wpf classes global? - c#

IM not a C# programmer by nature but I do ok with it for what i need. Im trying to Learn WPF and my question is, Can I Declare my classes in App.xaml and access it from all of my separate controls? Im primarily interested in this because I would like ot be about to have one LogWriter and let all of them talk to it.
<!-- App.xaml -->
<Application x:Class="MyAPP.App"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:src="clr-namespace:LogWriter"
StartupUri="MainWindow.xaml">
<Application.Resources>
<src:LogWriter x:Name="LogWriter"/>
</Application.Resources>
</Application>

Set x:Key, use StaticResource to reference. Application.Resources are accessible anywhere in the application.

Related

Is there a WinForms way to do Application.Activate()?

In a WPF-Application you can simply do this:
<Application x:Class="Activate.App"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:Activate"
Activated="App_OnActivated"
Deactivated="App_OnDeactivated"
StartupUri="MainWindow.xaml">
<Application.Resources>
</Application.Resources>
</Application>
The intresting lines are:
Activated="App_OnActivated"
Deactivated="App_OnDeactivated"
Is there a way to get the same effect with a WinForms-Application?
Edit
It seems I have not explained myself well, so here is an example project which I originally made for a collage.
Please try to note the difference between switching to a different application and just switching windows inside the application.
https://www.file-upload.net/download-13074329/Activate.zip.html
On the form itself, you've got the following events available:
this.Activated += new System.EventHandler(this.Form1_Activated);
this.Deactivate += new System.EventHandler(this.Form1_Deactivate);

Specify or modify class library style resource values from referencing add-ins

I have a c# wpf-based class library with models, view models, and views, which I am using in multiple add-ins for dektop applications that have APIs which support hosted dockable WPF user controls. From here I can use different controls and launch dialogs to interact with various data structures in the 3rd-party application. My class library doesn't have an App.xaml file.
I have created a ResourceDictionary xaml file that I am using as a main style sheet throughout my views. In my user controls and windows, I reference it:
<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<ResourceDictionary Source="../Resources/styleMain.xaml"/>
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries
Inside of this style sheet, I manage my various controls to simplify and unify my views. At the lowest level, I have settings for things like font size, font family, and color. For example, I have several brushes that I use throughout my controls. One looks like this:
<Color x:Key="ColorBase_Primary" R="255" G="0" B="115" A="255"/>
<SolidColorBrush x:Key="Color_Primary" Color="{StaticResource ColorBase_Primary}"/>
This all works great for design and testing. However, I am referencing this class library in multiple other projects. In these other projects, I am hosting the main user control from my class library:
<UserControl x:Class="MyAppHost.ucDockingHost"
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:MyAppHost"
xmlns:viewModels="clr-namespace:MyClassLibrary.ViewModels;assembly=MyClassLibrary"
xmlns:views="clr-namespace:MyClassLibrary.Views;assembly=MyClassLibrary"
mc:Ignorable="d">
<UserControl.DataContext>
<viewModels:vmMain/>
</UserControl.DataContext>
<Grid>
<views:ucMainGrid ViewModelMain="{Binding}" Property1="SomeValue" Property2="SomeOtherValue"/>
</Grid>
</UserControl>
Here I am setting DependencyProperties from the add-in application that references my class library without any problems, and all of my bindings and control behaviors are working great.
What I am now hoping to do is be able to specify from my add-in (and not the main class library) the basic resource values that are used throughout my style sheet, especially color (as in being able to change the value associated with x:Key="ColorBase_Primary"). This way, I can adapt different implementations to the branding of different clients, etc. I have been searching for a long time for any examples or insight and keep coming up short.
It would be easy enough to simply deploy the entire class library independently with each application and adjust the style sheet directly, but that doesn't seem right at all. Is there some way for me to create a ResourceDictionary in my add-in applications that could supply, modify or and/override the resource values specified in my class library? Or should I do it through a DependencyProperty in my view model? That doesn't seem right either.
Do not use the MergedDictionaries in your library, i.e. remove this:
In your application, you then merge all resource dictionaries from your library in the correct order:
<Application x:Class="WpfApplication1.App"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:WpfApplication1"
StartupUri="MainWindow.xaml">
<Application.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary>
<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<ResourceDictionary Source="pack://application:,,,/WpfControlLibrary1;component/Brushes.xaml"/>
<ResourceDictionary Source="pack://application:,,,/WpfControlLibrary1;component/Controls.xaml"/>
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<SolidColorBrush x:Key="brush">Red</SolidColorBrush>
</ResourceDictionary>
</Application.Resources>
</Application>
You can then simply override any resource you want by defining another resource with the same x:Key like I have done with the SolidColorBrush above. This resource overrides any resource with an x:Key of "brush" defined in either Brushes.xaml or Controls.xaml.

Cannot find ResourceDictionary when editing copy of template

please forgive me in advance. First question.
I am working on a WPF project where I have defined a simple resource dictionary at the application level.
<Application x:Class="Game.UI.Modals.App"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
StartupUri="MainWindow.xaml">
<Application.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary Source="GameResources.xaml"></ResourceDictionary>
</Application.Resources>
The reference to the ResourceDictionary is working fine; I am able to utilize it in XAML with no issues.
The problem I am having is in trying to add templates to the dictionary using the Create ControlTemplate Resource tool (right click => edit template => create empty). The Resource dictionary radio button in the define in panel is grayed out.
I have tried creating dictionaries in different namespaces, I made sure the dictionary is named and that the build action is set to resource.
Any idea how to get the Create ControlTemplate Resource dialog to recognize my application level ResourceDictionary?
Thanks!
Include your GameResources.xaml like this instead:
<Application.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary>
<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<ResourceDictionary Source="GameResources.xaml" />
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
</ResourceDictionary>
</Application.Resources>
The create template dialog lists the merged dictionaries. When you include your resources as in my example, the radiobutton should become enabled and your merged dictionary should appear in the list.

XamlParseException when attempting to open a WPF Window from Winforms

I have a single Winforms project and multiple WPF projects in one solution. From the Winform application I'd like to open one of the WPF Windows (it's a MetroWindow from Mahapps, if it matters).
After looking at the accepted answer to this stackoverflow question I ended up with this piece of code:
OpenWPFAppButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
WPFApp wpfApp = new WPFApp();
ElementHost.EnableModelessKeyboardInterop(wpfApp);
wpfApp.Show();
}
Unfortunately if I click the button a XamlParseException occurs, which points to the first Style="{StaticResource ... }" line in WPFApp.xaml (the Main Xaml File).
Does this mean I cannot open WPF Windows from Winforms that include static resources? Or am I missing something simple here?
EDIT: Here is the content of the App.xaml file:
<Application x:Class="WPFAppProjectName.App"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:system="clr-namespace:System;assembly=mscorlib"
StartupUri="WPFApp.xaml">
<Application.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary>
<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<ResourceDictionary Source="pack://application:,,,/Selen.Wpf.SystemStyles;component/ButtonStyles.xaml"/>
<ResourceDictionary Source="pack://application:,,,/Selen.Wpf.SystemStyles;component/MenuStyles.xaml"/>
<ResourceDictionary Source="pack://application:,,,/Selen.Wpf.SystemStyles;component/TextBoxStyles.xaml"/>
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
</ResourceDictionary>
</Application.Resources>
It is most likely that some common resources are defined in the App.xaml. That file isn't loaded when running through Windows Forms and thus those resources are unavailable. Hence you get this error.
You could include the resource definitions in the Window.xaml files, or an own common style resource file (aka Resource Dictionary) which is included in every Window.

How to place XAML-only resources in a DLL (Reference) file to be used by WPF applications?

My WPF applications are reaching the level of complexity at which it becomes desirable to place some of the code and other resources inside a Reference file (*.dll).
I am sure I can figure out how to do this, by following the myriad applications out there.
In this particular case, however, the files are two, XAML:
Can somebody please provide an example on how to expose or publish the XAML resources? Are *.cs files required?
TIA
The XAML file outlined by #HighCore should look like this:
<Application x:Class="Application"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" >
<Application.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary>
<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<ResourceDictionary Source="pack://application:,,,/ReferencedAssembly;component/Subfolder/ResourceFile.xaml"/>
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
</ResourceDictionary>
</Application.Resources>
</Application>
XAML ResourceDictionaries do not generate classes. I'm not sure why you would expect such thing.
Simply move the needed ResourceDictionary definitions to a separate assembly then use the Pack URI Syntax to merge these resources to your application's Resources in app.xaml:
<Application ....>
<Application.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary>
<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<ResourceDictionary Source="pack://application:,,,/ReferencedAssembly;component/Subfolder/ResourceFile.xaml"/>
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
</ResourceDictionary>
</Application.Resources>
</Application>

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