Binding to property of UserControl doesn't work - c#

I got a custom TextBox which I plan to include in another UserControl, however when setting up the Binding for it, it simply just doesn't bind.
I simplified the code for clarity.
My custom TextBox:
<UserControl DataContext="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}}">
<TextBox Text="{Binding Text, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}" />
</UserControl>
partial class CustomTextBox : UserControl
{
public string Text
{
get { return (string)GetValue(TextProperty); }
set
{
SetValue(TextProperty, value);
}
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty TextProperty = DependencyProperty.Register(
"Text",
typeof(string),
typeof(CustomTextBox),
new PropertyMetadata(String.Empty));
}
This binding works as expected. When using CustomTextBox in another UserControl or Window, I can access the property just as expected.
The following code blocks describe the UserControl that uses CustomTextBox and the corresponding ViewModel with the property I want to bind Text to.
<UserControl>
<UserControl.DataContext>
<vm:MyViewModel />
</UserControl.DataContext>
<local:CustomTextBox Text="{Binding FooBar, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}" />
</UserControl>
public class MyViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private string _fooBar;
public string FooBar
{
get { return _fooBar = (_fooBar ?? ""); }
set
{
_fooBar = value; OnPropertyChanged();
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
}
My problem occurs exactly when I want to bind the Text property to a ViewModel in another UserControl, it just doesn't work. In this case I tried to bind the Text property to the FooBar property on the MyViewModel class, however changes to the Text property do not get reflected on the FooBar property and vice-versa. However when I hover over the binding in the XAML view, it shows the type of the property, so I don't exactly see what's wrong here.
My best guess is that it has to do with two bindings accessing the same property.

modify DP registration to include FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.BindsTwoWayByDefault option
public static readonly DependencyProperty TextProperty = DependencyProperty.Register(
"Text",
typeof(string),
typeof(CustomTextBox),
new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(String.Empty, FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.BindsTwoWayByDefault));

Related

How to write getters and setters to convert WPF dependency property? [duplicate]

I am trying (and failing) to do data binding on a dependency property in xaml. It works just fine when I use code behind, but not in xaml.
The user control is simply a TextBlock that bind to the dependency property:
<UserControl x:Class="WpfTest.MyControl" [...]>
<TextBlock Text="{Binding Test}" />
</UserControl>
And the dependency property is a simple string:
public static readonly DependencyProperty TestProperty
= DependencyProperty.Register("Test", typeof(string), typeof(MyControl), new PropertyMetadata("DEFAULT"));
public string Test
{
get { return (string)GetValue(TestProperty); }
set { SetValue(TestProperty, value); }
}
I have a regular property with the usual implementation of INotifyPropertyChanged in the main window.
private string _myText = "default";
public string MyText
{
get { return _myText; }
set { _myText = value; NotifyPropertyChanged(); }
}
So far so good. If I bind this property to a TextBlock on the main window everything works just fine. The text update properly if the MyText changes and all is well in the world.
<TextBlock Text="{Binding MyText}" />
However, if I do the same thing on my user control, nothing happens.
<local:MyControl x:Name="TheControl" Test="{Binding MyText}" />
And now the fun part is that if I do the very same binding in code behind it works!
TheControl.SetBinding(MyControl.TestProperty, new Binding
{
Source = DataContext,
Path = new PropertyPath("MyText"),
Mode = BindingMode.TwoWay
});
Why is it not working in xaml?
The dependency property declaration must look like this:
public static readonly DependencyProperty TestProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register(
nameof(Test),
typeof(string),
typeof(MyControl),
new PropertyMetadata("DEFAULT"));
public string Test
{
get { return (string)GetValue(TestProperty); }
set { SetValue(TestProperty, value); }
}
The binding in the UserControl's XAML must set the control instance as the source object, e.g. by setting the Bindings's RelativeSource property:
<UserControl x:Class="WpfTest.MyControl" ...>
<TextBlock Text="{Binding Test,
RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType=UserControl}}"/>
</UserControl>
Also very important, never set the DataContext of a UserControl in its constructor. I'm sure there is something like
DataContext = this;
Remove it, as it effectively prevents inheriting a DataContext from the UserConrol's parent.
By setting Source = DataContext in the Binding in code behind you are explicitly setting a binding source, while in
<local:MyControl Test="{Binding MyText}" />
the binding source implicitly is the current DataContext. However, that DataContext has been set by the assignment in the UserControl's constructor to the UserControl itself, and is not the inherited DataContext (i.e. the view model instance) from the window.

WPF custom ContentPresenter does not bind properties

I have a custom class derived from ContentPresenter which has a DepenedencyProperty. However, when I attempt to bind it, nothing happens (Source's getter is not called, content is not updated, no errors are logged in Trace):
public class IsReadOnlyCellPresenter : ContentPresenter
{
[Bindable(true)]
public string Text
{
get { return (string)GetValue(TextProperty); }
set { SetValue(TextProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty TextProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Text", typeof(string), typeof(IsReadOnlyCellPresenter), new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(null));
}
xaml:
<local:IsReadOnlyCellPresenter Text="{Binding Path=MyProperty, Mode=TwoWay, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}">
<local:IsReadOnlyCellPresenter.ContentTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<TextBox Text="{Binding Text, RelativeSource={RelativeSource Mode=TemplatedParent}}"/>
</DataTemplate>
</local:IsReadOnlyCellPresenter.ContentTemplate>
</local:IsReadOnlyCellPresenter>
If I use static value (e.g. Text="Foo") it works as expected. If I derive from ContentControl (class IsReadOnlyCellPresenter : ContentControl), the Text binding works but not Mode=TemplatedParent which points to nowhere.
What is the issue with ContentPresenter here? Can ContentPresenter be derived from?

Wpf usercontrol with embedded button : change button's content

I have a simple usercontrol with a button in it which i modified.
When I add this usercontrol to my mainwindow, I can only access the usercontrol's properties. How can I access the button content ? Ideally I'd like to have a custom property let's say "TheText" and I changed it like that
<local:MyButtonControl TheText="My text here will be the button content">
This is what I have in the usercontrol "MyButtonControl"
public object TheText
{
get => (object)GetValue(_text);
set => SetValue(_text, value);
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty _text =
DependencyProperty.Register("Text", typeof(object), typeof(MyButton), new UIPropertyMetadata(null));
But what Am I supposed to put for binding ? Can't figure it out. Here's the concerned button.
<Button x:Name="button" Content="{Binding ??? }" Style="{StaticResource RoundedButton}"/>
The Binding should look like this:
<Button Content="{Binding Text,
RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType=UserControl}}" .../>
Note that a correct dependency property declaration would have to use the same name for both the dependency property and the CLR wrapper. There is also a convention to name the identifier field as <PropertyName>Property.
public object Text
{
get => (object)GetValue(TextProperty);
set => SetValue(TextProperty, value);
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty TextProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Text", typeof(object), typeof(MyButton));
You should certainly also use string as type of a property that is called Text. Or you call the property ButtonContent or something like that.

Binding from DependencyProperty of a UserControl not working

I have a UserControl with one DependencyProperty which sets in codebehind (I guess this may be a source of my problem, but still don't know what to do):
UserControl
public partial class MyControl
{
public MyControl()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty TextProperty = DependencyProperty.Register("Text", typeof(string), typeof(MyControl),
new FrameworkPropertyMetadata("",FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.BindsTwoWayByDefault));
public string Text
{
get { return (string)GetValue(TextProperty); }
set { SetValue(TextProperty, value); InvokePropertyChanged(new PropertyChangedEventArgs("Text"));}
}
public static string GetText(DependencyObject obj)
{
return (string)obj.GetValue(TextProperty);
}
public static void SetText(DependencyObject obj, string value)
{
obj.SetValue(TextProperty, value);
}
private void ChangeText()
{
Text="some value";
}
}
In my View.xaml I use this control like this:
<MyControl Text="{Binding Text, RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged, Mode=TwoWay}"/>
And the Text property in my ViewModel:
private string _text;
public string Text
{
get { return _text; }
set { _text= value; InvokePropertyChanged(new PropertyChangedEventArgs("Text"));}
}
The problem:
Text property in the ViewModel never gets updated; when use binding with a regular control like TextBox, all works perfect; if I set Text in XAML, Text propery of UserControl updates.
What I did wrong?
UPDATE
My issue was that I have set DataContext explicitly on MyControl.
Issue is in your Binding:
Text="{Binding Text, RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self},
UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged, Mode=TwoWay}"
Text property is in your ViewModel but you are referring to itself by using RealtiveSource to point back to self. So, it's binding Text DP with itself.
If you have set DataContext of your control, it will automatically inherit DataContext from parent. So, you don't need RelativeSource at all.
It simply should be:
Text="{Binding Text}"
Few points more (but not related to your issue):
Since you target to use this property from within control, so go for normal DP instead of attached property.
Since at time of registration, you have set it to bind TwoWay by default. No need to explicitly do that at time of binding.
Remove InvokePropertyChanged call from your DP wrapper setter. Setter won't be called from XAML and also DP is already PropertyChanged aware.
UPDATE
In case DataContext of MyControl is set to instance of another class, above approach will search for Text property in MyControl DataContext.
You can pass DataContext of parent control (StackPanel in your case) like this:
Text="{Binding DataContext.Text, RelativeSource={RelativeSource
Mode=FindAncestor, AncestorType=StackPanel}}"
You have registered your property as attached, yet you are also using it as a regular DependencyProperty. I think that the xaml parser gets confused. Decide which one you want to use.

Show Validation Error Template on Controls within a UserControl in WPF

How do you get the WPF error template to appear on a control within a UserControl in WPF?
I have a UserControl containing two Labels, two TextBoxes, and a CheckBox. One of the TextBoxes represents the name of the entity and it is bound to a Name property off of a Model property exposed by my ViewModel, which is the DataContext of my Window. The Model class implements the IDataErrorInfo interface and I have confirmed through Unit Testing that when the Name is blank an error is returned through the property indexer implementation. I have bound to the Dependency Property backing the Name TextBox in my UserControl and when the validation error is encountered the WPF error template places a red border around the entire UserControl rather than just the Name TextBox.
The binding to the name field of the UserControl is as follows.
<vc:MyUserControl ItemName="{Binding Model.Name, ValidatesOnDataErrors=True}" />
A simiplified version of my UserControl and the backing DependencyProperty is as follows.
<UserControl>
<Grid>
<TextBox Text="{Binding ItemName}" />
</Grid>
</UserControl>
public partial class MyUserControl: UserControl
{
public static readonly DependencyProperty ItemNameProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register(
"ItemName",
typeof(string),
typeof(MyUserControl),
new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(string.Empty, FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.BindsTwoWayByDefault)
);
public string ItemName
{
get { return (string)GetValue(ItemNameProperty); }
set { SetValue(ItemNameProperty, value); }
}
}
The information I have found relating to this issue thus far has all been in regards to Silverlight or using a converter to not show the red border (which did not make sense to me). This information was all found here on stackoverflow.
Has anyone been able to solve this issue with WPF? Am I overlooking something obvious?
The ErrorTemplate for UserControl will be used if bindings to your UserControl use ValidatesOnDataErrors=True. But you can remove the red border with the Validation.ErrorTemplate Attached Property.
All controls within your UserControl will only show a red border if you validate their bindings by implementing IDataErrorInfo for the backing DependencyProperties too.
public class MyUserControl : UserControl, IDataErrorInfo
{
public static readonly DependencyProperty ItemNameProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register(
"ItemName",
typeof(string),
typeof(MyUserControl),
new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(string.Empty, FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.BindsTwoWayByDefault)
);
public string ItemName
{
get { return (string)GetValue(ItemNameProperty); }
set { SetValue(ItemNameProperty, value); }
}
public string Error
{
get { throw new NotImplementedException(); }
}
public string this[string columnName]
{
get
{
// use a specific validation or ask for UserControl Validation Error
return Validation.GetHasError(this) ? "UserControl has Error" : null;
}
}
}
and here the simplified XAML
<UserControl Validation.ErrorTemplate="{x:Null}">
<Grid DataContext="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType=UserControl}}">
<TextBox Text="{Binding ItemName, ValidatesOnDataErrors=True}" />
</Grid>
</UserControl>
Addition
If you want to differentiate between errors you can get the BindingExpression for your DependencyProperty and check the HasError Property.
BindingExpression be = BindingOperations.GetBindingExpression(this, ItemNameProperty);
return be != null && be.HasError ? "ItemName has Error" : null;

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