I am building a WPF app with several assemblies, and I want to share a resource dictionary among them. That requires a ComponentResourceKey. I have built a small demo to test out the CRK, and I can't seem to get it working.
My demo has two projects, a WPF project called Demo, and a DLL called Common. The Common project has a folder called Themes. It contains my resource dictionary, generic.xaml. Here is the text of the Resource dictionary:
<ResourceDictionary
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:Common" >
<SolidColorBrush
x:Key="{ComponentResourceKey TypeInTargetAssembly={x:Type local:SharedResources}, ResourceId=RedSolidBrush}"
Color="Red"/>
</ResourceDictionary>
Common also contains a class called SharedResources.cs. It contains a property for referencing the Brush resource in the dictionary:
public static ComponentResourceKey RedSolidBrush
{
get { return new ComponentResourceKey(typeof (SharedResources), "RedSolidBrush"); }
}
Finally, the main window in my Demo project references the brush resource to fill a rectangle:
<Window x:Class="ComponentResourceKeyDemo.Window1"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:res="clr-namespace:Common;assembly=Common"
Title="Window1" Height="300" Width="300">
<Grid>
<Rectangle Height="100" Width="100" Stroke="Black" Fill="{DynamicResource {ComponentResourceKey TypeInTargetAssembly={x:Type res:SharedResources}, ResourceId=RedSolidBrush}}" />
</Grid>
</Window>
I can't find the reason it's not working. It compiles fine in VS 2008 and Blend, but the resource isn't invoked. The only clue I have is an error message in Blend:
The Resource "{ComponentResourceKey ResourceId=RedSolidBrush, TypeInTargetAssembly={x:Type res:SharedResources}}" could not be resolved.
Any idea why this isn't working? Thanks for your help.
I found my problem. I was confusing the Component Resource Key with the Resource ID inside the resource dictionary. In other words, my Component Resource Key was the same as the Resource ID. I changed my static property to this:
public static ComponentResourceKey RedBrushKey
{
get {return new ComponentResourceKey(typeof(SharedResources), "RedSolidBrush"); }
}
The property name is now RedBrushKey, instead of RedSolidBrush. And the key is now working.
Related
My basic goal is to have a ResourceDictionary in a dll which I can use in another WPF project via ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries. But I don't want to reference the ResourceDictionary by hard-coding the URI in the XAML of the referencing application, I want to instead reference some static member which will provide the URI.
I have some simplified code which is "working", but only at runtime. At design-time it throws errors and I get no IntelliSense support. For this simplified example, everything is in one assembly (no separate dll).
Dic.xaml (the resource dictionary I want to reference):
<ResourceDictionary xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
<SolidColorBrush Color="Blue" x:Key="BlueBrush"/>
</ResourceDictionary>
Foo (the module to hold the static member with the URI):
(VB.NET version)
Public Module Foo
'[VBTest] is the name of assembly
Public ReadOnly Property URI As New Uri("pack://application:,,,/VBTest;component/Dic.xaml")
End Module
(C# version)
public static class Foo
{
//[VBTest] is the name of assembly
public static Uri URI { get; } = new Uri("pack://application:,,,/VBTest;component/Dic.xaml");
}
And then finally, the place in the application where I want to reference the ResourceDictionary:
<Window x:Class="MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:VBTest">
<Window.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary>
<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<ResourceDictionary Source="{x:Static local:Foo.URI}"/>
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
</ResourceDictionary>
</Window.Resources>
<Border Width="100" Height="100" Background="{StaticResource BlueBrush}"/>
</Window>
At design-time, I get two errors:
XDG0062 An error occurred while finding the resource dictionary "".
XDG0062 The resource "BlueBrush" could not be resolved.
However, the project will build and run just fine. And will show the intended blue square.
The question is, how can I get this to work at design-time?
I found a thankfully easy workaround. Maybe not the prettiest, but it is elegant. I took inspiration from this answer to a somewhat related question.
By creating my own class inheriting from ResourceDictionary, I can better control the loading behavior. That sounds like it would be complicated, but really all I had to do was set Source as part of the constructor and everything just worked.
The below is added to the code file (outsite of Module/static class Foo):
Public Class StylesResourceDictionary
Inherits ResourceDictionary
Public Sub New()
MyBase.New()
Source = URI
End Sub
End Class
Note that Source = URI is referencing Foo.URI from the question code.
And then the XAML file becomes:
<Window x:Class="MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:VBTest">
<Window.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary>
<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<local:StylesResourceDictionary/>
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
</ResourceDictionary>
</Window.Resources>
<Border Width="100" Height="100" Background="{StaticResource BlueBrush}"/>
</Window>
And bam, full design-time support without hard-coding the URI into the referencing application. Control of the ResourceDictionary and its URI is now in the domain of the dll, and can be referenced in a (kinda) static fashion using the dedicated class.
I am creating a class library project that will contain WPF user controls. My Requirement is that all controls have the same style. My project looks like:
Things I have done in order to solve this problem:
Added all references needed by a WPF application System.Xaml, WindowsBase, etc.. so that I can have wpf controls in my class library project.
In AssemblyInfo.cs I have added:
[assembly: ThemeInfo(ResourceDictionaryLocation.None, ResourceDictionaryLocation.SourceAssembly)]
Added ResourceDictionary1.xaml To the project adding the style.
<ResourceDictionary
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
<SolidColorBrush x:Key="Brush1" Color="#FF19199E"/>
</ResourceDictionary>
Now if I want to use a style on my UserControl1.xaml I do:
<UserControl.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary>
<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<ResourceDictionary Source="ResourceDictionary1.xaml" />
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
</ResourceDictionary>
</UserControl.Resources>
<Grid >
<Rectangle Fill="{StaticResource Brush1}" />
</Grid>
I know it works great but here is the catch. Every time I create a new userControl I will have to merge the dictionary. On a regular WPF application I could just merge the dictionary once on App.xaml and I will be able to use that dictionary on my entire application. How can I avoid having to merge the dictionary every time I create a new userControl? If I plan on addying a new resource dictionary I will have to go to all userControls and merge another dictionary. Perhaps I wrote the question title incorrectly and my question should have been how can I add a App.xaml file to a class library project
You should replace the source value ResourceDictionary1.xaml like the follow:
Source="pack://application:,,,/ControlsDLL;component/ResourceDictionary1.xaml">
or just simple as following:
<UserControl.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary Source="pack://application:,,,/ControlsDLL;component/ResourceDictionary1.xaml"></ResourceDictionary>
</UserControl.Resources>
Having the following very simple xaml:
<DocumentViewer Name="dv">
<FixedDocument Name="fd" Loaded="fd_loaded">
<FixedDocument.Resources>
<Style x:Key="TestStyle">
<Style.Setters>
<Setter Property="TextBlock.Foreground" Value="BlueViolet"/>
</Style.Setters>
</Style>
<SolidColorBrush x:Key="foregroundBrush" Color="Orange"/>
</FixedDocument.Resources>
<PageContent Name="pc">
<FixedPage Name="fp" Width="800" Height="600" Name="fp">
<TextBlock Name="tb" Style="{DynamicResource TestStyle}">
Lorem ipsum
</TextBlock>
<TextBlock Foreground="{DynamicResource foregroundBrush}" Margin="20">
Lorem ipsum
</TextBlock>
</FixedPage>
</PageContent>
</FixedDocument>
</DocumentViewer>
The use of Dynamic Resources (which I actually need in a more complex situation) here doesn't work. Using Static Resources colors the TextBlocks in the desired colors. Moving the Resources to the level of the FixedPage also does the trick. But I would like to have one generic resource dictionary on a top level element (because of runtime changes the user can make for colours, fonts, etc.). Placing the resources on Application level also does work. But it's not an option for good reasons.
Anybody have any clue why this doesn't work. Does it have something to do with the Logical Tree from the TextBlock upwards?
MSDN Resources Overview states that:
The lookup process checks for the requested key within the resource dictionary defined by the element that sets the property.
If the element defines a Style property, the Resources dictionary within the Style is checked.
If the element defines a Template property, the Resources dictionary within the FrameworkTemplate is checked.
The lookup process then traverses the logical tree upward, to the parent element and its resource dictionary. This continues until the root element is reached.
I also tried putting the Brush and the Style into the Resources of a (dummy) Style according to the above explanation of MSDN. But that didn't work either.
Really have the feeling that this can not be that complex, but most probably I oversee something. Any help is appreciated.
EDIT
When naming the TextBlock to "tb" and then using tb.FindResource("TestStyle") throws an exception. So that resource clearly can't be found. If I check out LogicalTreeHelper.GetParent(tb) and repeat that for the parents found I get the expected result: TextBlock > FixedPage > PageContent > FixedDocument ...
EDIT2
This works perfect. What's the difference with the XAML projected earlier?
<Window x:Class="WpfDynamicStyles2.MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
<Grid>
<Grid.Resources>
<SolidColorBrush x:Key="resBrush" Color="Orange"></SolidColorBrush>
</Grid.Resources>
<StackPanel>
<Button>
<TextBlock Foreground="{DynamicResource resBrush}">Dummy text...</TextBlock>
</Button>
</StackPanel>
</Grid>
</Window>
EDIT3
private void fd_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
Object obj = pc.TryFindResource("foregroundBrush");
obj = fp.TryFindResource("foregroundBrush");
obj = tb.TryFindResource("foregroundBrush");
}
The dynamic resource placed on the Foreground property of the textbox cannot be resolved (the actual resource is at the FixedDocument.Resources level). Also using the TryFindResource in code behind works from pc (PageContent) but from fp (FixedPage) and tb (TextBlock) it cannot resolve the resource (obj is null). When using a Static Resource in the XAML Markup everything works fine.
Well going the style way is a good design but not necessary. To make dynamic color based same named (keyed) brushes, we can use as dynamic color dictionaries (NOT brush dictionaries)
The solution can be as below ...
Create a single brush resource dictionary.
Refer the color in the brush with DynamicResource attribute.
Create multiple resource dictionaries with same keyed Color resource in each of them them.
Based on user's requirement, clear and add into Application.Current.resources.MergedDictionaries.
Example
Make a WPF project with a window that has following XAML....
<Window.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary>
<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<ResourceDictionary Source="Resources/Window11Resources.xaml"/>
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
</ResourceDictionary>
</Window.Resources>
<DockPanel LastChildFill="True">
<ComboBox DockPanel.Dock="Top" VerticalAlignment="Top"
SelectionChanged="ComboBox_SelectionChanged"
SelectedIndex="0">
<ComboBox.ItemsSource>
<Collections:ArrayList>
<System:String>Orange</System:String>
<System:String>Red</System:String>
<System:String>Blue</System:String>
</Collections:ArrayList>
</ComboBox.ItemsSource>
</ComboBox>
<DocumentViewer>
<FixedDocument>
<PageContent>
<FixedPage Width="793.76" Height="1122.56">
<TextBlock
FontSize="30"
Foreground="{StaticResource LabelColorBrush}"
Text="Test"/>
</FixedPage>
</PageContent>
</FixedDocument>
</DocumentViewer>
If you observe the window doesnt need to use anything which is dynamic. All refernces can remain static. So LabelColorBrush can be found in dictionary Window11Resources.xaml
In Window11Resources.xaml dictionary add a dynamic color brush.
<SolidColorBrush x:Key="LabelColorBrush"
Color="{DynamicResource DynamicColor}"/>
Add following 3 color brush dictionaries in some folder from your project...
<!-- Name = OrangeColorResource.xaml -->
<ResourceDictionary
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
<Color x:Key="DynamicColor">Orange</Color>
</ResourceDictionary>
<!-- Name = BlueColorResource.xaml -->
<ResourceDictionary
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
<Color x:Key="DynamicColor">Blue</Color>
</ResourceDictionary>
<!-- Name = RedColorResource.xaml -->
<ResourceDictionary
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
<Color x:Key="DynamicColor">Red</Color>
</ResourceDictionary>
Note that the key remains the same i.e. DynamicColor.
Now clear and recreate color dictionaries in App.Resources. I have done that in the code behind of Window.xaml.cs
private void ComboBox_SelectionChanged(object sender, SelectionChangedEventArgs e)
{
Application.Current.Resources.MergedDictionaries.Clear();
Application.Current.Resources.MergedDictionaries.Add(
new ResourceDictionary()
{
Source = new Uri("Resources\\"
+ ((ComboBox)sender).SelectedItem.ToString()
+ "ColorResource.xaml",
UriKind.RelativeOrAbsolute) });
}
Now as and when you select a color from the drop down, the dynamic color changes on the static resource brush. Note that there is no Style involved.
I hope this answers what you are asking.
By the way: the reason for this post had some more complex background. I really wanted to use a single resource dictionary whereby I could change colors, fonts, fontsizes, etc. dynamically during runtime (by an end-user). I am working on a tax form application. And the tax forms presented on screen for user input are resolving their resources at the Application level. So far so good.
But at the same time I want to present the user a print preview of the tax form where the same resourcedictionary (as object type, not as object instance) is used to define color schemes, fonts, fontsizes, etc. to be used for printing. Which can differ from the styling used for on screen user input. That's why I wanted to "attach" the resource dictionary on (for example) the FixedDocument level so that all pages in the document would refer to it. And when changing colors, fonts etc. all pages with common elements (TextBlocks, TextEditors, etc.) would respond to the change.
And then I became stuck...as described in this post.
For now I have a nice workaround by creating a specific instance of the resourcedictionary, storing it as a private variable and attach it to every individual page I put in the fixed document. It works and that already pleases me. But my programmers heart is still a little ached, because I would prefer to use a single instance of the resource dictionary and put it at some top level control so all controls in it can use it.
As a programmer we have to live with workarounds as well ;) If you have any further suggestions, I'm open to receive them. Thanx for your support thus far.
Greetz, Joep.
Also see: MSDN Forum Post about this issue
I am trying to modify the wpf tray icon at http://www.hardcodet.net/projects/wpf-notifyicon
the aim is to have a separate xaml file that would define a trayicon with a specific configuration, so that this configuration, in a separate file, could be easily added to say a wpf window.
im very new to wpf, but am trying to use ControlTemplate in a ResourceDictionary to achieve the aim:
Pointing to resource in App.xaml
<Application.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary>
<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<ResourceDictionary Source="trayicon.xaml"/>
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
</ResourceDictionary>
</Application.Resources>
The separated configuration of trayicon.xaml
<ResourceDictionary xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:tb="clr-namespace:Hardcodet.Wpf.TaskbarNotification">
<ControlTemplate x:Key="TrayIcon" TargetType="{x:Type tb:TaskbarIcon}">
<tb:TaskbarIcon x:Name="MyNotifyIcon"
IconSource="/TaskbarNotification/DefaultTrayIcon.ico"
ToolTipText="I am notified yes!"
MenuActivation="LeftOrRightClick"></tb:TaskbarIcon>
</ControlTemplate>
</ResourceDictionary>
Trying to use the configuration
<Window x:Class="Test.MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:tb="clr-namespace:Hardcodet.Wpf.TaskbarNotification"
Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
<Grid>
<tb:TaskbarIcon Template="{StaticResource TrayIcon}"></tb:TaskbarIcon>
</Grid>
</Window>
Exception thrown in MainWindow.xaml
The property 'Template' was not found in type 'TaskbarIcon'
My guess is that i have to add some code to this custom wpf control that woudl expose the Template property and set it how it should be set?
But i have no idea how i would do that, could you point me in the right direction please?
Wild partial guess of code needed
public static readonly DependencyProperty TemplateProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Template",
typeof (SomeTemplateType),
typeof (TaskbarIcon),
new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(SomeTemplateType.Empty, TemplatePropertyChanged));
[Category(CategoryName)]
[Description("Enables Templating.")]
public SomeTemplateType Template
{
get { return (SomeTemplateType)TemplateProperty; }
set { SetValue(TemplateProperty,value); }
}
Cel I dont understand the template in the first place. The control template is targetted for tb:TaskbarIcon which actually has another tb:TaskbarIcon inside it!!!
I assume you want following properties to be applied to TrayIcons across your application with their specified values...
IconSource="/TaskbarNotification/DefaultTrayIcon.ico";
ToolTipText="I am notified yes!";
MenuActivation="LeftOrRightClick"
If thats so then assuming that above properties are dependency properties, instead of creating a control template why dont you create a style which is targetted to tb:TaskbarIcon and specify Setters which set the above properties with their corresponding values.
<Style x:Name="MyNotifyIcon" TargetType="{x:Type tb:TaskbarIcon}">
<Setter Property="IconSource" Value="/TaskbarNotification/DefaultTrayIcon.ico"/>
<Setter Property="ToolTipText" Value="I am notified yes!" />
<Setter Property="MenuActivation" Value="LeftOrRightClick" />
</Style>
Then apply this style to your TaskbarIcon
<tb:TaskbarIcon Style="{StaticResource MyNotifyIcon}"></tb:TaskbarIcon>
So basically if this is what you are looking for, then template is out of question.
Please suggest if this helps you.
I want to use background music in my WPF Application.
Like you can see here: How to do background music for my WPF-Application?
So I use a MediaElement.
Now I want to change the source of it while running the Application.
I'm already doing something similar with some background pictures. There I have different ResourceDictionaries that I'm switching to show different "themes".
One of my dictionaries looks like this:
<ResourceDictionary
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
<ImageBrush x:Key="Backgroundpic" ImageSource="picture.png"/>
...
</ResourceDictionary>
So I can use it in the xaml like this:
...
<Grid x:Name="Bg" Background="{DynamicResource Backgroundpic}"/>
...
But HOW can I do that with my MediaElement-Source that I can use it like this:
<MediaElement x:Name="myMediaElement" Source="{DynamicResource ???}" />
I just don't know what to write into my ResourceDictionary.
Source is a Uri, so you need your resource to be a Uri. (Note that System.Uri is in the System assembly, not mscorlib, so it needs a different XML namespace than you would use for types like String):
<ResourceDictionary
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:sys="clr-namespace:System;assembly=System">
<sys:Uri x:Key="mediaSource">something.mp3</sys:Uri>
Then you can reference it with Source={DynamicResource mediaSource}.