Hi I know that there a posts about this topic, but I could not solve my problems with them.
I want to understand and learn a simple way to get a ViewModelBase that I can subcribe to in my View so that a UI Refresh is forced.
I have written an windows console example. The structure is Class Customer(string Name, MyAddress Address) where MyAddress is a Class(string StreetName). In Main I have a list of customers. Now I want to get a message every time there is a change in the list or in the property of the customer including a change of the streetname.
I cant get that to work. If I change the name of the customer it works but not for the 'nest' address. If I change StreetName I dont get a notify Event. I don't know how to subcribe to the ViewModelBase for all the customers in the list.
The Console Progam can be copy/paste in VisulaStudio and runs:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Linq;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
namespace CS_MVVM_NotifyFromNestedClass
{
class Program
{
public class ViewModelBase : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
protected void SetValue<T>(ref T backingFiled, T value, [CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
if (EqualityComparer<T>.Default.Equals(backingFiled, value)) return;
backingFiled = value;
OnPropertyChanged(propertyName);
}
}
public class Customer : ViewModelBase
{
private string _name;
public string Name
{
get => _name;
set { SetValue(ref _name, value); }
}
public MyAddress Address { get; set; }
public Customer(string name, MyAddress address)
{
Name = name;
Address = address;
}
}
public class MyAddress : ViewModelBase
{
private string _street;
public string Street
{
get => _street;
set { SetValue(ref _street, value); }
}
public MyAddress(string street)
{
Street = street;
}
}
public static BindingList<Customer> MyCustomers = new BindingList<Customer>
{
new Customer("John", new MyAddress("JoStreet")),
new Customer("Susi", new MyAddress("SeaStreet")),
};
static void Main(string[] args)
{
//BindingList Event
MyCustomers.ListChanged += OnBindingListChanged;
// 1) Change Name <-- THIS FIRES THE 'OnBindingListChanged' EVENT
MyCustomers[0].Name = "Rick";
// 2) Change Street <-- THIS DOESN'T FIRE A CHANGE-EVENT
MyCustomers[0].Address.Street = "Rockyroad";
//I dont know how to hook up the 'property change event' from ViewModelBase for all obj. of MyCustomer-List
//MyCustomers[0].Address.PropertyChanged += OnSingleObjPropChanged; // <--doesn't work
Console.ReadLine();
}
private static void OnBindingListChanged(object sender, ListChangedEventArgs e)
{
Console.WriteLine("1) BindingList was changed");
foreach (var c in MyCustomers)
{
Console.WriteLine($"{c.Name} {c.Address.Street}");
}
}
private static void OnSingleObjPropChanged(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
//Never reached --> how to 'hook'
Console.WriteLine("2) Property of List Item was changed");
foreach (var c in MyCustomers)
{
Console.WriteLine($"{c.Name} {c.Address.Street}");
}
}
}
}
First Edit: inner BindingList in the CustomerClass plus the ViewModelBase #Karoshee
I did leave the MyAdresse thing out to simplify. I added a BindingList 'MyTelNrs' to my CustomerClass and subcribt to the ListChanged Event. I didn't change the ViewModelBase from the execpted answere. I do get a notification in my UI, but I don't know if I'am doing it in a save/right way. Just to let the following readers know ... (maybe someone that is better then me answeres, if the below way is 'okay')
public class Customer: ViewModelBase
{
private string _name;
public string Name
{
get => _name;
set => SetValue(ref _name, value);
}
public BindingList<string> MyTelNrs = new();
private void OnLstChanged(object sender, ListChangedEventArgs e)
{
OnPropertyChanged(nameof(MyTelNrs));
}
public Customer(string name, BindingList<string> myTelNrs)
{
Name = name;
MyTelNrs = myTelNrs;
MyTelNrs.ListChanged += OnLstChanged;
}
}
First of all need to make Address property a notify property:
public MyAddress Address
{
get => _address;
set
{
SetValue(ref _address, value);
}
}
Than you need to add some additional logic into ViewModelBase, something like this:
public class ViewModelBase : INotifyPropertyChanged, IDisposable
{
/// <summary>
/// All child property values and names, that subscribed to PropertyChanged
/// </summary>
protected Dictionary<ViewModelBase, string> nestedProperties
= new Dictionary<ViewModelBase, string>();
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
protected void SetValue<T>(ref T backingFiled, T value, [CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
if (EqualityComparer<T>.Default.Equals(backingFiled, value)) return;
if (backingFiled is ViewModelBase viewModel)
{ // if old value is ViewModel, than we assume that it was subscribed,
// so - unsubscribe it
viewModel.PropertyChanged -= ChildViewModelChanged;
nestedProperties.Remove(viewModel);
}
if (value is ViewModelBase valueViewModel)
{
// if new value is ViewModel, than we must subscribe it on PropertyChanged
// and add it into subscribe dictionary
valueViewModel.PropertyChanged += ChildViewModelChanged;
nestedProperties.Add(valueViewModel, propertyName);
}
backingFiled = value;
OnPropertyChanged(propertyName);
}
private void ChildViewModelChanged(object? sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
// this is child property name,
// need to get parent property name from dictionary
string propertyName = e.PropertyName;
if (sender is ViewModelBase viewModel)
{
propertyName = nestedProperties[viewModel];
}
// Rise parent PropertyChanged with parent property name
OnPropertyChanged(propertyName);
}
public void Dispose()
{ // need to make sure that we unsubscibed
foreach (ViewModelBase viewModel in nestedProperties.Keys)
{
viewModel.PropertyChanged -= ChildViewModelChanged;
viewModel.Dispose();
}
}
}
As I know this does not contradict the MVVM, the only issue with subscribing/unsubscribing child property changed.
Updated:
I added few changes and comments in code below.
The key thing here, that you need to subscribe to PropertyChanged of child properties that inherited from ViewModelBase.
But subscribing is a half way throught: you need to make sure that you unsubscribe it, when objects does not need anymore, so it's has to be stored in nestedProperties.
Also we need to replace child property name from ChildViewModelChanged with parent property name to rise PropertyChange event on parent object. For that goal I saved property name with property value than subscribed on ChildViewModelChanged, this is why I use Dictionary type in nestedProperties
Also important thing to unsubscribe all ProperyChanged, when object no longer needed. I added IDisposable interface and Dispose method to do that thing. Dispose method also needs to be rised (with using or manualy), in your case perhaps will be better to make own BindingList with IDisposable, that rise Dispose on all items.
Related
I am attempting to make an undo system, where when a property on an object that implements INotifyPropertyChanged is changed, the property name and its old value is pushed onto a stack via a KeyValuePair. When the user clicks "Undo" it then pops from the stack and uses reflection to set the property's value to its old value.
The problem with this is that it calls OnPropertyChanged again, so the property and its restored value is added to the undo stack a second time. On the other hand, I still want it to call OnPropertyChanged since I want the view to update its bindings.
There's obviously something wrong with how I'm designing it, but I can't seem to figure out another way of going about it.
Here's my model
internal class MyModel : INotifyPropertyChangedExtended
{
private string testProperty1 = "";
public string TestProperty1
{
get { return testProperty1; }
set {
var oldValue = testProperty1;
testProperty1 = value;
OnPropertyChanged(nameof(TestProperty1), oldValue);
}
}
private string testProperty2 = "";
public string TestProperty2
{
get { return testProperty2; }
set {
var oldValue = testProperty2;
testProperty2 = value;
OnPropertyChanged(nameof(TestProperty2), oldValue);
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler? PropertyChanged;
public void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName, object oldValue)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgsExtended(propertyName, oldValue));
}
}
}
Here's my INotifyPropertyChangedExtended interface
public class PropertyChangedEventArgsExtended : PropertyChangedEventArgs
{
public virtual object OldValue { get; private set; }
public PropertyChangedEventArgsExtended(string propertyName, object oldValue)
: base(propertyName)
{
OldValue = oldValue;
}
}
public class INotifyPropertyChangedExtended : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected void NotifyPropertyChanged(string propertyName, object oldValue)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgsExtended(propertyName, oldValue));
}
}
And here's my view model
internal class MyViewModel
{
public MyModel MyModel { get; set; } = new();
public Stack<KeyValuePair<string, object>> PropertyStateStack = new();
public RelayCommand Undo { get; set; }
public MyViewModel()
{
SetupCommands();
MyModel.PropertyChanged += MyModel_PropertyChanged;
}
private void MyModel_PropertyChanged(object? sender, System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
var args = e as PropertyChangedEventArgsExtended;
if (args.OldValue != null)
{
PropertyStateStack.Push(new KeyValuePair<string, object>(args.PropertyName, args.OldValue));
}
}
private void SetupCommands()
{
Undo = new RelayCommand(o =>
{
KeyValuePair<string, object> propertyState = PropertyStateStack.Pop();
PropertyInfo? property = MyModel.GetType().GetProperty(propertyState.Key);
if (property != null)
{
property.SetValue(MyModel, Convert.ChangeType(propertyState.Value, property.PropertyType), null);
}
});
}
}
EDIT: I did research the "memento pattern" but I couldn't get it to work with INotifyPropertyChanged, since as soon as I set MyModel to a backup of it the bindings to the view stopped working.
Implementing Memento or a variant is the right way. Opposed to storing the particular modifying undo action e.g., Action<T> (another good solution), Memento has a higher memory footprint (as it stores the complete object state), but allows random access to the stored states.
The key point is that when implementing Memento properly, you don't have to rely on reflection, which will only make your code slow and heavy.
The following example uses the IEditableObject interface to implement the Memento pattern (variant). The implementation supports undo and redo. The TextBox class is implementing undo/redo in a similar way using the same interface. The advantage is that you have full control over when to record the object's state. You can even cancel the ongoing modification.
This example clones the complete object to backup the state. Because objects can be quite expensive, for example when they allocate resources, it could make sense to introduce an immutable data model that actually stores the values of the public editable properties. Now, instead of cloning the complete object you would only clone the immutable data model. This can improve the performance in critical scenarios.
See the example provided by the IEditableObject link above to learn how to introduce an immutable data model that holds the object's data.
The actual undo/redo logic is encapsulated in the example's abstract StateTracker<TStateObject> class. StateTracker<TStateObject> implements the aforementioned IEditableObject and the ICloneable interface. To add convenience, StateTracker<TStateObject> also implements a custom IUndoable interface (to enable anonymous usage of the public undo/redo API).
Every class that needs to support state tracking (undo/redo) must extend the abstract StateTracker<TStateObject> to provide a ICloneable.Clone and a StateTracker.UpdateState implementation.
The following example is very basic. It allows undo and redo, but does not support random access to undo/redo states. You would have to use an index based backing store like List<T> to implement such a feature.
IUndoable.cs
Enable anonymous access to the undo/redo API.
public interface IUndoable
{
bool TryUndo();
bool TryRedo();
}
StateTracker.cs
Encapsulates the actual undo/redo logic to avoid duplicate implementations
for each type that is supposed to support undo/redo.
You can consider to add a public UndoCommand and RedoCommand to this class and let the commands invoke TryUndo and TryRedo respectively.
public abstract class StateTracker<TStateObject> : IEditableObject, IUndoable, ICloneable
{
public bool IsInEditMode { get; private set; }
private Stack<TStateObject> UndoMemory { get; }
private Stack<TStateObject> RedoMemory { get; }
private TStateObject StateBeforeEdit { get; set; }
private bool IsUpdatingState { get; set; }
protected StateTracker()
{
this.UndoMemory = new Stack<TStateObject>();
this.RedoMemory = new Stack<TStateObject>();
}
public abstract TStateObject Clone();
protected abstract void UpdateState(TStateObject state);
object ICloneable.Clone() => Clone();
public bool TryUndo()
{
if (!this.UndoMemory.TryPop(out TStateObject previousState))
{
return false;
}
this.IsUpdatingState = true;
this.StateBeforeEdit = Clone();
this.RedoMemory.Push(this.StateBeforeEdit);
UpdateState(previousState);
this.IsUpdatingState = false;
return true;
}
public bool TryRedo()
{
if (!this.RedoMemory.TryPop(out TStateObject nextState))
{
return false;
}
this.IsUpdatingState = true;
this.StateBeforeEdit = Clone();
this.UndoMemory.Push(this.StateBeforeEdit);
UpdateState(nextState);
this.IsUpdatingState = false;
return true;
}
// Start recording the changes
public void BeginEdit()
{
if (this.IsInEditMode || this.IsUpdatingState)
{
return;
}
this.IsInEditMode = true;
// Create the snapshot before the instance is changed
this.StateBeforeEdit = Clone();
}
// Abort recording the changes
public void CancelEdit()
{
if (!this.IsInEditMode)
{
return;
}
// Restore the original state
UpdateState(this.StateBeforeEdit);
this.IsInEditMode = false;
}
// Commit recorded changes
public void EndEdit()
{
if (!this.IsInEditMode || this.IsUpdatingState)
{
return;
}
// Commit the snapshot of the original state after the instance was changed without cancellation
this.UndoMemory.Push(this.StateBeforeEdit);
this.IsInEditMode = false;
}
}
MyModel.cs
public class MyModel : StateTracker<MyModel>, INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public MyModel()
{
}
// Copy constructor
private MyModel(MyModel originalInstance)
{
// Don't raise PropertyChanged to avoid the loop of death
this.testProperty1 = originalInstance.TestProperty1;
this.testProperty2 = originalInstance.TestProperty2;
}
// Create a deep copy using the copy constructor
public override MyModel Clone()
{
var copyOfInstance = new MyModel(this);
return copyOfInstance;
}
protected override void UpdateState(MyModel state)
{
// UpdateState() is called by the StateTracker
// which internally guards against the infinite loop
this.TestProperty1 = state.TestProperty1;
this.TestProperty2 = state.TestProperty2;
}
private void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
=> this.PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
private string testProperty1;
public string TestProperty1
{
get => this.testProperty1;
set
{
this.testProperty1 = value;
OnPropertyChanged();
}
}
private string testProperty2;
public string TestProperty2
{
get => this.testProperty2;
set
{
this.testProperty2 = value;
OnPropertyChanged();
}
}
}
Example
The following example stores the state of a TextBox, that binds to a MyModel instance. When the TextBox receives focus, the MyModel.BeginEdit method is called to start recording the input. When the TextBox loses focus the recorded state is pushed onto the undo stack by calling the MyModel.EndEdit method.
MainWindow.xaml
<Window>
<Window.DataContext>
<local:MyModel />
</Window.DataContext>
<StackPanel>
<Button Content="Undo"
Click="OnUndoButtonClick" />
<Button Content="Redo"
Click="OnRedoButtonClick" />
<TextBox Text="{Binding TestProperty1, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}"
GotFocus="OnTextBoxGotFocus"
LostFocus="OnTextBoxLostFocus" />
</StackPanel>
</Window>
MainWindow.xaml.cs
Because of the defined interfaces we can handle undo/redo without knowing the actual data type.
private void OnTextBoxGotFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
=> ((sender as FrameworkElement).DataContext as IEditableObject).BeginEdit();
private void OnTextBoxLostFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
=> ((sender as FrameworkElement).DataContext as IEditableObject).EndEdit();
private void OnUndoButtonClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
=> _ = ((sender as FrameworkElement).DataContext as IUndoable).TryUndo();
private void OnRedoButtonClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
=> _ = ((sender as FrameworkElement).DataContext as IUndoable).TryRedo();
An alternative flow could be that the MyModel class internally calls BeginEdit and EndEdit inside the relevant property setters (before accepting the new value and after accepting the new value). In case of the TextBox, the advantage of this solution is that it allows to record every single input.
In this scenario, the GotFocus and LostFocus event handlers previously defined on the TextBox (example above) are not needed and related code must be removed:
MyModel.cs
public class MyModel : StateTracker<MyModel>, INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public MyModel()
{
}
// Copy constructor
private MyModel(MyModel originalInstance)
{
// Don't raise PropertyChanged to avoid the loop of death
this.testProperty1 = originalInstance.TestProperty1;
this.testProperty2 = originalInstance.TestProperty2;
}
// Create a deep copy using the copy constructor
public override MyModel Clone()
{
var copyOfInstance = new MyModel(this);
return copyOfInstance;
}
protected override void UpdateState(MyModel state)
{
// UpdateState() is called by the StateTracker
// which internally guards against the infinite loop
this.TestProperty1 = state.TestProperty1;
this.TestProperty2 = state.TestProperty2;
}
private void RecordPropertyChange<TValue>(ref TValue backingField, TValue newValue)
{
BeginEdit();
backingField = newValue;
EndEdit();
}
private void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
=> this.PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
private string testProperty1;
public string TestProperty1
{
get => this.testProperty1;
set
{
RecordPropertyChange(ref this.testProperty1, value);
OnPropertyChanged();
}
}
private string testProperty2;
public string TestProperty2
{
get => this.testProperty2;
set
{
RecordPropertyChange(ref this.testProperty2, value);
OnPropertyChanged();
}
}
}
Remarks
If extending StateTracker is not an option (e.g., because it would introduce a multi-inheritance issue), you can always make use of composition (for example add a private property of type StateTracker to your undoable model to replace inheritance).
Just create a new class that extends StateTracker to implement the abstract members. Then define a private property of this new type in your undoable model. Now, let the model reference this private property to access the undo/redo API.
While composition is to be favored, this example chooses inheritance as this concept feels more natural to most. It may helps to understand the basic idea.
I don't understand why when I update a object, my bound controls do not update.
The data displays fine initially, but when I want to refresh the data displayed in the UI nothing happens when I update the object. The object updates fine. The ViewModel does use INotifyPropertyChanged on all fields.
However if I update individual items directly, I can update my UI. As commented below.
I guess I've made a school boy error somewhere here?
UPDATE: I've added the model to the question. While I understand the answers, I don't understand how to implement it. Attempted to implement a collection changed event without success. Can I have some pointers please?
public partial class CisArrivalsPanel : UserControl
{
private ApiDataArrivalsDepartures _theArrivalsDepartures;
public CisArrivalsPanel()
{
InitializeComponent();
_theArrivalsDepartures = new ApiDataArrivalsDepartures();
_theArrivalsDepartures = MakeQuery.LiveTrainArrivals("London Kings Cross");
this.DataContext = _theArrivalsDepartures;
ListBoxArr.ItemsSource = _theArrivalsDepartures.StationMovementList;
}
void Reload()
{
//This does not update the UI**
_theArrivalsDepartures = MakeQuery.LiveTrainArrivals("London Paddington");
//However this (when uncommented, and I comment out the above line) does update the UI**
//_theArrivalsDepartures.StationMovementList[0].OriginName = "test";
//_theArrivalsDepartures.StationMovementList[0].Platform = "0";
//_theArrivalsDepartures.StationMovementList[0].BestArrivalEstimateMins = "999";
//_theArrivalsDepartures.StationName = "test";
}
private void StationHeader_OnPreviewMouseDown(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
{
Reload();
Debug.WriteLine(_theArrivalsDepartures.StationName);
foreach (var a in _theArrivalsDepartures.StationMovementList)
{
Debug.WriteLine(a.OriginName);
Debug.WriteLine(a.BestArrivalEstimateMins);
}
}
}
EDIT : Added Model
public class ApiDataArrivalsDepartures : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private string _stationName;
[JsonProperty(PropertyName = "station_name")]
public string StationName {
get
{
return _stationName;
}
set
{
_stationName = value;
NotifyPropertyChanged("StationName");
}
}
private List<StationListOfMovements> _stationMovementList;
public List<StationListOfMovements> StationMovementList
{
get
{
return _stationMovementList;
}
set
{
_stationMovementList = value;
NotifyPropertyChanged("StationMovementList");
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void NotifyPropertyChanged(string property)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(property));
}
}
}
public class StationListOfMovements : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private string _originName;
[JsonProperty(PropertyName = "origin_name")]
public string OriginName {
get
{
return _originName;
}
set
{
_originName = value;
NotifyPropertyChanged("OriginName");
}
}
[JsonProperty(PropertyName = "destination_name")]
public string DestinationName { get; set; }
private string _platform;
[JsonProperty(PropertyName = "Platform")]
public string Platform {
get
{
return _platform;
}
set
{
_platform = value;
NotifyPropertyChanged("Platform");
}
}
private string _bestArrivalEstimateMins;
[JsonProperty(PropertyName = "best_arrival_estimate_mins")]
public string BestArrivalEstimateMins {
get
{
return _bestArrivalEstimateMins;
}
set
{
_bestArrivalEstimateMins = value;
NotifyPropertyChanged("BestArrivalEstimateMins");
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void NotifyPropertyChanged(string property)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(property));
}
}
}
There are two pieces here pertaining to your collection (technically three):
If you want a new collection to propagate, the collection property has to raise PropertyChanged (sounds like it does)
If you want add/remove on the collection to propagate, you need to use a collection that implements INotifyCollectionChanged. ObservableCollection is a good choice.
If you want changes to the items in the container to propagate, then those items need to implement INotifyPropertyChanged and raise the PropertyChanged event.
Make sure all those are covered, and the changes should appear on the UI as you expect.
You should update the DataContext and ItemsSource too.
void Reload()
{
//This does not update the UI**
_theArrivalsDepartures = MakeQuery.LiveTrainArrivals("London Paddington");
DataContext = theArrivalsDepartures;
ListBoxArr.ItemsSource = _theArrivalsDepartures.StationMovementList;
}
Use for the collection ObservableCollection , this class notify the ui when change to the collection occurred
your reload function works because the there is PropertyChanged on all the fields include this one
it notify the ui and reload the correct collection
So I am trying to implement the MVVM pattern in a simple sample app. Essentially my app allows a user to choose from a list of search providers in a SettingsPage, and then in the MainPage when the user clicks the 'search' button he or she will be navigated to the search provider's website. Everything seems to work ok, no errors, except when navigating directly back to MainPage from SettingsPage the search property does not seem to be updated. Everything is fine though when the application is completely exited and launched fresh. What I have is as follows
MainPage.xaml.cs
void search_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
TheBrowser.Navigate(App.ViewModel.SearchProvider.Address);
}
App.xaml.cs
private static MainViewModel viewModel = null;
public static MainViewModel ViewModel
{
get
{
// Delay creation of the view model until necessary
if (viewModel == null)
viewModel = new MainViewModel();
return viewModel;
}
}
MainViewMode.cs
public ListItem SearchProvider { get; private set; }
public MainViewModel()
{
SearchProvider = Settings.SearchProvider.Value;
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void NotifyPropertyChanged(String propertyName)
{
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if (null != handler)
{
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
and in my SettingsPage is where I am allowin ga user to select a search provider
SettingsPage.xaml.cs
private void PopulateSearchProviderList()
{
searchProviderList = new ObservableCollection<ListItem>();
searchProviderList.Add(new ListItem { Name = "Bing", Address = "http://www.bing.com" });
searchProviderList.Add(new ListItem { Name = "Google", Address = "http://www.google.com" });
SearchProviderListPicker.ItemsSource = searchProviderList;
}
private void stk_Tap(object sender, System.Windows.Input.GestureEventArgs e)
{
if (SearchProviderListPicker.SelectedIndex != -1)
{
var selectedItem = (sender as StackPanel).DataContext as TestApp.Classes.ListItem;
Settings.SearchProvider.Value = selectedItem; //Setting the search provider
}
}
and finally my ListItem class which is fairly straightforward
ListItem.cs
public string Name
{
get;
set;
}
public string Address
{
get;
set;
}
So essentially I am not updating the ViewModel correctly based on the SettingsPage, but I am unsure of how to go about this properly.
You have to call the OnNotifyPropertyChanged("propertyName") for the item to update in the UI.
For example (assuming the Name and Address properties are bound to your UI elements.)
private string name;
private string address;
public string Name
{
get { return name;}
set {
name = value;
OnNotifyPropertyChanged("Name");
}
}
public string Address
{
get { return address; }
set {
address = value ;
OnNotifyPropertyChanged("Address");
}
}
There are a few issues I can see. We'll start from there.
Your MainViewModel needs to implement INotifyPropertyChanged see here
Your SearchProvider setter needs to raise PropertyChanged
You need to set the value of the SearchProvider. Currently that is only performed in the constructor which is probably why you are seeing things working on app startup only.
You need to make sure you are correctly binding the value of SearchProvider in your xaml. If you post your xaml we can check that out too.
In your ViewModel, add:
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string caller = "")
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(caller));
}
}
Update the SearchProvider property to something like:
private ListItem searchProvider;
public ListItem SearchProvider
{
get { return searchProvider; }
set
{
searchProvider = value;
OnPropertyChanged();
}
}
I have a class that implements INotifyPropertyChanged.
I create an instance of a class in some viewModel.
Is it possible to remove this functionality from the class and inject it after the instance was created? I heard that ICustomTypeDescriptor would make this happen, but i dont know how to use it.
public class C : ICustomNotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public int _id;
public string _name;
public int Id
{
get { return _id; }
set
{
if (_id == value)
{
return;
}
_id = value;
OnPropertyChanged("Id");
}
}
public string Name
{
get { return _name; }
set
{
if (_name == value)
{
return;
}
_name = value;
OnPropertyChanged("Name");
}
}
public void OnPropertyChanged(string name)
{
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null)
{
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
}
}
If you are just trying to prevent the notifications from being fired when the object is first created and properties set, you can add boolean flag(s) that is/are false until the properties have been set once. You only execute the notification if the flag is true.
Edit:
I don't think there's a clean way to get the functionality in there after removing all the INotifyPropertyChanged code, but there are many ways to control the functionality from outside the instance.
Please note that I wrote all this code in the text editor, not in VisualStudio; it has not been tested in any way.
Add a method to enable notifications:
public class OptionalNotification : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
void OnPropertyChanged(string name) ...
bool _shouldNotify;
public void EnableNotifications()
{
_shouldNotify = true;
}
string _someProperty;
public string SomeProperty
{
get { return _someProperty; }
set
{
if(_someProperty == value) return
_someProperty = value;
if(_shouldNotify) OnPropertyChanged("SomeProperty");
}
}
}
You could do the same thing without the method, if you knew at the time of instantiation whether or not the instance should produce notifications, in which case you'd just need a boolean parameter in the constructor.
Another variation would be to use the Factory pattern, where your Factory has internal access to the boolean flag and sets it upon construction.
Encapsulate the condition in a proxy:
public interface IEntity : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
string SomeProperty { get; set; }
}
public class Entity : IEntity
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public void OnPropertyChanged(string name) ...
string _someProperty;
public string SomeProperty
{
get { return _someProperty; }
set
{
if(_someProperty == value) return
_someProperty = value;
OnPropertyChanged("SomeProperty");
}
}
}
public class EntityNotificationProxy : IEntity
{
IEntity _inner;
public EntityNotificationProxy(IEntity entity)
{
_inner = entity;
_inner.PropertyChanged += (o,e) => { if(ShouldNotify) OnPropertyChanged(o,e); }
}
public bool ShouldNotify { get; set; }
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
void OnPropertyChanged(object sender, PropertChangedEventArgs e)
{
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if(handler != null) handler(sender, e);
}
public string SomeProperty
{
get { return _inner.SomeProperty; }
set
{
if(_inner.SomeProperty == value) return
_inner.SomeProperty = value;
}
}
}
Here your consuming classes get the entity proxy instead of the entity itself (but is none the wiser because it references only IEntity when you program to interfaces/abstractions). The wrapping of the proxy can happen in a factory or through an IoC container/DI framework.
The main advantage to this approach is that your entity maintains a pure INotifyPropertyChanged implementation, and the conditional aspect is handled from without. Another advantage is that it helps to enforce programming to abstractions and inversion of control.
The main disadvantage is that you'll need to create proxies for each INotifyPropertyChanged implementation that you want to have this conditional behaviour.
Create a registry to keep track of what instances should or should not raise notifications:
public static class PropertyNotificationRegistry
{
static IDictionary<INotifyPropertyChanged, bool> _registeredClasses
= new Dictionary<INotifyPropertyChanged, bool>;
static void Register(INotifyPropertyChanged o, bool shouldNotify)
{
if(!(_registeredClasses.ContainsKey(o)) _registeredClasses.Add(o, shouldNotify);
// could also implement logic to update an existing class in the dictionary
}
public static void ShouldNotifyWhenPropertiesChange(this INotifyPropertyChanged o)
{
Register(o, true);
}
public static void ShouldNotNotifyWhenPropertiesChange(this INotifyPropertyChanged o)
{
Register(o, false);
}
public static void NotifyPropertyChanged(this INotifyPropertyChanged o, Action notificationAction)
{
if(_registeredClasses.ContainsKey(o))
{
bool shouldNotify = _registeredClasses.Where(x => x.Key == o).Single().Value;
if(shouldNotify) notificationAction();
}
}
}
public class EntityUsingNotificationRegistry : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
... // all the standard INotifyPropertyChanged stuff
string _someProperty;
public string SomeProperty
{
get { return _someProperty; }
set
{
if(_someProperty == value) return;
_someProperty = value;
this.NotifyPropertyChanged(() => OnPropertyChanged("SomeProperty"));
}
}
}
public class SomethingInstantiatingOurEntity
{
public void DoSomething()
{
var entity1 = new EntityUsingNotificationRegistry();
entity1.ShouldNotifyWhenPropertiesChange();
var entity2 = new EntityUsingNotificationRegistry();
entity2.ShouldNotNotifyWhenPropertiesChange();
entity1.SomeProperty = "arbitrary string"; // raises event
entity2.SomeProperty = "arbitrary string"; // does not raise event
var entity3 = new EntityUsingNotificationRegistry();
entity3.SomeProperty = "arbitrary string"; // does not raise event
entity3.ShouldNotifyWhenPropertiesChange();
entity3.SomeProperty = "another arbitrary string"; // now raises event
}
}
Now, the registry has a distinct shortcoming in that it holds references to every instance and will prevent those instances from being picked up by the garbage collector. There may be a solution to this by implementing the registry with WeakReferences, but I'm not up-to-snuff on their usage to recommend a particular implementation.
This will not work. You COULD subclass and inject it, but you would have to change the byte-code to make sure the proper methods are CALLED - and that is the harder method.
I have a listbox which is databound to a collection of objects.
I want to modify the way the items are displayed to show the user which one of these objects is the START object in my program.
I tried to do this the following way, but the listbox does not automatically update.
Invalidating the control also didn't work.
The only way I can find is to completely remove the databindings and add it back again. but in my case that is not desirable.
Is there another way?
class Person : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private string _name;
public string Name
{
get
{
if (PersonManager.Instance.StartPerson == this)
return _name + " (Start)";
return _name;
}
set
{
_name = value;
if (PropertyChanged != null)
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs("Name"));
}
}
public Person(string name)
{
Name = name;
}
}
This is the class wich manages the list and the item that is the start
class PersonManager
{
public BindingList<Person> persons { get; set; }
public Person StartPerson { get; set; }
private static PersonManager _instance;
public static PersonManager Instance
{
get
{
if (_instance == null)
{
_instance = new PersonManager();
}
return _instance;
}
}
private PersonManager()
{
persons = new BindingList<Person>();
}
}
In the form I use the following code
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
PersonManager.Instance.StartPerson = (Person)listBox1.SelectedItem;
}
I'm pretty sure that the problem is that, when you do this, you're effectively making the Person.Name properties "get" accessor change the value (and act like a set accessor as far as the UI is concerned).
However, there is nothing that's updating the bindings to say that this is happening. If PropertyChanged got called when you set start, I believe this would update.
It's clunky, but the way you have it written, I believe you could add this and make it work (NOTE: I didn't test this, so it ~may~ have issues):
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Person newStart = (Person)listBox1.SelectedItem;
if (newStart != null)
{
PersonManager.Instance.StartPerson = newStart;
newStart.Name = newStart.Name; // Dumb, but forces a PropertyChanged event so the binding updates
}
}