WPF MVVM: How to get data from delegate in receiving viewmodel? - c#

I have an app that needs certain data to be "global" as it needs to be accessible from any page. Because the app is view-first, I decided to use a messenger to pass this global data from viewmodel to viewmodel since I can't pass it in the constructors. I've managed to pass the data to a second viewmodel, but the problem is that I can't figure out how to actually access and use it.
Here's the code first:
Page1 ViewModel
public class Page1ViewModel : ObservableObject
{
// Delegate declaration
public delegate void SendDeviceEventHandler(object source, DeviceEventArgs e);
public event SendDeviceEventHandler SendDeviceEvent;
// Command to Send Data
public RelayCommand SendDataToPage2 { get; set; }
// Ctor
public Page1ViewModel()
{
Device = new DeviceModel("SP-2", "Super Processor");
SendDataToPage2 = new RelayCommand(SendDataToPg2);
}
// Command Method sends data to pg2VM
private void SendDataToPg2(object obj)
{
this.SendDeviceEvent += Page2ViewModel.GetDevice;
OnSendDevice(Device);
}
protected virtual void OnSendDevice(DeviceModel device)
{
if (SendDeviceEvent != null)
SendDeviceEvent(this, new DeviceEventArgs() { DeviceToSend = device });
}
private DeviceModel _device;
public DeviceModel Device
{
get { return _device; }
set
{
_device = value;
RaisePropertyChanged();
}
}
}
// Lets us send type "Device" as arg
public class DeviceEventArgs : EventArgs
{
public DeviceModel DeviceToSend { get; set; }
}
Page2 ViewModel
public class Page2ViewModel : ObservableObject
{
private DeviceModel device {get; set;}
// Ctor
public Page2ViewModel()
{
Device = device; // <- doesn't work
}
// Receive our data here
public static void GetDevice(object source, DeviceEventArgs e)
{
device = new DeviceModel("","");
device = e.DeviceToSend;
Trace.WriteLine(device.Name); // <- Correct Data is here
}
private static DeviceModel _device;
public static DeviceModel Device
{
get { return _device; }
set
{
_device = value;
RaiseStaticPropertyChanged(EventArgs.Empty);
}
}
}
I'd like to be able to use the sent data as if it was created in Pg2VM, just like how we could use the public Device to bind to and modify. The code above shows my last attempt, but I've tried many more including using the property Device directly in GetDevice. That will correctly set the data with a Trace.WriteLine but I can't bind to Device, it's always null.
How can we make that work?
There's something else I'm concerned about which may be the actual issue. To switch views, I use a Click event in a button to call the NavigationService, and the view will then instantiate the viewmodel via setting the DataContext. In that same button I use the Command to activate the messenger to send the data.
If we subscribe to the message the normal way, we have to use something like this:
Page2ViewModel pg2 = new Page2ViewModel();
this.SendDeviceEvent += pg2.GetDevice;
This would then result in 2 instances of Pg2VM and wouldn't work. Instead, I made the subscriber static to avoid this but it feels like bad practice:
// In Page1VM
// Command Method sends data to pg2VM
private void SendDataToPg2(object obj)
{
this.SendDeviceEvent += Page2ViewModel.GetDevice;
OnSendDevice(Device);
}
// In Page2VM
// Receive our data here
public static void GetDevice(object source, DeviceEventArgs e)
{
device = new DeviceModel("","");
device = e.DeviceToSend;
}
Is this bad to do? Is there a better approach to sending data in a view-first app than what I'm doing?

Related

Pass parameter from viewmodels to another

When I searched,I found,how to bind values from viewmodel to view but not viewmodel to viewmodel.can anyone help me to do that. what i need is to pass Authentication to other viewmodel.I am new in the MVVM world so please give me more detail.
my ViewModel look like this
public class ModelView_Authentication : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
//Binding authentication
private Authentication _authentication;
public Authentication authentication
{
get { return _authentication; }
set
{
_authentication = value;
NotifayPropertyChanged("_authentication");
}
}
//Command Button
public ModelView_Authentication()
{
authentication = new Authentication();
ButtonCommand = new ViewModdelCommand(exeMethode, canexeMethode);
}
public ICommand ButtonCommand { get; set; }
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private bool canexeMethode(Object param)
{
return true;
}
//run this Command Onclick Button
private void exeMethode(Object param)
{
}
protected void NotifayPropertyChanged(string s)
{
PropertyChangedEventHandler pc = PropertyChanged;
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(s));
}
}
//Run Assync Login
public static async Task<string> main(Authentication authentication)
{
var tocken = await Login.GetConnection(authentication);
return tocken.ToString();
}
}
need is to pass Authentication to other viewmodel
Your main ViewModel adheres to INotifyPropertyChanged, you can have your other VMs subscribe to the notification process of the main VM and acquire changes to specific properties as needed.
Just have a reference to the main VM, it is as easy as that. Where the VMs get their references, that process is up to you.
A good place is on App class. Since the App class is known throughout each of the namespaces, setup up a static property on it, set it after the main VM is created, and then access the it as needed.
public static ModelView_Authentication AuthVM { get; set; }
the access such as
var mainVM = App.AuthVM;

How to communicate backend status messages to frontend?

I have a WPF project and a Console one, the point of the WPF is to be the frontend UI and the console application is the logic that does the actual work.
In my backend I have a class with a method that does the work.
public static class BackendClass
{
public static void DoWork(ref string output)
{
//actual work
}
}
From the MVVM frontend my view model starts a task for this method and I want to be able to show status messages on the frontend about it. Things like "Started work.", "Doing so-and-so.", "Finished." and etc.
The code in my view model is:
class ViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
static string backendOutput;
public string BackendOutput
{
get => backendOutput;
set
{
if (backendOutput != value)
{
backendOutput = value;
OnPropertyChanged("BackendOutput");
}
}
}
public RelayCommand ExecuteCommand { get; private set; }
Task executionTask;
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public ViewModel()
{
executionTask = new Task(() => BackendClass.DoWork(ref BackendOutput));
}
void OnExecute()
{
executionTask.Start();
ExecuteCommand.RaiseCanExecuteChanged();
}
bool CanExecute()
{
return (executionTask.Status != TaskStatus.Running &&
executionTask.Status != TaskStatus.WaitingToRun);
}
public void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
The "BackendOutput" property is data binded to a text block in the WPF window.
I was thinking of passing the "BackendOutput" property so the "DoWork" method can append its status messages to it, thus raising the changed event, updating the frontend.
However if I try to assign it outside of the constructor I get the error that a property can't be a field initializer or something like that and in this case I get "property can't be passed as a ref parameter".
So how should I alert the frontend of what status messages the back is pumping?
ViewModel communicates with View via PropertyChanged event. So Model also can have an event. ViewModel subscribes to that event, updates property with event data, View gets updated.
Events are kind of protected delegates. So as a first step try to introduce a delegate:
public static void DoWork(Action<string> notifier)
{
notifier("output value");
}
and
executionTask = new Task(() => BackendClass.DoWork(str => { BackendOutput = str; }));

Updating value in viewmodel from bluetooth characteristic

I use the Xabre BLE library for Xamarin studio. Within my project, I have a bluetooth class, and a ViewModel.
When my app connects to a specified characteristic, I subscribe to a characteristic.ValueUpdated event, from which I update a value in my viewmodel.
In my viewmodel, I have a propertychanged eventhandler, which listens to updates from the bluetooth class.
For some reason however, the setter is not updating my value
Bluetooth class:
public class Bluetooth
{
//code to respectively connect and disconnect
public async void GetValuesFromCharacteristic()
{
CarouselViewModel viewModel = new CarouselViewModel();
Characteristic.ValueUpdated += (s, a) =>
{
viewModel.CurrentValue = Characteristic.Value[7].ToString();
};
await Characteristic.StartUpdatesAsync();
}
}
ViewModel:
public class CarouselViewModel
{
private _currentValue;
public CarouselViewModel()
{
}
public string CurrentValue
{
get
{
return _currentValue;
}
set
{
if(_currentValue != value)
{
_currentValue = value;
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(_currentValue));
}
}
}
}

Return value of a Property from child ViewModel to parent ViewModel

In my WPF MVVM app, using Caliburn.Micro, I have a ViewModel, CreateServiceViewModel that, on a button click, opens a GridView in a seperate window for the User to chose a Row from.
I created another ViewModel for this, MemberSearchViewModel which has two properties:
private Member selectedMember;
public Member SelectedMember
{
get { return selectedMember; }
set { selectedMember = value; }
}
private IList<Member> members;
public IList<Member> Members
{
get { return members; }
set { members = value; }
}
How do I get that SelectedMember value back to the calling ViewModel? That ViewModel has a property of Service.SelectedMember.
EventAggregator is what you could use... One of many solutions I am sure.
public class MessageNotifier{
public object Content{get;set;}
public string Message {get;set;}
}
//MEF bits here
public class HelloWorldViewModel: Screen, IHandle<MessageNotifier>{
private readonly IEventAggregator _eventAggregator
//MEF constructor bits
public YourViewModel(IEventAggregator eventAggregator){
_eventAggregator = eventAggregator;
}
public override OnActivate(){
_eventAggregator.Subscribe(this);
}
public override OnDeactivate(){
_eventAggregator.UnSubscribe(this);
}
//I Handle all messages with this signature and if the message applies to me do something
//
public void Handle(MesssageNotifier _notifier){
if(_notifier.Message == "NewSelectedItem"){
//do something with the content of the selectedItem
var x = _notifier.Content
}
}
}
//MEF attrs
public class HelloWorld2ViewModel: Screen{
private readonly IEventAggregator _eventAggregator
//MEF attrs
public HelloWorld2ViewModel(IEventAggregator eventAggregator){
_eventAggregator = eventAggregator;
}
public someobject SelectedItem{
get{ return _someobject ;}
set{ _someobject = value;
NotifyOfPropertyChange(()=>SelectedItem);
_eventAggregator.Publish(new MessageNotifier(){ Content = SelectedItem, Message="NewSelectedItem"});
}
}
One option is to utilize NotifyPropertyChanged. Since you are working with ViewModels, they most likely implement INotifyPropertyChanged, which you can make use of just as the framework does.
When your CreateServiceViewModel creates the MemberSearchViewModel, it would just subscribe to the PropertyChanged event:
//This goes wherever you create your child view model
var memberSearchViewModel = new MemberSearchViewModel(); //Or using a service locator, if applicable
memberSearchViewModel.PropertyChanged += OnMemberSearchPropertyChanged;
private void OnMemberSearchPropertyChanged(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
if(e.PropertyName == "SelectedMember")
{
//Code to respond to a change in the Member
}
}
And then in your MemberSearchViewModel, you simply raise the NotifyPropertyChanged event when the user has selected a member from the grid.
EDIT:
As #DNH correctly notes in the comments, using event handlers like this can lead to memory leaks if not properly cleaned up. So when you are finished with the MemberSearchViewModel, make sure to unsubscribe to the PropertyChanged event. So for example, if you only need it until the user selects a member, you could put it inside the Property Changed Handler itself (I've switched it to use a class-level variable to hold the ViewModel):
private void OnMemberSearchPropertyChanged(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
if(e.PropertyName == "SelectedMember")
{
//Code to respond to a change in the Member
//Unsubscribe so the view model can be garbage collected
_memberSearchViewModel.PropertyChanged -= OnMemberSearchPropertyChanged;
_memberSearchViewModel = null;
}
}
One option would be to store MemberSearchViewModel as a field of CreateServiceViewModel and define CreateServiceViewModel.SelectedMember property as follows:
public Member SelectedMember
{
get
{
return _memberSearchViewModel.SelectedMember;
}
set
{
_memberSearchViewModel.SelectedMember = value;
}
}
How about?
public interface INotifyMe<T>
{
T ResultToNotify { get; set; }
}
public class CreateServiceViewModel : ViewModelBase, INotifyMe<Member>
{
// implement the interface as you like...
}
public class MemberSearchViewModel : ViewModelBase
{
public MemberSearchViewModel(INotifyMe<Member> toBeNotified)
{
// initialize field and so on...
}
}
Now you could let listen CreateServiceViewModel to its own property and you won't have to think about the removal of the event listener.
Well of course to do the more classical way you could alternatively use an interface like this.
public interface INotifyMe<T>
{
void Notify(T result);
}
As a follow-up to my comment, here's an example using Prism - I've never used Caliburn.
Create an event - the event's payload will be your SelectedMember:
public class YourEvent:CompositePresentationEvent<YourEventPayload>{}
Publish the event:
EventAggregator.GetEvent<YourEvent>().Publish(YourEventPayload);
Subscribe to the event:
EventAggregator.GetEvent<YourEvent>().Subscribe((i) => ...);

Binding Label to a static string

I have made a Base Form which is inherited by most Forms in the application. Base form contains a Status Bar Control that displays user name which is internally a static string. User can Switch User at any point in the application by pressing a button on status bar. At this point the user name in the status bar should also change, as if now it only changes in code and UI has no idea about the change. I have googled around and found that i need to bind the label with that static string by implementing a INotifyProperty Interface. I have implemented many example code without success.
Appreciate any help
use BindableAttribute for the property you want to bind a control to it.
[Bindable(true)]
public int Username {
get {
// Insert code here.
return 0;
}
set {
// Insert code here.
}
}
You must implement a class to notify prop changed and therefore the prop can not be static. Combine with a singleton pattern and you have yout solution.
public class Global : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private string _userName;
public string UserName
{
get
{
return this._userName;
}
set
{
if (this._userName == value)
{
return;
}
this._userName = value;
if (this.PropertyChanged != null)
{
this.PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs("UserName"));
}
{
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private Global() {}
public static readonly Global Get = new Global();
}
Usage:
var currUserName = Global.Get.UserName;
Global.Get.PropertyChanged += (s, e) => Console.WriteLine(e.PropertyName);
Global.Get.UserName = "John";
And bind to Global.Get to property UserName.
I would:
1- Add a timer to the base form to update the status bar. (the timer resolution is uo to your requirement).
the timer Tick handler would be something like this:
private void timerStatusUpdate_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
toolStripStatusLabelMessage.Text = StatusMessage();
}
2 - Add a virtual StatusMessage method to your base class:
class BaseForm : Form
{
.......
public virtual string StatusMessage()
{
return "override me!";
}
}
3- override StatusMessage in all your derived classes
class XXXForm : BaseForm
{
........
public override string StatusMessage()
{
return "XXXForm status message";
}
}
I use Reactive Extensions for these things
For example if you have a Context class with a property UserName
you could do this
public static class Context
{
public static Subject<string> UserChanged = new Subject<string>();
private static string user;
public static string User
{
get { return user; }
set
{
if (user != value)
{
user = value;
UserChanged.OnNext(user);
}
}
}
}
And then on your forms just do
Context.UserChanged.ObserveOn(SynchronizationContext.Current)
.Subscribe(user => label.Text = user);
The ObserveOn(SynchronizationContext.Current) makes it safe for cross thread operation calls

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