Develop Reference

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

Wpf force IDataErrorInfo validation not working when switching tabs

Following this answer I was able to trigger validation error in WPF 4.0. However, it doesn't work when switching tabs. Odd.
Here's the sample. Go to tab 2, click the button, switch to tab 1, switch to tab 2 again and click the button. This second time, no error adorner is shown.
ViewModel
class ViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged, IDataErrorInfo
{
private List<string> errors;
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public ViewModel()
{
errors = new List<string>();
}
private string text;
public string Text
{
get { return text; }
set
{
text = value;
RaisePropertyChanged("Text");
}
}
public void Validate()
{
errors.Clear();
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(Text))
errors.Add("Required field");
}
public void RaisePropertyChanged(string p)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(p));
}
string IDataErrorInfo.Error
{
get { return errors.FirstOrDefault(); }
}
string IDataErrorInfo.this[string columnName]
{
get
{
if (columnName == "Text")
return errors.FirstOrDefault();
return null;
}
}
}
XAML
<Window x:Class="ErrorAdorner.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">
<Grid>
<TabControl>
<TabItem Header="First">
<TextBlock Text="Nothing here"/>
</TabItem>
<TabItem Header="Second">
<StackPanel>
<TextBox Text="{Binding Text, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged, ValidatesOnDataErrors=True}"/>
<Button Content="Trigger" Click="Button_Click" Margin="0,30,0,0"/>
</StackPanel>
</TabItem>
</TabControl>
</Grid>
Code behind
using System.Windows;
namespace ErrorAdorner
{
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
private ViewModel model;
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
DataContext = model = new ViewModel();
}
private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
model.Validate();
model.RaisePropertyChanged("Text");
}
}
}
Any insights?

Binding to an Static property of an Static class doesn't work

I'm trying to Bind the Text property of the TextBlock to StaticClass.Percent. Since I couldn't do that (Or could I?) I have defined the LoadingPercent in my ViewModel so that I can bind to it. It is still not working. How can I solve this? Or can I bind to the StaticClass directly and ignore the ViewModel approach?
<Window x:Class="TestBinding.MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:testBinding="clr-namespace:TestBinding"
Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
<Window.DataContext>
<testBinding:ViewModel/>
</Window.DataContext>
<StackPanel>
<TextBlock Width="100"
HorizontalAlignment="Center"
Text="{Binding LoadingPercent}"/>
<Button Content="Change"
Width="200"
Height="30"
Margin="0 20 0 0"
HorizontalAlignment="Center"
Click="ChangeText"/>
</StackPanel>
</Window>
public partial class MainWindow
{
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
private void ChangeText(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
StaticClass.Percentage = 10;
}
}
public class ViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private double loadingPercent;
public double LoadingPercent
{
get { return StaticClass.Percentage; }
set
{
loadingPercent = value;
RaisePropertyChanged("LoadingPercent");
}
}
private void RaisePropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
var handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null)
{
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
}
public static class StaticClass
{
public static int Percentage { get; set; }
}

Here is a mistake:
private double loadingPercent;
public double LoadingPercent
{
get { return StaticClass.Percentage; }
set
{
loadingPercent = value;
RaisePropertyChanged("LoadingPercent");
}
}
You return in get the StaticClass.Percentage but you assign loadingPercent in set.
I am not sure why you need the static class after all, but if you want to ditch the viewmodel and bind directly to the static property, see here

using a button to make a user control visible in WPF using MVVM pattern

I have a grid in WPF that contains a button which should make a user control visible. How do I make this possible using MVVM pattern and /or code behind?

In your view model you want a bool property for the visibility of the user control. We'll call it IsUserControlVisible. Now you'll need a command in your view model that will set the IsUserControlVisible property to true. We'll call this ShowUserControlCommand.
In XAML you would bind the visibility of the User Control to IsUserControlVisible. In WPF there is a BooleanToVisibilityConverter, so we don't have to create our own converter. Your XAML would look something like this.
<Window
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
<Window.Resources>
<BooleanToVisibilityConverter x:Key="BooleanToVisibilityConverter" />
</Window.Resources>
<Grid>
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition Height="50" />
<RowDefinition Height="*" />
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<Button Command="{Binding ShowUserControlCommand}">Show</Button>
<UserControl Grid.Row="1" Visibility="{Binding IsUserControlVisible, Converter={StaticResource BooleanToVisibilityConverter}}" />
</Grid>
</Window>
I hope this helps.

Following a full example on how you can achieve this in MVVM with an illustration of ICommand interface.
your main should look like this
XAML:
<Window x:Class="WpfApplication3.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"
xmlns:my="clr-namespace:WpfApplication3">
<Grid>
<my:UserControl1 Background="Aqua"
Visibility="{Binding ChangeControlVisibility,Mode=TwoWay,UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}"
HorizontalAlignment="Left"
Margin="111,66,0,0"
x:Name="userControl11"
VerticalAlignment="Top"
Height="156"
Width="195" />
<Button Content="Button"
Height="36"
HorizontalAlignment="Left"
Margin="36,18,0,0"
Name="button1"
VerticalAlignment="Top"
Width="53"
Command="{Binding MyButtonClickCommand}" />
</Grid>
</Window>
MainWindow.cs
using System;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Input;
namespace WpfApplication3
{
/// <summary>
/// Interaction logic for MainWindow.xaml
/// </summary>
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.DataContext = new MyViewModel();
}
}
}
ViewModel:
public class MyViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public MyViewModel()
{
_myCommand = new MyCommand(FuncToCall,FuncToEvaluate);
}
private ICommand _myCommand;
public ICommand MyButtonClickCommand
{
get { return _myCommand; }
set { _myCommand = value; }
}
private void FuncToCall(object context)
{
//this is called when the button is clicked
//for example
if (this.ChangeControlVisibility== Visibility.Collapsed)
{
this.ChangeControlVisibility = Visibility.Visible;
}
else
{
this.ChangeControlVisibility = Visibility.Collapsed;
}
}
private bool FuncToEvaluate(object context)
{
return true;
}
private Visibility _visibility = Visibility.Visible;
public Visibility ChangeControlVisibility
{
get { return _visibility; }
set {
_visibility = value;
this.OnPropertyChanged("ChangeControlVisibility");
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
}
Command:
class MyCommand : ICommand
{
public delegate void ICommandOnExecute(object parameter);
public delegate bool ICommandOnCanExecute(object parameter);
private ICommandOnExecute _execute;
private ICommandOnCanExecute _canExecute;
public bool CanExecute(object parameter)
{
return _canExecute.Invoke(parameter);
}
public MyCommand(ICommandOnExecute onExecuteMethod, ICommandOnCanExecute onCanExecuteMethod)
{
_execute = onExecuteMethod;
_canExecute = onCanExecuteMethod;
}
public event EventHandler CanExecuteChanged
{
add { CommandManager.RequerySuggested += value; }
remove { CommandManager.RequerySuggested -= value; }
}
public void Execute(object parameter)
{
_execute.Invoke(parameter);
}
}

Generally speaking you have a boolean flag in your viewmodel that is bound to the user controls Visibility using an appropriate converter. You have a command in your viewmodel that is bound to the button's Command property. The Execute method of the command toggles the boolean flag.
Edit:
If you only need the button to make something visible on form, consider the Expander control that already does this out of the box.
<Expander>
<YourUserControl/>
</Expander>

Integrating Context-Sensitive help in WPF application following MVVM

I am trying to implement Help functionality for my wpf application which is following the MVVM pattern. I have my help file present, which contains many pages according to the application. Now I need to integrate this into my application.
Here are my requirements:
Pressing F1 opens a certain page in the help file depending on the view model. For this, I guess, I need to bind the F1 command to my view model. How do we bind keys in views?
Pressing F1 on a text field opens help for that text field. I think it will be the same as requirement 1. But the problem here is how will I know that a certain text field, button, or radio button is selected?

Listen for the key in the view (or a base class of the view) and call execute on a HelpCommand on the DataContext.
Pass the control that has focus (or its id, or tag, ...) as an argument to the HelpCommand.
Alternative way to find the focussed control by using the FocusManager
Here is an example:
ContextHelp C#:
public static class ContextHelp
{
public static readonly DependencyProperty KeywordProperty =
DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached(
"Keyword",
typeof(string),
typeof(ContextHelp));
public static void SetKeyword(UIElement target, string value)
{
target.SetValue(KeywordProperty, value);
}
public static string GetKeyword(UIElement target)
{
return (string)target.GetValue(KeywordProperty);
}
}
ViewBase:
public abstract class ViewBase : UserControl
{
public ViewBase()
{
this.KeyUp += ViewBase_KeyUp;
this.GotFocus += ViewBase_GotFocus;
}
void ViewBase_GotFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
FocusManager.SetIsFocusScope(this, true);
}
void ViewBase_KeyUp(object sender, System.Windows.Input.KeyEventArgs e)
{
if (e.Key == Key.F1)
{
var viewModel = this.DataContext as ViewModelBase;
if (viewModel != null)
{
var helpTopic = "Index";
var focusedElement =
FocusManager.GetFocusedElement(this) as FrameworkElement;
if (focusedElement != null)
{
var keyword = ContextHelp.GetKeyword(focusedElement);
if (!String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(keyword))
{
helpTopic = keyword;
}
}
viewModel.HelpCommand.Execute(helpTopic);
}
}
}
}
ViewModelBase:
public abstract class ViewModelBase: INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public ICommand HelpCommand { get; set; }
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName="")
{
var p = PropertyChanged;
if (p != null)
{
p(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
}
AViewModel:
class AViewModel : ViewModelBase
{
public AViewModel()
{
HelpCommand = new RelayCommand(HelpCommandExecuted, (p)=>true);
}
private void HelpCommandExecuted(object parameter)
{
var topic = parameter as string;
if (!String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(topic))
{
HelpText = String.Format("Information on the interesting topic: {0}.", topic);
}
}
private string _helpText;
public string HelpText
{
get { return _helpText; }
private set
{
if (_helpText != value)
{
_helpText = value;
OnPropertyChanged();
}
}
}
}
AView C#:
public partial class AView : ViewBase
{
public AView()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
}
AView XAML:
<local:ViewBase x:Class="WpfApplication2.AView"
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:WpfApplication2"
mc:Ignorable="d"
d:DesignHeight="300" d:DesignWidth="300">
<Grid>
<Label Content="{Binding HelpText}" Margin="10,254,10,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Height="36"/>
<Button local:ContextHelp.Keyword="Button Info" Content="Button" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="192,32,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="75"/>
<TextBox local:ContextHelp.Keyword="TextBox Info" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Height="23" Margin="29,32,0,0" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="TextBox" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="120"/>
<CheckBox local:ContextHelp.Keyword="CheckBox Info" Content="CheckBox" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="29,80,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top"/>
<ComboBox local:ContextHelp.Keyword="ComboBox Info" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="138,80,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="120"/>
</Grid>
</local:ViewBase>
MainWindow XAML:
<Window
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:WpfApplication2" x:Class="WpfApplication2.MainWindow"
Title="MainWindow" Height="700" Width="500">
<Grid x:Name="ViewPlaceholder">
</Grid>
</Window>
MainWindow C#:
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
var view = new AView();
var viewModel = new AViewModel();
view.DataContext = viewModel;
ViewPlaceholder.Children.Clear();
ViewPlaceholder.Children.Add(view);
}
}