Develop Reference

WPF C# PropertyChanged always null

I have played around with this for a while and decided to see if someone can help, I have set in the constructor of StatusInfo the DataContext = this and didn't work. When I write a string to ScreenStatusBarText it does call the OnPropertyChanged method but every time the PropertyChanged value is null. I The status block I have at the bottom of the screen. I have a tab section above this stack panel that has many components that use bindings and work.
Screen Code
<StackPanel Margin="0,1047,0,0">
<Grid Name="StatusBarItemGrid">
<TextBlock Name="StatusBarText" Text="may the force be with you" VerticalAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" />
</Grid>
</StackPanel>
Data Model:
public partial class StatusInfo : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private string screenStatusBarText;
public StatusInfo()
{
BindScreenStatusBarText();
screenStatusBarText = "Initialized";
}
public string ScreenStatusBarText
{
get { return screenStatusBarText; }
set
{
screenStatusBarText = value;
OnPropertyChanged("StatusBarText");
}
}
private void BindScreenStatusBarText()
{
Binding b = new Binding();
b.Source = screenStatusBarText;
b.Mode = BindingMode.OneWay;
b.UpdateSourceTrigger = UpdateSourceTrigger.PropertyChanged;
b.Path = new PropertyPath("StatusBarText");
MainWindow.mainWindow.StatusBarText.SetBinding(TextBlock.TextProperty, b);
MainWindow.mainWindow.StatusBarText.DataContext = this;
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
void OnPropertyChanged(string propName)
{
if (this.PropertyChanged != null)
this.PropertyChanged(
this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propName));
}
}
My main :
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
public static StatusInfo status;
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
SourceInitialized += MainWindow_SourceInitialized;
}
private void MainWindow_SourceInitialized(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
SetUpDisplay();
}
private void SetUpDisplay()
{
status = new StatusInfo();
}
}

Set the Binding in XAML instead of code behind:
<TextBlock Text="{Binding ScreenStatusBarText}" />
And use a view model like
public class StatusInfo : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private string screenStatusBarText = "Initialized";
public string ScreenStatusBarText
{
get { return screenStatusBarText; }
set
{
screenStatusBarText = value;
OnPropertyChanged(nameof(ScreenStatusBarText));
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this,
new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
with an instance of the view model class assigned to the MainWindow's DataContext:
private readonly StatusInfo statusInfo = new StatusInfo();
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
DataContext = statusInfo;
}
You may now access the view model class at any time later, e.g. in an event handler of an element of MainWindow:
statusInfo.ScreenStatusBarText = "Something";

I think your going to struggle doing your binding in code behind.
Having said that, with regards to why your PropertyChanged value is null. You've simply made a typo, as-is you're notifying subscribers that a property that doesn't exist has changed. One solution to avoid such typos is to use nameof.
public string ScreenStatusBarText
{
get { return screenStatusBarText; }
set
{
screenStatusBarText = value;
OnPropertyChanged(nameof(ScreenStatusBarText));
}
}
It occurred to me you may also have meant that your event was null. This simply means you don't have any subscribers. See Why is my "Event" always null?.
private void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
var handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null) // I have a subscriber.
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}

How to notify a bound element oh a value change when value derives from model?

I have the visibility of a progress bar bound to The following property within my viewmodel:
public string CalcProgVisibility
{
get
{
return Calculation.CalcProgVisibility;
}
set
{
}
}
Calculation is my model, which can change the value. When the value changes within the model, what do I need to do to make sure the view is aware of this change?
EDIT:
Here is the property within my model too. I am using onpropertychanged but its not making it to the view.
I am changing the value within the model, the view is bound to my viewmodel and the viewmodel si trying to return a value taken from the model. I am updating the value on the model, and cannot push the fact that it has updated the value all the way down to the view, I can only get the viewmodel to see it has changed...

I updated the entire code. I hope it's clear now.
Define your control BindingMode = TwoWay
<TextBox Visibility="{Binding Path=CalcProgVisibility, Mode=TwoWay}"...
and call the OnPropertyChanged method on the setter of the property in your view model and also in your model
//Model
public class Calculation : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private string _calcProgVisibility;
public string CalcProgVisibility
{
get { return _calcProgVisibility; }
set
{
_calcProgVisibility = value;
OnPropertyChanged("CalcProgVisibility");
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
RaisePropertyChanged(propertyName);
}
private void RaisePropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler == null) return;
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
//ViewModel
public class ViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public ViewModel(Calculation model)
{
this.CalcProgVisibility = model.CalcProgVisibility;
model.PropertyChanged += (s, e) => UpdateEntity(s as Calculation);
}
private void UpdateEntity(Calculation source)
{
CalcProgVisibility = source.CalcProgVisibility;
}
private string _calcProgVisibility;
public string CalcProgVisibility
{
get { return _calcProgVisibility; }
set
{
_calcProgVisibility = value;
OnPropertyChanged("CalcProgVisibility");
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
RaisePropertyChanged(propertyName);
}
private void RaisePropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler == null) return;
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}

Your Viewmodel has to implement the INotifyPropertyChanged Interface. To fire it in your case your viewmodel must also be aware of changes in your model object. So your model object could also implement INotifyPropertyChanged, or you use some form of the observer pattern.
If your model implements INotifyPropertyChanged, your viewmodel must manually register for this event and implement an handler. This could in turn trigger the PropertyChange event of the viewmodel then.
Another but in my opinion ugly way would be to scan (per timer or background thread) through your viemodel and check if a value changed since the last scan and then trigger a property changed event.
The first solution could look like this:
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
namespace StackOverflow
{
[TestClass]
public class IntegrationTest
{
[TestMethod]
public void NotifyPropertyChangeShouldFireOnViewModelWhenModelChanges()
{
//Arrange
Model model = new Model();
ViewModel sut = new ViewModel(model);
bool notifyPropertyChangeOnViewModelWasCalled = false;
sut.PropertyChanged += (sender, e) => { notifyPropertyChangeOnViewModelWasCalled = true; };
//Act
model.CalcValue = 4711;
//Assert
Assert.IsTrue(notifyPropertyChangeOnViewModelWasCalled, "NotifyPropertyChange was not fired on ViewModel");
}
}
public class ObjectWithNotifyPropertyChanged : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected void RaisePropertyChanged([CallerMemberName]string propertyName = "")
{
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null)
{
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
}
public class Model : ObjectWithNotifyPropertyChanged
{
private double calcValue;
public double CalcValue
{
get
{
return calcValue;
}
set
{
if (calcValue != value)
{
calcValue = value;
RaisePropertyChanged();
}
}
}
}
public class ViewModel : ObjectWithNotifyPropertyChanged
{
public ViewModel(Model model)
{
this.model = model;
model.PropertyChanged += model_PropertyChanged;
}
void model_PropertyChanged(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
switch (e.PropertyName)
{
case "CalcValue":
RaisePropertyChanged("CalcValue");
break;
}
}
private Model model;
public double CalcValue
{
get
{
return model.CalcValue;
}
}
}
}

INotifyPropertyChanged not firing on ViewModel inside ItemsControl

I'm using ObservableCollection<MyItemViewModel> myItemVMList as the ItemsSouce. I am able to bind Command perfectly but the INotifyPropertyChanged isn't working. Here's my code:
public class MyItemViewModel: INotifyPropertyChanged {
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected void OnPropertyChanged(string name) {
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null) {
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
}
}
public MyItem MyItem { set; get; }
private RelayCommand _ChangeMyItemPropertyValue;
public ICommand ChangeMyItemPropertyValueCommand {
get {
if (_ChangeMyItemPropertyValue == null) _ChangeMyItemPropertyValue = new RelayCommand(o => ChangeMyItemPropertyValue());
return _ChangeMyItemPropertyValue;
}
}
private ChangeMyItemPropertyValue() {
MyItem.SomeProperty = someDifferentValue;
// NEITHER OF THESE CALLS WORK
OnPropertyChanged("MyItem.SomeProperty");
OnPropertyChagned("SomeProperty");
}
}
Needless to say, the binding is set as Content="{Binding MyItem.SomeProperty}" inside the DataTemplate, and it shows the correct value. Problem is it isn't updated when I run the function.
SideNote: If I implement the INotifyPropertyChanged inside MyItem it works, but I want it on the ViewModel.

If I implement the INotifyPropertyChanged inside MyItem it works, but I want it on the ViewModel
Yes, because that's how it's designed. How it's supposed to know it should listen to your ViewModel's property changed event? It doesn't bind to it, it binds to the model, so it listens to the changes on the model.
You have two choices basically:
Implement INotifyPropertyChanged on MyItem
Bind to the ViewModel
Content="{Binding SomeProperty}"
And add a wrapper property:
public string SomeProperty
{
get { return MyItem.SomeProperty; }
set
{
MyItem.SomeProperty = value;
OnPropertyChanged("SomeProperty");
}
}
You should prefer binding to the ViewModel if you want to follow MVVM practices.
Side note: If you add [CallerMemberName] to OnPropertyChanged like this:
protected void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string name = null) {
var handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null)
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
}
You'll be able to skip the property name altogether:
public string SomeProperty
{
get { return MyItem.SomeProperty; }
set
{
MyItem.SomeProperty = value;
OnPropertyChanged(); // <-- no need for property name anymore
}
}

WPF TextBox Not Updating with Data Binding, iNotifyPropertyChanged, and PropertyChanged Trigger

I am having a binding issue I wasn't able to figure out for the past two days. I have thoroughly went through most of the relevant threads on SO, and I still wasn't able to pinpoint where my error lies.
The issue I'm having is with one of the textboxes in my program. The purpose of it is to show the file the user has selected from the file browser. I have bound the text property of it to a string called parameterFileSelected but the textbox never updates even though debugging seems to be showing that the iNotifyPropertyChanged is called and executed properly.
Please help me take a look at my code below if there are any mistakes in my code.
The textbox is part of an xaml called GenerateReports and this view is tied to the GenerateReportsViewModel as follows:
Code for setting datacontext to GenerateReportsViewModel
<Grid >
<Grid.DataContext>
<vm:GenerateReportsViewModel/>
</Grid.DataContext>
<Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
....
Code for TextBox. I have tried removing the Twoway mode, changing it to Oneway and removing the mode but there is no difference.
<TextBox Grid.Column="2" Grid.Row="1" Margin="5" Text="{Binding parameterFileSelected, Mode=Twoway, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}" ></TextBox>
To get the file browser and then to pass the selected file result to the GenerateReportsViewModel, this is the function in the codebehind file. The genviewmodel is initialized in the beginning of the codebehind file as GenerateReportsViewModel genViewModel = new GenerateReportsViewModel();
private void ParaFileButtonClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
OpenFileDialog openFileDialog = new OpenFileDialog();
if (openFileDialog.ShowDialog() == true)
{
DataContext = genViewModel;
genViewModel.updateParameterFileSelected(openFileDialog.FileName.ToString());
}
}
This is the code that's called in GenerateReportsViewModel to update the parameterFileSelected string the textbox is bound to.
class GenerateReportsViewModel : ViewModelBase
{
private string _parameterFileSelected;
public string parameterFileSelected
{
get { return _parameterFileSelected; }
set { SetValue(ref _parameterFileSelected, value); }
}
public void updateParameterFileSelected(string parameterFile)
{
parameterFileSelected = parameterFile;
}
}
Here is the ViewModelBase the viewmodel is attached to.
public class ViewModelBase : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public void SetValue<T>(ref T property, T value, [CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
if (property != null)
{
if (property.Equals(value)) return;
}
OnPropertyChanged(propertyName);
property = value;
}
protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
{
var handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null) handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
}
EDIT
Working Solution after Applying Kevin's Suggestions
For simplicity sake, the Datacontext was set in the XAML.
<Grid>
<Grid.DataContext>
<vm:GenerateReportsViewModel x:Name="generateReportsViewModel"/>
</Grid.DataContext>
Then, I call the string the textbox was bound to, in the viewmodel directly from code behind.
private void ParaFileButtonClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
OpenFileDialog openFileDialog = new OpenFileDialog();
if (openFileDialog.ShowDialog() == true)
{
generateReportsViewModel.parameterFileSelected = openFileDialog.FileName.ToString();
}
}
The ViewModel now uses Kevin's ViewModelBase:
public class GenerateReportsViewModel : ViewModelBase
{
public string parameterFileSelected
{
get { return this.GetValue<string>(); }
set { this.SetValue(value); }
}
}
Thank you Kevin for your solution. Now my 2-day-long problem is solved.
I found out that my previous ViewModelBase was calling iNotifyPropertyChanged but somehow when the View was updated, the value was null instead.

I'm trying to understand why using the ref keyword in your viewModel. I learned a nice way to create the BaseViewModel from the Classon and Baxter book which you can find below. The view-model implements the INotifyPropertyChanged like you did. What you did with [CallerMemberName] is great, it's really magical the way we can reference to our properties thanks to it.
The view model uses a the dictionary to store its properties. It uses a pretty neat trick of looking through the dictionnary keys to see if we contain the string name of the property.Otherwise, we will return a default T value.
public class CommonBaseViewModel: INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private Dictionary<string, object> Values { get; set; }
protected CommonBaseViewModel()
{
this.Values = new Dictionary<string, object>();
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected T GetValue<T>([CallerMemberName] string name=null)
{
if (this.Values.ContainsKey(name))
{
return (T)this.Values[name];
}
else
{
return default(T);
}
}
protected void SetValue(object value, [CallerMemberName] string name = null)
{
this.Values[name] = value;
//notify my property
this.OnPropertyChanged(new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
}
protected void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string name=null)
{
this.OnPropertyChanged(new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
}
protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged(PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
if(this.PropertyChanged != null)
{
this.PropertyChanged(this, e);
}
}
}
As for your GenerateReportViewModel, with the common view model that I provided you, your class then becomes :
public class GenerateReportsViewModel : CommonViewModelBase
{
private string _parameterFileSelected;
public string parameterFileSelected
{
get { return _parameterFileSelected; }
set { SetValue(ref _parameterFileSelected, value); }
}
get
{
return this.GetValue<string>();
}
set
{
this.SetValue(value);
}
public void updateParameterFileSelected(string parameterFile)
{
parameterFileSelected = parameterFile;
}
}
Oh before I forgot, I don't know if it was your intention, but your GenerateReportViewModel is private. This has some impact on your code. Don't forget that by defaut, classes are private!
As for your code behind, even though it could be consider bad practice, I recommend that you have a private field (OpenFileDialog _openFileDialog)that you construct while initializing your page. Because doing it each time your clicking your button is going to consume more data that you need your application to.
//EDIT
I have review my code,and it seemed that the property was not programmed correctly.
public class GenerateReportsViewModel : CommonViewModelBase
{
private string _parameterFileSelected;
public string parameterFileSelected
{
get
{
return this.GetValue<string>();
}
set
{
this.SetValue(value);
}
public void updateParameterFileSelected(string parameterFile)
{
parameterFileSelected = parameterFile;
}
}
More about my comment about constructing the page and binding the view model. While creating your page, you have to create the view-model for that page and then bind it to the data context.
I don't know what you do in your code, but I could provide with this sample such as
public GenerateReportView()
{
InitializeComponent();
//Some operations
var generateReportViewModel = new GenerateReportViewModel();
this.DataContext = generateReportViewModel;
}

MVVM pattern implementation

I want use MVVM pattern in the WP app. I have a some idea about this pattern. But I do not understand some things. I do not know whether it's good practice or not to do so.
So, I have Model.
Model is a data structure. The set of fields and properties.
Model
public class Person : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private string name;
private GeoCoordinate coordinate;
public string Name
{
get
{
return name;
}
set
{
if (this.name != value)
{
this.name = value;
this.RaisePropertyChanged("Name");
}
}
}
public GeoCoordinate Coordinate
{
get
{
return this.coordinate;
}
set
{
if (this.coordinate != value)
{
this.coordinate = value;
this.RaisePropertyChanged("Coordinate");
}
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void RaisePropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = this.PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null)
{
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
}
ViewModel initializes the fields of the model.
ViewModel
public class PersonViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public Person User
{
get;
private set;
}
public PersonViewModel()
{
this.User = new Person();
}
public LoadData()
{
Service.GetUser((result) =>
{
this.User.Name = result.Name;
this.User.Coordinate = result.Coordinate;
});
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void NotifyPropertyChanged(String propertyName)
{
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if (null != handler)
{
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
}
View
PersonViewModel _viewModel;
this.DataContext = _viewModel;
_viewModel.LoadData();
Here are the moments that I would like to clarify:
How can ViewModel notify View about error in loading data, end loading?
Can I pass part of date to View (without databinding, technically it is possible, I mean, this is permissible under the pattern)?
For exaple, in ViewModel:
public LoadData(Action<Person, Exception> act)
{
Service.GetUser((result, error) =>
{
if (error != null)
{
act.Invoke(null, error);
}
else
{
this.User.Name = result.Name;
this.User.Coordinate = result.Coordinate;
act.Invoke(result, null);
}
});
}
In View:
_viewModel.LoadData((result, error) =>
{
if (error != null)
{
//error data loading
}
else
{
//successfully loading
}
});
This is terrible, probably this approach destroys the whole concept. But, for example, I work with Jeff Wilcox static map.
<jwMaps:StaticMap
Provider="Bing"
Visibility="Visible">
<jwMaps:StaticMap.MapCenter>
<geo:GeoCoordinate
Latitude ="50"
Longitude="50" />
</jwMaps:StaticMap.MapCenter>
</jwMaps:StaticMap>
I can't binding coordinate to this control. I tried, dont't work. If use
StaticMap.MapCenter =
new GeoCoordinate() { Latitude = user.Latitude, Longitude = user.Longitude };
then works.
In the case of a delegate I could do it in a successfully branch...
Please help advice.

you can send messages from your viewmodel to your view for that you can use Messenger class of mvvm light.
And i will not broke the MVVM pattern Because What MVVM pattern is that you have to do your logic part in ViewModel but it does not mean that you can not use Your Page.xaml.cs Code behind.you can make decisions on visibility or any UI related Code in your Code behind.Also it is not a Hard Coded Pattern actually it is made to organize your project in much better and simpler way but if you have to communicate between view and your viewModel for some Reason that you can not solve from viewmodel than you can use you codebehind.
I am not an expert but this is what i think..hope some updates on this topic..