Develop Reference

c# WinForms DataBinding doesn't update my TextBox.text

I wanna bind a TextBox to a class property, so when this property changes, my TextBox changes automatically too (Windows Forms).
I have a class like this:
class Device : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private string can_rpm;
public string Can_rpm
{
get { return can_rpm; }
set { can_rpm = value; NotifyPropertyChanged(); }
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void NotifyPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] String propertyName = "")
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
\\lots of other codes
}
My main form has some code like this (with a textbox called 'tbTest'):
private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Device device= device = new Device();
tbTest.DataBindings.Clear();
tbTest.DataBindings.Add(new Binding("Text",device,"Can_rpm",true,DataSourceUpdateMode.OnPropertyChanged));
\\lots of other stuff
}
My problem: My textBox never updates! A have some other code that updates the 'Can_rpm' property, but nothing shows on my textbox.text. BUT, if I change the empty value of my textbox to something else, my property DOES change too!
So it's working 'one way', but not the other!
I've searched here and googled it, but all I find is examples that does what is already done in my code, but mine doesn't work.
Thanks for helping if you can.

Try with this:
tbTest.DataBindings.Add(nameof(TextBox.Text), device, nameof(Device.Can_rpm));
I've tested the code with your Device class code and this code in the form constructor:
var device = new Device();
this.textBox1.DataBindings.Add(nameof(TextBox.Text), device, nameof(Device.Can_rpm));
device.Can_rpm = "Hello";
After that, my textbox has "Hello" text.
UPDATE
You need update controls always in the thread in which they was created, usually in the main thread. I use a Form extension methods to do that:
public static class FormExtends
{
public static void RunInMyThread(this Form form, Action operation)
{
if (form.InvokeRequired)
{
form.BeginInvoke(operation);
}
else
{
operation();
}
}
}
With the previous extension, you can do (in your Form code) your updates in this way:
this.RunInMyThread(() => device.Can_rpm = "Hello");
Another way to do that:
public class Device : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private static SynchronizationContext GuiContext = SynchronizationContext.Current;
private string can_rpm;
public string Can_rpm
{
get { return can_rpm; }
set { can_rpm = value; NotifyPropertyChanged(); }
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void NotifyPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] String propertyName = "")
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
GuiContext.Post(
s => PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName)),
null);
}
}
}
GuiContext is initialized in the main thread so it runs the code in that thread. If you change your PropertyChanged event to throw in the Post of that context, you don't need take care about where your device properties are changed because the notiy always run in the main thread.

c# DataChanged event does trigger on a windows form (Desktop Application)

I have a form, I select some checkboxes, edit some text field, select from a combobox etc. then I click Exit. Based on the fact that "Data has been changed ??" I wish to perform actions. The problem is I can't get the event work :
private void DataChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
MessageBox.Show("Data is changed", "debug");
isDataSaved = false;
}
When is this method called, how do I make it work? Is this supposed to get fired when the form's fields have some data i.e filL a text box ?
I dont really get the API: DataChanged event
Note: I'm following Mike Murach C# 5th edition chapter 10 example.
Edit (exact words from book):
Generate an event handler named DataChanged for the
SelectedIndexChanged event of the XXXX Name combo box. Then , wire
this event handler to the TextChanged event of the YYYYY Method label
and add the code to this event handler so it sets the isDataSaved
variable to false
When I double click on the commbo box the generated event handler it is not named DataChanged but cboNames_SelectedIndexChanged... (is this a book screw up or me total noob ? PS: There is no .. 'database' in the project)

Personally I mostly use databinding these days to get notified of changes in data.
A data holder class, which implements INotifyPropertyChanged. This interface gives you the possibility to get notified when the value of a property changes.
public class SomeData: INotifyPropertyChanged {
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void SetProperty<T>(ref T field, T value, [CallerMemberName] string name = "") {
if (!EqualityComparer<T>.Default.Equals(field, value)) {
field = value;
var handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null) {
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
}
}
}
private boolean _someBoolean;
public int SomeBoolean {
get { return _someBoolean; }
set {
SetProperty(ref _someBoolean, value);
}
}
private string _someString;
public string SomeString {
get { return _someString; }
set {
SetProperty(ref _someString, value);
}
}
// etc
}
Now our form, which uses the data class and it's INotifyPropertyChanged implementation to get notified when a change in data occurs.
public partial class SomeForm: Form {
private SomeData _data;
private void LoadData() {
_data = new SomeData();
_data.PropertyChanged += Data_PropertyChanged;
}
private void SaveData() {
// TODO: Save data
}
private void AddDataBindings() {
checkbox1.DataBindings.Add("Checked", _data, "SomeBoolean");
textbox1.DataBindings.Add("Text", _data, "SomeString");
// add other
}
private void Data_PropertyChanged(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e) {
// Here you can add actions that must be triggered when some data changes.
if (e.PropertyName == "SomeBoolean") {
// Do something when some-boolean property changes
}
// Set is-changed-boolean to true to 'remember' that something has changed.
_isChanged = true;
// Give message
MessageBox.Show(string.Format("Data changed, property {0}", e.PropertyName));
}
private bool _isChanged = false;
protected void Form_Closed(object sender, EventArgs e) {
// If data is changed, save it
if (_isChanged) {
SaveData();
}
}
}

Your problem is not known where the method DataChanged use and how. I have a suggestion for you that is use Focus Activated in properties.Add datachanged printing method Activated
good luck.
You must make properties this like

How to write a Trigger?

I want my C# code to call an event whenever a value is assigned to my object.
How exactly would I need to go about that?
class MyClass {
ManualResetEvent mre;
public MyClass() {
mre = new ManualResetEvent(false);
Data = null;
}
public object Data { get; set; }
void DataSet(object sender, EventArgs e) {
Console.WriteLine("object Data has been set.");
mre.Set();
}
}
Delegates don't seem to be what I need. An event, maybe? How would I write such an event, if so?
MyClass mc;
void processA() {
mc = new MyClass();
mc.Data = GetDataFromLongProcess();
}

private object data;
public object Data {
get { return data;}
set {
if(value != data) {
data = value;
OnDataChanged();
}
}
}
protected virtual void OnDataChanged() {
EventHandler handler = DataChanged;
if(handler != null) handler(this, EventArgs.Empty);
}
public event EventHandler DataChanged;
then hook any code to the DataChanged event. For example:
MyClass mc = ...
mc.DataChanged += delegate {
Console.WriteLine("new data! wow!");
};

If you want to fire an event when your property is set, you would do something like this:
public event Action OnDataChanged;
protected object _data = null;
public object Data
{
get { return _data; }
set
{
_data = value;
if(OnDataChanged != null)
OnDataChanged();
}
}
Then you would simply wire up event handlers to your object like so:
mc = new MyClass();
mc.OnDataChanged += delegate() { Console.WriteLine("It changed!"); };
mc.Data = SomeValue();

I think you're on the right track with an event-based model. Also take a look at the Observer pattern (which is the basis for .Net delegates and events underneath it all, as I understand):
http://www.dofactory.com/Patterns/PatternObserver.aspx
But the bottom line, as the other useful answer so far (Mr. Gravell's implementation) indicates, you're going to have to have code IN the setter to get it hooked up. The only alternative would be to poll the value for changes, which just smells bad to me.

you could implement INotifyPropertyChanged (this is more or less a event) or you could take your class a Action (Trigger) and call this, whenn the property changed.
Just don't use automatic properties but a concrete setter and call your event/trigger from there.

Conceptually, you would define an event in your class, and in your property set blocks, you would invoke the event with the necessary arguments to determine what just happened.

public event SomeDelegateThatTakesIntAsParameter myEvent;
void SetData(int data)
{
if(myEvent!= null)
myEvent(data)
}

Update ObservableCollection from BackgroundWorker/ProgressChanged Event

I'm writing a simple tool for troubleshooting computers. Basically its just a WPF Window with a ListBox bound to an ObservableCollection<ComputerEntry> where ComputerEntry is a simple class containing the computer host name, and Status. All the tool does is ping each compute name in the list, and if a response is received ComputerEntry.Status is updated to indicate the computer is connected to the network somewhere...
Pinging however can take some time, up to a couple seconds per computer depending on if it has to timeout or not. So I'm running the actual ping in a BackgroundWorker and using the ReportProgress method to update the UI.
Unfortunately the ObservableCollection does not seem raise the PropertyChanged event after the objects are updated. The collection does update with the new information, but the status never changes in the ListBox. Presumably because it does not know that the collection has changed.
[EDIT]
Per fantasticfix, the key here is: "The ObservableCollection fires just when the list gets changed (added, exchanged, removed)." Since I was setting the properties of the object instead of modifying it, the ObservableCollection was not notifying the list of the change -- it didn't know how. After implenting INotifyPropertyChanged everything works fine. Conversly, replacing the object in the list with a new updated instance will also fix the problem.
[/EDIT]
Btw I'm using C# 3.5 and I'm not in a position where I can add additional dependancies like TPL.
So as a simplified example [that won't compile without more work...]:
//Real one does more but hey its an example...
public class ComputerEntry
{
public string ComputerName { get; private set; }
public string Status { get; set; }
public ComputerEntr(string ComputerName)
{
this.ComptuerName = ComputerName;
}
}
//...*In Window Code*...
private ObservableCollection<ComputerEntry> ComputerList { get; set; }
private BackgroundWorker RefreshWorker;
private void Init()
{
RefreshWorker = new BackgroundWorker();
RefreshWorker.WorkerReportsProgress = true;
RefreshWorker.DoWork += new DoWorkEventHandler(RefreshWorker_DoWork);
RefreshWorker.ProgressChanged += new ProgressChangedEventHandler(RefreshWorker_ProgressChanged);
}
private void Refresh()
{
RefreshWorker.RunWorkerAsync(this.ComputerList);
}
private void RefreshWorker_DoWork(object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
{
List<ComputerEntry> compList = e as List<ComputerEntry>;
foreach(ComputerEntry o in compList)
{
ComputerEntry updatedValue = new ComputerEntry();
updatedValue.Status = IndicatorHelpers.PingTarget(o.ComputerName);
(sender as BackgroundWorker).ReportProgress(0, value);
}
}
private void RefreshWorker_ProgressChanged(object sender, ProgressChangedEventArgs e)
{
ComputerEntry updatedValue = new ComputerEntry();
if(e.UserState != null)
{
updatedValue = (ComputerEntry)e.UserState;
foreach(ComputerEntry o in this.ComputerList)
{
if (o.ComputerName == updatedValue.ComputerName)
{
o.Status = updatedValue.Status;
}
}
}
}
Sorry for the jumble but its rather long with all the support code. Anyways, void Refresh() is called from a DispatcherTimer (which isn't shown), that starts RefreshWorker.RunWorkerAsync(this.ComputerList);.
I've been fighting this for a few days so I'm now to the point where I'm not actually attempting to modify the objects referenced in the ObservableCollection directly anymore. Hence the ugly looping through the ComputerList collection and setting the properties directly.
Any idea whats going on here and how I can fix it?

The observableCollection wont fire when you change properties of items which are inside of the collection (how should it even know that). The ObservableCollection fires just when the list gets changed (added, exchanged, removed).
If you want to detect the changes of the properties of the ComputerEntry the class has to Implement the INotifyPropertyChange interface (if you know MVVM, its like a lightweight MVVM pattern)
public class ComputerEntry : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
#region INotifyPropertyChanged Members
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
#endregion
private void RaisePropertyChanged(String propertyName)
{
if (this.PropertyChanged != null)
{
this.PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
private String _ComputerName;
public String ComputerName
{
get
{
return _ComputerName;
}
set
{
if (_ComputerName != value)
{
_ComputerName = value;
this.RaisePropertyChanged("ComputerName");
}
}
}
}

Haven't used this in a long time, but don't you need something like INotifyPropertyChanged implemented?

How to trigger event when a variable's value is changed?

I'm currently creating an application in C# using Visual Studio. I want to create some code so that when a variable has a value of 1 then a certain piece of code is carried out.
I know that I can use an if statement but the problem is that the value will be changed in an asynchronous process so technically the if statement could be ignored before the value has changed.
Is it possible to create an event handler so that when the variable value changes an event is triggered? If so, how can I do this?
It is completely possible that I could have misunderstood how an if statement works! Any help would be much appreciated.

Seems to me like you want to create a property.
public int MyProperty
{
get { return _myProperty; }
set
{
_myProperty = value;
if (_myProperty == 1)
{
// DO SOMETHING HERE
}
}
}
private int _myProperty;
This allows you to run some code any time the property value changes. You could raise an event here, if you wanted.

You can use a property setter to raise an event whenever the value of a field is going to change.
You can have your own EventHandler delegate or you can use the famous System.EventHandler delegate.
Usually there's a pattern for this:
Define a public event with an event handler delegate (that has an argument of type EventArgs).
Define a protected virtual method called OnXXXXX (OnMyPropertyValueChanged for example). In this method you should check if the event handler delegate is null and if not you can call it (it means that there are one or more methods attached to the event delegation).
Call this protected method whenever you want to notify subscribers that something has changed.
Here's an example
private int _age;
//#1
public event System.EventHandler AgeChanged;
//#2
protected virtual void OnAgeChanged()
{
if (AgeChanged != null) AgeChanged(this,EventArgs.Empty);
}
public int Age
{
get
{
return _age;
}
set
{
//#3
_age=value;
OnAgeChanged();
}
}
The advantage of this approach is that you let any other classes that want to inherit from your class to change the behavior if necessary.
If you want to catch an event in a different thread that it's being raised you must be careful not to change the state of objects that are defined in another thread which will cause a cross thread exception to be thrown. To avoid this you can either use an Invoke method on the object that you want to change its state to make sure that the change is happening in the same thread that the event has been raised or in case that you are dealing with a Windows Form you can use a BackgourndWorker to do things in a parallel thread nice and easy.

The .NET framework actually provides an interface that you can use for notifying subscribers when a property has changed: System.ComponentModel.INotifyPropertyChanged. This interface has one event PropertyChanged. Its usually used in WPF for binding but I have found it useful in business layers as a way to standardize property change notification.
In terms of thread safety I would put a lock under in the setter so that you don't run into any race conditions.
Here are my thoughts in code :) :
public class MyClass : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private object _lock;
public int MyProperty
{
get
{
return _myProperty;
}
set
{
lock(_lock)
{
//The property changed event will get fired whenever
//the value changes. The subscriber will do work if the value is
//1. This way you can keep your business logic outside of the setter
if(value != _myProperty)
{
_myProperty = value;
NotifyPropertyChanged("MyProperty");
}
}
}
}
private NotifyPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
//Raise PropertyChanged event
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
}
public class MySubscriber
{
private MyClass _myClass;
void PropertyChangedInMyClass(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
switch(e.PropertyName)
{
case "MyProperty":
DoWorkOnMyProperty(_myClass.MyProperty);
break;
}
}
void DoWorkOnMyProperty(int newValue)
{
if(newValue == 1)
{
//DO WORK HERE
}
}
}
Hope this is helpful :)

just use a property
int _theVariable;
public int TheVariable{
get{return _theVariable;}
set{
_theVariable = value;
if ( _theVariable == 1){
//Do stuff here.
}
}
}

2022
you can use generic class:
class Wrapped<T> {
private T _value;
public Action WillChange;
public Action DidChange;
public T Value
{
get => _value;
set
{
if ( _value != value )
{
OnWillChange();
_value = value;
OnDidChanged();
}
}
}
protected virtual void OnWillChange() => WillChange?.Invoke();
protected virtual void OnDidChange() => DidChange?.Invoke();
}
and will be able to do the following:
var i = new Wrapped<int>();
i.WillChange += () => { Console.WriteLine("will be changed!"); };
i.DidChange += () => { Console.WriteLine("changed!"); };
i.Value = 10;
i.Value = 11;
i.Value = 10;
i.Value = 11;
Console.ReadKey();
result:
will be changed!
changed!
will be changed!
changed!
will be changed!
changed!
will be changed!
changed!

A simple method involves using the get and set functions on the variable
using System;
public string Name{
get{
return name;
}
set{
name= value;
OnVarChange?.Invoke();
}
}
private string name;
public event System.Action OnVarChange;