calling a method from ViewModel when DataContext changes - c#

The situation:
I have a little app that works with fantasy classes. In the example below I boiled it down to the bare bones. In a ComboBox, situated in the Main Window, the user selects a fantasy class (warrior, rogue, mage etc.) from a list loaded from a DB. This information is passed to a UserControl sitting in Main Window which exposes details about the class using MVVM and data binding. All of this works so far.
The DB has a value (in this case Gear) saved as an int which at the moment displays as an int on screen. It's the app's responsibility to parse that to a string.
So the question is: How do I wire up a method in the UserControl's ViewModel to trigger whenever it's associated View has a DataContext (the selected CharacterClass) change?
Main Window:
<Window x:Class="ExampleApp.MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:b="http://schemas.microsoft.com/xaml/behaviors"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:ExampleApp"
mc:Ignorable="d"
Title="MainWindow" Height="450" Width="800">
<Window.DataContext>
<local:MainWindowViewModel />
</Window.DataContext>
<Grid>
<Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
<ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
</Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<ComboBox Height="22" MinWidth="70"
ItemsSource="{Binding Classes}"
DisplayMemberPath="Name"
SelectedItem="{Binding SelectedClass}"/>
<local:DetailsView Grid.Column="1" DataContext="{Binding SelectedClass}"/>
</Grid>
</Window>
Main Window ViewModel:
namespace ExampleApp
{
class MainWindowViewModel : Observable
{
private ObservableCollection<CharacterClass> _Classes;
private CharacterClass _SelectedClass;
public ObservableCollection<CharacterClass> Classes
{
get { return _Classes; }
set { SetProperty(ref _Classes, value); }
}
public CharacterClass SelectedClass
{
get { return _SelectedClass; }
set { SetProperty(ref _SelectedClass, value); }
}
public MainWindowViewModel()
{
LoadCharacterClasses();
}
private void LoadCharacterClasses()
{
//simulated data retrieval from a DB.
//hardcoded for demo purposes
Classes = new ObservableCollection<CharacterClass>
{
//behold: Gear is saved as an int.
new CharacterClass { Name = "Mage", Gear = 0, Stats = "3,2,1" },
new CharacterClass { Name = "Rogue", Gear = 1, Stats = "2,2,2" },
new CharacterClass { Name = "Warrior", Gear = 2, Stats = "1,2,3" }
};
}
}
}
My CharacterClass definition. Inheriting from Observable which encapsulates INotifyPropertyChanged
namespace ExampleApp
{
public class CharacterClass : Observable
{
private string _Name;
private int _Gear;
private string _Stats;
public string Name
{
get { return _Name; }
set { SetProperty(ref _Name, value); }
}
public int Gear
{
get { return _Gear; }
set { SetProperty(ref _Gear, value); }
}
public string Stats
{
get { return _Stats; }
set { SetProperty(ref _Stats, value); }
}
}
}
Details about the Observable baseclass:
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
namespace ExampleApp
{
public class Observable : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged = delegate { };
protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName]string propertyName = null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
protected virtual void SetProperty<T>(ref T member, T val, [CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
if (object.Equals(member, val)) return;
member = val;
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
}
The DetailsView UserControl:
<UserControl x:Class="ExampleApp.DetailsView"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:ExampleApp"
mc:Ignorable="d"
d:DesignHeight="450" d:DesignWidth="800">
<UserControl.Resources>
<DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type local:DetailsViewModel}">
<local:DetailsView/>
</DataTemplate>
</UserControl.Resources>
<Grid>
<Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
<ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
</Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<StackPanel>
<Label Content="Name:"/>
<Label Content="Base Stats"/>
<Label Content="Starting Gear"/>
</StackPanel>
<StackPanel Grid.Column="1">
<Label Content="{Binding Name}"/>
<Label Content="{Binding Stats}"/>
<Label Content="{Binding gearToString}"/>
</StackPanel>
</Grid>
</UserControl>
and finally: the DetailsViewModel:
public class DetailsViewModel : Observable
{
public string GearToString;
//The method I would like to have called whenever the selected
//CharacterClass (DetailsView.DataContext, so to speak) changes.
private void OnCharacterClassChanged(int gearNumber)
{
switch (gearNumber)
{
case 0:
GearToString = "Cloth";
break;
case 1:
GearToString = "Leather";
break;
case 2:
GearToString = "Plate";
break;
default:
GearToString = "*Error*";
break;
}
}
}
I've fiddled around with attempting to have a command fire when the DetailsView Label updates.
Made a failed attempt to convert DetailsViewModel.GearToString to a dependencyproperty.
I've attempted to override Observable's SetProperty inside of DetailsViewModel.
I don't know which, if any of, those attempts would be viable, if I managed to implement them properly (I've only been coding for several months now :))
I could get it to work using DetailsView code-behind, however that's not MVVM'y.

Because you change your DetailViews DataContext via the combobox, you can access the "current" DetailDataContext before the combobox changes SelectedItem.
You can do this right here:
public CharacterClass SelectedClass
{
get { return _SelectedClass; }
set {
_SelectedClass.DoWhatever();
SetProperty(ref _SelectedClass, value);
}
}
Or you can handle the ComboBoxes SelectionChanged event via a command. Your old value is in e.RemovedItem.
private void Selector_OnSelectionChanged(object sender, SelectionChangedEventArgs e)
{
if (e.RemovedItems.Count > 0)
(e.RemovedItems[0] as CharacterClass).DoSomething();
}
I tend to prefer that approach since it can get confusing quickly if you put too much logic in the setters. It leads to chain reactions that are pretty hard to follow and debug.
In general viewmodels communicate with each other via events. In more complex / disconnected situations with the help of an EventAggregator, MessageBus or something similiar.

Related

Fail to Update the UI by using an ObservableCollection of MVVM bound objects

I would like to ask a question regarding the UI update of a WPF application based on changes applied to MVVM objects stored in a ObservableCollection. But first, let me explain my intuition.
I have the following files created to support my Project Solution. In total there are 5 files, so I present their code for you to replicate the issue. Copy-paste the code below in a new Solution project (WPF - .NET Core) and see for yourself my issue.
File 1: App.xaml
<Application x:Class="WpfAppTestingScenarios.App"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:WpfAppTestingScenarios"
StartupUri="Window1.xaml">
<Application.Resources>
</Application.Resources>
</Application>
File 2: Window1.xaml
<Window x:Class="WpfAppTestingScenarios.Window1"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:WpfAppTestingScenarios"
d:DataContext="{d:DesignInstance Type=local:LoginScreenViewModel}"
mc:Ignorable="d"
Title="Window1"
Height="450"
Width="800">
<Grid>
<Button Content="Click me"
Command="{Binding Path=LoginCommand}"
Height="20"
Width="110"/>
</Grid>
</Window>
File 3: MainWindow.xaml
<Window x:Class="WpfAppTestingScenarios.MainWindow"
x:Name="MainWindowName"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:WpfAppTestingScenarios"
d:DataContext="{d:DesignInstance Type=local:MainWindowViewModel}"
mc:Ignorable="d"
Title="MainWindow"
Height="450"
Width="800">
<Grid>
<Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<ColumnDefinition Width="160"/>
<ColumnDefinition Width="640"/>
</Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition Height="225"/>
<RowDefinition Height="210"/>
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<StackPanel
x:Name="StackPanel1"
Visibility="{Binding StackPanelVisibility1}"
Grid.Row="0"
Grid.Column="1">
<TextBlock Text="Hello World 1"/>
</StackPanel>
<Button
IsEnabled="{Binding Path=EnableViewButton1, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged, FallbackValue=false}"
Content="View"
Width="80"
Height="25"
FontSize="10"
FontWeight="Light"
HorizontalAlignment="Right"
VerticalAlignment="Top"
Grid.Row="0"
Grid.Column="1">
</Button>
<StackPanel
x:Name="StackPanel2"
Visibility="{Binding StackPanelVisibility2}"
Grid.Row="1"
Grid.Column="1">
<TextBlock Text="Hello World 2"/>
</StackPanel>
<Button
IsEnabled="{Binding Path=EnableViewButton2}"
Content="View"
Width="80"
Height="25"
FontSize="10"
FontWeight="Light"
HorizontalAlignment="Right"
VerticalAlignment="Top"
Grid.Row="1"
Grid.Column="1">
</Button>
</Grid>
</Window>
File 4: Window1.xaml.cs
using Prism.Commands;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Input;
namespace WpfAppTestingScenarios
{
public class LoginScreenViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public ICommand LoginCommand
{
get { return new DelegateCommand<object>(FuncLoginCommand); }
}
public void FuncLoginCommand(object parameters)
{
MainWindow WindMain = new MainWindow();
WindMain.Show();
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public void OnPropertyChanged(string property)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(property));
}
}
public partial class Window1 : Window
{
public Window1()
{
InitializeComponent();
DataContext = new LoginScreenViewModel();
}
}
}
File 5: MainWindow.xaml.cs
using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Windows;
namespace WpfAppTestingScenarios
{
public class MyCustomClass : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public string Key { get; set; }
private object _value;
public object Value
{
get { return _value; }
//set { _value = value; NotifyPropertyChanged($"{Value}"); }
//change to
set { _value = value; NotifyPropertyChanged(nameof(Value)); } //still no luck
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void NotifyPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
public class MainWindowViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
//1. - StackPanelVisibility 1
private Visibility _StackPanelVisibility1;
public Visibility StackPanelVisibility1
{
get
{
return _StackPanelVisibility1;
}
set
{
_StackPanelVisibility1 = value;
OnPropertyChanged("StackPanelVisibility1");
}
}
//2. - StackPanelVisibility 2
private Visibility _StackPanelVisibility2;
public Visibility StackPanelVisibility2
{
get
{
return _StackPanelVisibility2;
}
set
{
_StackPanelVisibility2 = value;
OnPropertyChanged("StackPanelVisibility2");
}
}
//3. - EnableViewButoon 1
private bool _EnableViewButton1;
public bool EnableViewButton1
{
get
{
return _EnableViewButton1;
}
set
{
_EnableViewButton1 = value;
OnPropertyChanged("EnableViewButton1");
}
}
//4. - EnableViewButoon 2
private bool _EnableViewButton2;
public bool EnableViewButton2
{
get
{
return _EnableViewButton2;
}
set
{
_EnableViewButton2 = value;
OnPropertyChanged("EnableViewButton2");
}
}
private void CustomFunction(ObservableCollection<MyCustomClass> UICollection)
{
if ((Visibility)UICollection[0].Value == Visibility.Hidden)
UICollection[0].Value = Visibility.Visible;
if ((bool)UICollection[1].Value == false)
UICollection[1].Value = true;
}
public MainWindowViewModel()
{
ObservableCollection<MyCustomClass> dict = new ObservableCollection<MyCustomClass>
{
new MyCustomClass { Key = "StackPanelVisibility", Value = StackPanelVisibility1 },
new MyCustomClass { Key = "EnableViewButton", Value = EnableViewButton1 }
};
CustomFunction(dict);
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public void OnPropertyChanged(string property)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(property));
}
}
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
DataContext = new MainWindowViewModel();
}
}
}
So even though everything was set successfully and with no errors, when I run the application and I click the button Click me the UI and thus the objects of the MainWindow are not updated.
Initially, I tried this logic with Dictionaries. But then I read that Dictionary cannot update the UI of a WPF application so I changed it to an ObservableCollection. However, both approaches didn't work for me.
Edit
Based on this answer, I created the following code
public class MyCustomClass : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public string Key { get; set; }
private object _value;
public object Value
{
get { return _value; }
//set { _value = value; NotifyPropertyChanged($"{Value}"); }
//change to
set { _value = value; NotifyPropertyChanged(nameof(Value)); } //still no luck
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void NotifyPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
But still, I don't observe any UI change.
My end result would be to enable the two buttons in the MainWindow like in the screen below (when I click the button Click me)
Image of my desired result

How to select first item after filtering ICollectionView

I'm binding a ListView to an ICollectionView in my viewmodel. The ICollectionView has some predefined filters that are applied when you click some buttons. However I cannot seem to find any way to (auto) select the first item in the ListView after the collection has been filtered.
I've tried to set SelectedIndex=0, add both Target and Source notification to the binding, but all are ineffective when the filter applies.
Any pointers on how to achieve this?
EDIT: Below code illustrates my issue I'd say.
XAML:
<Window x:Class="CollectionViewTest.MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:CollectionViewTest"
mc:Ignorable="d"
Title="MainWindow" Height="450" Width="800">
<Window.DataContext>
<local:MainViewModel/>
</Window.DataContext>
<Grid>
<Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<ColumnDefinition />
<ColumnDefinition />
<ColumnDefinition />
</Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<!-- MENU -->
<StackPanel Orientation="Vertical">
<Button Content="Numbers below 4" Click="Below4_Click" Width="100"/>
<Button Content="Numbers below 7" Click="Below7_Click" Width="100"/>
<Button Content="All numbers" Click="All_Click" Width="100"/>
</StackPanel>
<!-- LIST -->
<ListView
Grid.Column="1"
SelectedIndex="0"
ItemsSource="{Binding Numbers, Mode=OneWay}"
SelectedItem="{Binding SelectedNumber, Mode=TwoWay}">
<ListView.Resources>
<DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type local:Number}">
<TextBlock Text="{Binding Value}" />
</DataTemplate>
</ListView.Resources>
</ListView>
<!-- DETAILS -->
<TextBlock Grid.Column="2" Text="{Binding SelectedNumber.Text}" Width="100"/>
</Grid>
</Window>
Code-Behind:
using System.Windows;
namespace CollectionViewTest
{
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
private MainViewModel vm;
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
vm = (MainViewModel)DataContext;
}
private void Below4_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
vm.MenuFilter = f => f.Value < 4;
}
private void Below7_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
vm.MenuFilter = f => f.Value < 7;
}
private void All_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
vm.MenuFilter = f => true;
}
}
}
ViewModel:
using System;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
using System.Windows.Data;
using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
namespace CollectionViewTest
{
public class MainViewModel : PropertyChangedBase
{
public MainViewModel()
{
Numbers = new ObservableCollection<Number>();
NumberCollection = CollectionViewSource.GetDefaultView(Numbers);
NumberCollection.Filter = Filter;
NumberCollection.SortDescriptions.Add(new SortDescription("Value", ListSortDirection.Ascending));
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
Numbers.Add(new Number { Value = i, Text = $"This is number {i}." });
}
private Func<Number, bool> menuFilter;
public Func<Number, bool> MenuFilter
{
get => menuFilter;
set
{
menuFilter = value;
NumberCollection.Refresh();
}
}
private bool Filter(object item)
{
var number = (Number)item;
return MenuFilter == null ? true : MenuFilter(number);
}
public ObservableCollection<Number> Numbers { get; set; }
public ICollectionView NumberCollection { get; set; }
private Number selectedNumber;
public Number SelectedNumber { get => selectedNumber; set => Set(ref selectedNumber, value); }
}
public class Number : PropertyChangedBase
{
public int Value { get; set; }
private string text;
public string Text { get => text; set => Set(ref text, value); }
}
public class PropertyChangedBase : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected void Set<T>(ref T field, T newValue = default(T), [CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
field = newValue;
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
}
As you can see, pressing one of the buttons changes the Filter and calls Refresh on the collection. What I would like to have, is that the first item in the list (here '0') is selected automatically which then would display the text "This is number 0" in the text in column 2.
I have tried both the SelectedIndex=0 and also MoveCurrentToFirst but nothing is selected.
Don't set SelectedIndex when binding to an ICollectionView. Instead, set its CurrentItem via MoveCurrentTo() or MoveCurrentToFirst():
myCollectionView.MoveCurrentTo(someItem);
...
myCollectionView.MoveCurrentToFirst();
Also, set IsSynchronizedWithCurrentItem on your ListView:
<ListView IsSynchronizedWithCurrentItem="True" ...
Detect when filter is applied
When the filter is evaluated, the collection view is refreshed which in turn resets the collection. To detect this, listen for the CollectionChanged event and look for the NotifyCollectionChangedAction.Reset flag. Please refer to the CollectionView source code for more details.

C# WPF - ComboBox of databound ObservableCollection of classes

Recently I started converting a proof of concept UWP app to a working WPF app.
What I want is to have two dropdowns (combobox) of "characters" I can choose, I want them databound to an ObservableCollection property, where the characters I selected is stored in a different Character property for player 1 then player 2.
I had databinding on dropdowns working in the UWP app, but I can't get it to work in the WPF app.
In the WPF app, the comboboxes stay empty and I can't select an option.
I tried following the answer to this question, but I think I'm missing something: Binding a WPF ComboBox to a custom list
Here is the code, kept minimal:
Character.cs
public class Character : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private int _id;
public int Id
{
get
{
return _id;
}
set
{
_id = value;
}
}
private string _name;
public string Name
{
get
{
return _name;
}
set
{
_name = value;
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged = delegate { };
public Character(int id, string name)
{
Id = id;
Name = name;
}
public void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
this.PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
MainWindow.xaml
<Window x:Class="SmashWiiUOverlayManager.MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:SmashWiiUOverlayManager"
mc:Ignorable="d"
Title="MainWindow" Height="450" Width="800">
<Grid>
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
</Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<StackPanel Grid.Column="0" Grid.Row="0">
<ComboBox
Name="Player1CharacterDropdown"
ItemsSource="{Binding CharacterList, Mode=TwoWay}"
SelectedItem="{Binding Player1SelectedCharacter, Mode=TwoWay}"
SelectedValuePath="Name"
DisplayMemberPath="Name"
Width="144">
</ComboBox>
</StackPanel>
<StackPanel Grid.Column="0" Grid.Row="1" HorizontalAlignment="Right">
<ComboBox
Name="Player2CharacterDropdown"
ItemsSource="{Binding CharacterList, Mode=TwoWay}"
SelectedItem="{Binding Player2SelectedCharacter, Mode=TwoWay}"
SelectedValuePath="Character"
DisplayMemberPath="Name"
Width="144">
</ComboBox>
</StackPanel>
</Grid>
</Window>
MainWindow.xaml.cs
public partial class MainWindow : Window, INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private ObservableCollection<Character> _characterList;
public ObservableCollection<Character> CharacterList
{
get
{
return _characterList;
}
set
{
_characterList = value;
}
}
private Character _player1SelectedCharacter;
public Character Player1SelectedCharacter
{
get
{
return _player1SelectedCharacter;
}
set
{
_player1SelectedCharacter = value;
}
}
private Character _player2SelectedCharacter;
public Character Player2SelectedCharacter
{
get
{
return _player2SelectedCharacter;
}
set
{
_player2SelectedCharacter = value;
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged = delegate { };
public MainWindow()
{
this.DataContext = this;
InitializeComponent();
CharacterList = new ObservableCollection<Character>
{
new Character(0, "Mario"),
new Character(1, "Luigi"),
new Character(2, "Wario"),
};
}
public void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
this.PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
This code currently leaves the comboboxes empty.
When I use:
Player1CharacterDropdown.ItemsSource = new ObservableCollection<Character>
{
new Character(0, "Mario", ".\\images\\mario.png"),
new Character(1, "Luigi", ".\\images\\luigi.png"),
new Character(2, "Wario", ".\\images\\wario.png"),
};
... the combox gets filled, but it's databound to the property, which is what I would like.
What am I missing here?

Exception Occurring Infinitely in Content Control

First, this is a simplified version from a wizard control using MVVM. The problem is just easier to reproduce as described below
After much narrowing down, I have resolved an infinite exception in my code to be due to the WPF ContentControl. However, I have yet to figure out how to handle it, other than try-catch wrapping all of my possible instantiation code. Here is sample code that reproduces this...any help on how to keep this infinite exception from occurring would be greatly appreciated.
Additional Details
To sum up, the problem is that if the content control changes its contents, and the thing being loaded in throws an exception, then it will throw, then retry the load, causing the throw again and again.
MainWindow.xaml
<Window x:Class="WpfApplication8.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" Name ="Main">
<Grid>
<ContentControl Name="bar" Content="{Binding ElementName=Main, Path=foo}"/>
<Button Click="ButtonBase_OnClick" Margin="20" Width="50"/>
</Grid>
</Window>
MainWindow.xaml.cs
public partial class MainWindow : Window, INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private UserControl _foo;
public UserControl foo
{
get { return _foo; }
set { _foo = value; OnPropertyChanged("foo"); }
}
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
foo = new UserControl1();
}
private void ButtonBase_OnClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
foo = new UserControl2();
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
var handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null)
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
UserControl1 is blank and all default
UserControl2.xaml.cs
public UserControl2()
{
InitializeComponent();
throw new Exception();
}
Do not bind ContentControl to MainWindow. Instead use DataTemplates to select the content for the MainWindow. One example-contrived way of doing it is to bind the ContentControl's Content to the DataContext of the MainWindow.
First some observable test data is needed. The specifics of this data are not important. The main point is to have two different classes of test data from which to choose - TestData.cs:
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
using System.ComponentModel;
namespace fwWpfDataTemplate
{
// Classes to fill TestData
public abstract class Person : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null) PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
string _name;
public string Name
{
get { return _name; }
set
{
_name = value;
OnPropertyChanged("Name");
}
}
}
public class Student : Person { }
public class Employee : Person
{
float _salary;
public float Salary
{
get { return _salary; }
set
{
_salary = value;
OnPropertyChanged("Salary");
}
}
}
public class TestData : ObservableCollection<Person>
{
public TestData()
: base(new List<Person>()
{
new Student { Name = "Arnold" },
new Employee { Name = "Don", Salary = 100000.0f }
}) { }
}
}
Then add DataTemplates to MainWindow's resources - MainWindow.xaml:
<Window x:Class="fwWpfDataTemplate.MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:me="clr-namespace:fwWpfDataTemplate"
Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
<Window.Resources>
<DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type me:Student}">
<StackPanel>
<TextBlock Text="Student"/>
<TextBlock Text="{Binding Name}"/>
</StackPanel>
</DataTemplate>
<DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type me:Employee}">
<StackPanel>
<TextBlock Text="Employee"/>
<TextBlock Text="{Binding Name}"/>
<TextBlock Text="Salary"/>
<TextBlock Text="{Binding Salary}"/>
</StackPanel>
</DataTemplate>
</Window.Resources>
<Grid>
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
<RowDefinition/>
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<Button Content="Change Data Context" Click="Button_Click" />
<ContentControl Grid.Row="1" Content="{Binding}"/>
</Grid>
</Window>
Note: instead of the StackPanels the contents of the DataTemplates could be UserControl1, UserControl2, etc.
Then add some code to change the data context - MainWindow.cs:
using System.Windows;
namespace fwWpfDataTemplate
{
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
TestData testData = new TestData();
int testIndex = -1;
private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
testIndex = (testIndex + 1) % testData.Count;
this.DataContext = testData[testIndex];
}
}
}
Enjoy.

User controls are not retaining the old values when loading through ListBox selecteditem in wpf mvvm

I have recently started using WPF and MVVM approach. I ma getting a problem in the following case. Can someone help me on this?
I have a list box in my MainWindow.xaml. I am trying to load the different user controls for each list box item selection. My MainWindow.xaml looks like below.
MainWindow.xaml
<Window x:Class="MoreOnBinding.MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:MoreOnBinding"
Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
<Grid>
<Grid.Resources>
<DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type local:UserControl1VM}">
<local:UserControl1/>
</DataTemplate>
<DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type local:UserControl2VM}">
<local:UserControl2/>
</DataTemplate>
</Grid.Resources>
<Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
<ColumnDefinition/>
</Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition/>
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<ListBox Grid.Column="0" ItemsSource="{Binding ViewModelsCollection}" DisplayMemberPath="ViewModelName" SelectedValue="{Binding SelectedViewModel}" IsSynchronizedWithCurrentItem="True"/>
<ContentControl Grid.Column="1" Content="{Binding SelectedViewModel.ViewModel}"/>
</Grid>
</Window>
My MainWidnow View model is as below.
MainWindowVM
public class MainWindowVM : ViewModelBase
{
public MainWindowVM()
{
this.ViewModelsCollection = new ObservableCollection<ViewModelInfo>(new List<ViewModelInfo>()
{
new ViewModelInfo("Control1", new UserControl1VM()),
new ViewModelInfo("Control2", new UserControl2VM()),
});
}
private ObservableCollection<ViewModelInfo> viewModelsCollection;
public ObservableCollection<ViewModelInfo> ViewModelsCollection
{
get { return viewModelsCollection; }
set
{
if (viewModelsCollection != value)
{
viewModelsCollection = value;
RaisePropertyChanged(() => ViewModelsCollection);
this.SelectedViewModel = this.ViewModelsCollection[0];
}
}
}
private ViewModelInfo selectedViewModel;
public ViewModelInfo SelectedViewModel
{
get { return selectedViewModel; }
set
{
if (selectedViewModel != value)
{
selectedViewModel = value;
RaisePropertyChanged(() => SelectedViewModel);
}
}
}
}
public class ViewModelInfo : ViewModelBase
{
public ViewModelInfo(string viewModelName, ViewModelBase viewModel)
{
this.ViewModelName = viewModelName;
this.ViewModel = viewModel;
}
private string viewModelName;
public string ViewModelName
{
get { return viewModelName; }
set
{
if (viewModelName != value)
{
viewModelName = value;
RaisePropertyChanged(() => ViewModelName);
}
}
}
private ViewModelBase viewModel;
public ViewModelBase ViewModel
{
get { return viewModel; }
set
{
if (viewModel != value)
{
viewModel = value;
RaisePropertyChanged(() => ViewModel);
}
}
}
}
Each user control has a text box in it. The user control xaml and viewmodels are as below.
UserControl1
<UserControl x:Class="MoreOnBinding.UserControl1"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:MoreOnBinding"
mc:Ignorable="d"
d:DesignHeight="300" d:DesignWidth="300"
>
<Grid>
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition/>
<RowDefinition/>
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<TextBlock Text="User Control 1"/>
<TextBox Grid.Row="2" Text="{Binding UC1Text}" Width="100" Height="30"/>
</Grid>
</UserControl>
UserControl1VM
public class UserControl1VM : ViewModelBase
{
private string uC1Text;
public string UC2Text
{
get { return uC1Text; }
set
{
if (uC1Text != value)
{
uC1Text = value;
RaisePropertyChanged(() => UC2Text);
}
}
}
}
The user control1 code file is as below
public partial class UserControl1 : UserControl
{
public UserControl1()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
}
The UserControl 2 is same as the user control1 only the name change.
Now coming to my problem, after running the application I clicked the first item of the list box and it loaded the UserControl1 on ContentControl. I have enntered some text say "UC1" in the text box displayed. However if click on the second item of the listbox and agian click on the first item, the text I have entered is lost. I want to retain old text. Can someone look into this and help me out?
You have a typo: data source property is UserControl1VM.UC2Text, and the binding is to UC1Text. If you'll look at output window, you'll see a binding error.

Categories

Resources