runs' text properties.
Any help appreciated!

Answer 1

I finally found a solution that works for me.
As I mention in the comment, Paul Stovell's approach would not work.
Instead I used a similar approach to add an attached property to the TextBlock, bound to the TextBlock's DataContext, and attached properties on the runs, indicating which ViewModel properties they should be bound to:
<TextBlock TextWrapping="Wrap"
Views:BindableRuns.Target="{Binding}">
<TextBlock.Inlines>
<Run FontWeight="Bold" Views:BindableRuns.Target="Property1"/>
<Run Views:BindableRuns.Target="Property2"/>
</TextBlock.Inlines>
</TextBlock>
Then in my attached TextBox Target (datacontext) property's changed event, I update the Runs, and subscribe to be notified of changes to the TextBox Target properties. When a TextBox Target property changes, I updated any associated Run's text accordingly.
public static class BindableRuns
{
private static readonly Dictionary<INotifyPropertyChanged, PropertyChangedHandler>
Handlers = new Dictionary<INotifyPropertyChanged, PropertyChangedHandler>();
private static void TargetPropertyPropertyChanged(
DependencyObject dependencyObject,
DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
if(!(dependencyObject is TextBlock)) return;
var textBlock = (TextBlock)dependencyObject;
AddHandler(e.NewValue as INotifyPropertyChanged, textBlock);
RemoveHandler(e.OldValue as INotifyPropertyChanged);
InitializeRuns(textBlock, e.NewValue);
}
private static void AddHandler(INotifyPropertyChanged dataContext,
TextBlock textBlock)
{
if (dataContext == null) return;
var propertyChangedHandler = new PropertyChangedHandler(textBlock);
dataContext.PropertyChanged += propertyChangedHandler.PropertyChanged;
Handlers[dataContext] = propertyChangedHandler;
}
private static void RemoveHandler(INotifyPropertyChanged dataContext)
{
if (dataContext == null || !Handlers.ContainsKey(dataContext)) return;
dataContext.PropertyChanged -= Handlers[dataContext].PropertyChanged;
Handlers.Remove(dataContext);
}
private static void InitializeRuns(TextBlock textBlock, object dataContext)
{
if (dataContext == null) return;
var runs = from run in textBlock.Inlines.OfType<Run>()
let propertyName = (string)run.GetValue(TargetProperty)
where propertyName != null
select new { Run = run, PropertyName = propertyName };
foreach (var run in runs)
{
var property = dataContext.GetType().GetProperty(run.PropertyName);
run.Run.Text = (string)property.GetValue(dataContext, null);
}
}
private class PropertyChangedHandler
{
private readonly TextBlock _textBlock;
public PropertyChangedHandler(TextBlock textBlock)
{
_textBlock = textBlock;
}
public void PropertyChanged(object sender,
PropertyChangedEventArgs propertyChangedArgs)
{
var propertyName = propertyChangedArgs.PropertyName;
var run = _textBlock.Inlines.OfType<Run>()
.Where(r => (string) r.GetValue(TargetProperty) == propertyName)
.SingleOrDefault();
if(run == null) return;
var property = sender.GetType().GetProperty(propertyName);
run.Text = (string)property.GetValue(sender, null);
}
}
public static object GetTarget(DependencyObject obj)
{
return obj.GetValue(TargetProperty);
}
public static void SetTarget(DependencyObject obj,
object value)
{
obj.SetValue(TargetProperty, value);
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty TargetProperty =
DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("Target",
typeof(object),
typeof(BindableRuns),
new PropertyMetadata(null,
TargetPropertyPropertyChanged));
}

Answer 2

I suggest you give the BindableRun a try. I've only used it in WPF, but I don't see why it wouldn't work in Silverlight.