WPF datagrid multiple windows question - wpf

I have a scenario where i load an ICollectionView in a datagrid.
In some cases I modify the data where the collectionview gets it's data from. If I then reload the grid with configGrid.ItemsSource = configData; for example, the data gets updated.
Now the thing is, I sometimes open a new window using:
var newWindow = new Edit(movie);
newWindow.Show();
The thing is, I also edit the data using this new window. Now I want the datagrid in the first window to be refreshed after I close this second window (actually, it doesn't matter when it gets refreshed, as long as it does).
How do I do this?

I might be missing something here (I have a crippling hangover unfortunately) but can't you handle the window closed event of newWindow and refresh confiGrids itemsource there?
Window newWindow = new Window();
newWindow.Closed += new EventHandler(newWindow_Closed);
newWindow.Show();
void newWindow_Closed(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
configGrid.ItemsSource = configData;
}

If the collection behind the ICollectionView supports INotifyCollectionChanged (like ObservableCollection) and the object itself supports INotifyPropertyChanged then the grid is supposed to update automatically
Otherwise you are on your own and the editing window should raise some sort of notification (maybe an event) that you should receive and update the list.
Ok, here's the long version:
WPF data-binding can update the UI automatically - but it needs to know that something changed in order to trigger the update, the easiest way to do this is to support INotifyPropertyChanged, let's create simple class:
public class Movie
{
private string _name;
public string Name
{
get { return _name; }
set { _name = value; }
}
}
Now, let's add INotifyPropertyChanged support:
public class Movie : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChanged;
protected virtual OnPropertyChanged(string property)
{
var ev = PropertyChanged;
if(ev!=null)
{
ev(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(property));
}
}
private string _name;
public string Name
{
get { return _name; }
set
{
_name = value;
OnPropertyChanged("Name");
}
}
}
Now when you bind to the movie class and change the Name property the UI will be updated automatically.
The next step is to handle a list of Movie objects, we do that by using a collection class the implements INotifyCollectionChanged, luckily for us there's one already written in the framework called ObservableCollection, you user ObservableCollection<T> the same way you would use a List<T>.
So, just bind to ObservableCollection and WPF will automatically detect when objects change or when they are added or removed.
ICollectionView is very useful, it adds support for current item, sorting, filtering and grouping on top of the real collection, if that collection is an ObservableCollection everything will just work, so the code:
ObservableCollection<Movie> movies = new ObservableCollection<Movie>();
ICollectionView view = CollectionViewSource.GetDefaultView(movies);
will give you a collection view that supports automatic change notifications.

Related

How to replace griddata content when another control's (e.g. combobox) selection is changed?

This is probably not that difficult but as a wpf/mvvm beginner I'm still struggling with some basics.
I have a combobox (acts like a filter) and a griddata in a view. I use MMVM and databinding. On startup griddata is populated and the combobox's selection is set - that works fine. I'd like to replace the content of the griddata when the selection in the combobox changes. The combobox selected value is bound to a property in my viewmodel so I know when it changes and I can easily replace the content of the collection (which is IList) bound to the griddata. However I do not know how to force the griddata to 'refresh' itself in the view using mvvm bindings.
I was considering using ObservableCollection<> but from what I've read it looks like replacing the content is not that simple either. I do not really need the view to know when a single item in the collection changes - I will always replace the whole content of the list.
I'd appreciate any suggestions.
You can implement INotifyPropertyChanged in you ViewModel and call it when the List changes.
Example:
public class ViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private List<MyObject> _myList;
public List<MyObject> MyList
{
get { return _myList; }
set { _myList = value; NotifyPropertyChanged(); }
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public void NotifyPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName]string propertyName = null)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
}
Now when you replace MyList e.g. MyList = newlist it will tell the UI to update whatever is bound to MyList

What's the concept behind INotifyPropertyChanged?

All the examples of Silverlight using MVVM use interface named IPropertyChanged. What is the concept behind it and why do we need to raise an event whenever we set some value?
Eg:-
public class UserNPC:INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private string name;
public string Name {
get { return name; }
set { name = value; onPropertyChanged(this, "Name"); }
}
public int grade;
public int Grade {
get { return grade; }
set { grade = value; onPropertyChanged(this, "Grade"); }
}
// Declare the PropertyChanged event
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
// OnPropertyChanged will raise the PropertyChanged event passing the
// source property that is being updated.
private void onPropertyChanged(object sender, string propertyName)
{
if (this.PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(sender, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
}
What is the exact purpose of INotifyPropertyChanged?
You have the following dependencies:
View → Binding → Model
Now, the concept is as following:
If some data in your Model object changes, you are required to raise the PropertyChanged event. Why? Because the Binding object has registered a method with the data object's PropertyChanged event.
So all you have to do when something changes within your Model object is to raise the event and you are done.
When you do that, the Binding object gets notified about the change through your event. The Binding object in turn lets the View object know that something happened. The View object then can update the UI if necessary.
Code example
Here you have a compilable example. Set a few breakpoints, step through the code with F11 and see what happens behind the scenes. Note that this example has the following dependency: View → Model. I left out the Binding object.
using System;
using System.ComponentModel;
namespace INotifyPropertyChangedDemo
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
// Create 2 listeners.
View1 view1 = new View1();
View2 view2 = new View2();
// Create 1 data object.
Model model = new Model();
// Connect listener with data object.
model.PropertyChanged += new PropertyChangedEventHandler(view1.MyPropertyChangedEventHandler);
model.PropertyChanged += new PropertyChangedEventHandler(view2.MyPropertyChangedEventHandler);
// Let data object publish change notification.
model.FirstName = "new name";
// Check whether all listeners got notified.
// ... via console.
}
public class Model : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private string firstName;
public string FirstName
{
get { return firstName; }
set
{
if (firstName != value)
{
firstName = value;
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs("FirstName"));
}
}
}
}
}
public class View1
{
public void MyPropertyChangedEventHandler(object source, PropertyChangedEventArgs arg)
{
Console.WriteLine("Listener 1: Changed Property: {0}", arg.PropertyName);
string newValue = ((Model) source).FirstName;
Console.WriteLine("Listener 1: Changed Property Value: {0}", newValue);
}
}
public class View2
{
public void MyPropertyChangedEventHandler(object source, PropertyChangedEventArgs arg)
{
Console.WriteLine("Listener 2: Changed Property: {0}", arg.PropertyName);
string newValue = ((Model)source).FirstName;
Console.WriteLine("Listener 2: Changed Property Value: {0}", newValue);
}
}
}
}
MVVM in WPF & Silverlight is implemented by binding UI elements to the view model. When the view model changes, though, how will the UI know to update itself?
INotifyPropertyChanged simply exposes an event to which the UI can "listen," so when a control "hears" that the property to which it is bound has changed, it can "update itself."
For example, say you have a TextBlock that shows a stock price, and it is bound to the string Price property of a view model. The view model, in turn, uses a service to update stock prices every 30 seconds. So, every 30 seconds the Price property changes: 30 seconds ago it was "$29.20" now it is "$29.12" and 30 seconds from now it will be "$28.10". The TextBlock binding is applied when the TextBlock is loaded, but not every time the Price changes. If, however, you implement INotifyPropertyChanged and raise the event for property "Price" in the Price setter, then the TextBlock can wire into the event and thereby "know" when to go back and "re-read" the Price property and update the displayed text.
Most Silverlight controls listen out for changes to the data they display by simply subscribing to the PropertyChanged events.
e.g. the control does something like this behind the scenes:
public void Loaded()
{
if (myDataObject is INotifyPropertyChanged)
{
(myDataObject as INotifyPropertyChanged).PropertyChanged +=new PropertyChangedEventHandler(onPropertyChanged);
}
}
That is also why ObservableCollection is used instead of simpler Lists in Silverlight Apps. They implement INotifyPropertyChanged so controls that display collections are able to see changes occurring to the list as well as to individual items in a list.
I had created a 3-tiered program recently for fun, and wanted to make sure all the parts where as separated as possible.
In my GUI, the user could type in a name however they wanted, however, my business class had logic in there to change all names to Title Case. This worked, however, the GUI is never told about this update that the business class did.
So my work around at that time was simple...but did not look right. Something like the following
var _person = new Person();
// In some form event handler like button click
_person.Name = txtName.Text;
txt.Name.Text = _person.Name;
This did the job of updating the GUI while keeping it separate from the business logic. What I wanted was to create an event that would fire when the business logic changed the value from what was typed in the GUI, and the GUI would listen in on that event.
So now I would have something like...
var _person = new Person();
// In some form event handler like button click
_person.Name = txtName.Text;
// In the GUI class
public void OnInternalPropertyChanged(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs propertyChangedEventArgs)
{
txtName.Text = _person.Name;
}
NOTE: I am not doing this on all of the property changes...just the ones that deviate from what the user expects it to be...changing all lowercase name to Title Case, and showing that to the user.

Propagate changes in model to view in Silverlight

in my Silverlight 4 Application I have an ObservableCollection that I data bind to two different listboxes. The listboxitems showing the content of the MyClass-Object. When I add an item to the ObservableCollection, the new item is displayed in both listboxes properly.
I have set the Binding Mode to two way, so that editing the listboxitems will update the model automatically. This works so far. My problem is, that the content of the other listbox doesn't update with the updated model. Adding a new item will properly show up on the other listbox, but the updates of the content (which I checked happens) won't.
Any ideas how to achieve: The content of the other listbox should update automatically, when the I update the content in one listbox.
Thanks in advance,
Frank
To expand on what luke said your class needs to implement INotifyPropertyChanged and your properties need to throw the PropertyChanged event in their setters.
public class MyClass : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged; // This may be named wrong
private string _myString = null;
public string MyString
{
get { return _myString; }
set
{
if(value == _myString)
return;
_myString = value;
var eh = PropertyChanged;
if(eh != null)
eh(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs("MyString"));
}
}
}
The MyString property will notify the UI that it has changed which will trigger the binding to update.
you need to make sure that your objects in the observable collection implement INotifyPropertyChanged and they should post change events when your content properties change.

New records added to DataGridView aren't displayed

I have a custom Order class, groups of which are stored in List<Order> and a DataGridView. I think the problem is in my implementation so here's how I'm using it:
In the form enclosing DataGridView (as OrdersDataGrid):
public partial class MainForm : Form
{
public static List<Order> Orders;
public MainForm()
{
// code to populate Orders with values, otherwise sets Orders to new List<Order>();
OrdersDataGrid.DataSource = Orders;
}
Then in another form that adds an Order:
// Save event
public void Save(object sender, EventArgs e) {
Order order = BuildOrder(); // method that constructs an order object from form data
MainForm.Orders.Add(order);
}
From what I can tell from the console this is added successfully. I thought the DataGrid would be updated automatically after this since Orders has changed - is there something I'm missing?
The DataGrid accepts the class since it generates columns from the members.
Since you can't use DataBind on a DataGridView that's uses an object list as it's DataSource here's the solution I found to this:
First replace your List<T> with BindingList<T> - essentially the same thing, except the BindingList acts like DataBind().
Change your T to implement System.ComponentModel.INotifyPropertyChanged:
This involves adding a property:
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
Adding to each variable's set block:
public string Name
{
get { return this.CustomerName; }
set {
this.CustomerName = value;
this.NotifyPropertyChanged("Name");
}
}
And adding another method:
private void NotifyPropertyChanged(string name)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
}
}
Sources: Binding a DataGridView to a Collection, Info on converting List to BindingList
You need to rebind the data on your DataGrid.
Shouldn't you rebind the DataGrid after the underlying data source is updated?
Use the code:
OrdersDataGrid.DataSource = Orders;
OrdersDataGrid.DataBind();
You have to Bind new data to your datagrid using
Gridview1.DataBind();
note that whenever you update some list, which is binded to a gridview or any other presenter list control, it just update the list not gridview.
if you really do not like to rebind your Item use IronPython which provided in .net 3.5

Can't get a DataGrid to update

I have a WPF Toolkit DataGrid bound to an ObservableCollection of Car in my view model. Car has a PropertyChanged event and the setters of each of its two string properties fire the event. I also have the grid's SelectedItem property bound to a property in the view model of type Car, also called SelectedItem.
On the same window as the grid, I have buttons for add, modify and delete. Add and modify open a dialog window with two textboxes, one for each Car property. Delete just shows a confirm dialog then does the delete.
For add and delete, I add or delete an item from the ObservableCollection and the grid updates itself as expected. However, for modify it does not. At first, my Car did not use PropertyChanged and after some searching I found that it needed to for the grid to update when an individual item's properties changed. But now that I am using PropertyChanged, the grid still doesn't update.
I've tried changing the values of the SelectedItem in my view model as well as directly changing the item on the collection.
What am I doing wrong?
Make sure you're implementing INotifyPropertyChanged and not just raising a PropertyChanged event. Also, when raising PropertyChanged, you must pass "this" as the sender, otherwise WPF will ignore the event.
Below is a simple base class that implements INotifyPropertyChanged.
public class Person : INotifyPropertyChanged {
private string name;
public string Name {
get { return name; }
set {
if (name != value) {
name = value;
OnPropertyChanged("Name");
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName) {
var handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null) {
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
}
Sounds like the classic problem with ObservableCollection. ObservableCollection only notifies of additions, deletions, etc. on it's self. It will NOT notify of changes to properties of whatever you have stored in it. This is why your add/delete operations work as expected.
What you should do is use a CollectionView and bind to that:
ObservableCollection<MyObject> myCollection = new ObservableCollection<MyObject>();
ICollectionView view = CollectionViewSource.GetDefaultView(myCollection);
using this method also has the benifit that grouping and sorting are built into the view.

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