We Keep Coding

How can I be notified when collection-type DP is changed?

My English skill is poor because I'm not a native English speaker.
I have created as following a behavior that working at the TextBox control.
The behavior has a collection-type DP named Items.
class HighlightBehavior : Behavior<TextBox>
{
public List<TextStyle>Items
{
get { return (List<TextStyle>)GetValue(ItemsProperty); }
set { SetValue(ItemsProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty ItemsProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Items", typeof(List<TextStyle>), typeof(HighlightBehavior), new PropertyMetadata(ItemsChanged));
private static void ItemsChanged(DependencyObject d, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
// break point
}
}
And... I have created a MainWindow to use as following code above behavior.
<MainWindow>
<TextBox>
<i:interaction.Behaviors>
<behavior:HighlightBehavior/>
</i:interaction.Behavior>
</TextBox>
</MainWindow>
And I have written a MainWindowViewModel that has a collection-type DP named HighlightItems.
class MainWindowViewModel : ViewModelBase
{
public List<TextStyle> HighlightItems
{
get { return (List<TextStyle>)GetValue(HighlightItemsProperty ); }
set { SetValue(HighlightItemsProperty , value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty HighlightItemsProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("HighlightItems", typeof(List<TextStyle>), typeof(HighlightBehavior), new PropertyMetadata(null));
public MainWindowViewModel()
{
SetValue(HighlightItemsProperty, new List<TextStyle>());
}
}
And I have bound the MainWindowViewModel to MainWindow and connected HighlightItems(DP) of MainWindowViewModel with Items(DP) of HighlightBehavior as the following code.
<MainWindow>
<TextBox>
<i:interaction.Behaviors>
<behavior:HighlightBehavior Items="{Binding HighlightItems, Mode=TwoWay}"/>
</i:interaction.Behavior>
</TextBox>
</MainWindow>
To sum up, the structure is the following figure.
I have expected that ItemsChanged of HighlightBehavior is called whenever Items changed.
But it is not called.
I want to get notification whenever collection-type DP(Items) of HighlightBehavior is changed.
What must I do to reach this goal?
Thank you for reading.
I'll wait for an answer.

I believe what you're looking for is ObservableCollection. This is a special type of collection which raises its CollectionChanged event whenever an item is added, removed, changed or moved.
I recommend the following:
Instead of declaring HighlightItems as List<TextStyle>, declare it as ObservableCollection<TextStyle>.
Add another method to HighlightBehavior to handle CollectionChanged, for example:
HighlightItemsCollectionChanged(object sender, NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs e)
Your current implementation of ItemsChanged will be called whenever HighlightItems is set. Use that to attach an event handler to CollectionChanged like so:
var col = (ObservableCollection<TextStyle>)e.NewValue;
if (col != null) { col.CollectionChanged += HighlightItemsCollectionChanged; }
Don't forget to remove any existing event handler to the previous collection in case HighlightItems is set move than once. You can add this to ItemsChanged along with the previous snippet:
col = (ObservableCollection<TextStyle>)e.OldValue;
if (col != null) { col.CollectionChanged -= HighlightItemsCollectionChanged; }
HighlightItemsCollectionChanged will now be called whenever an item is added or removed from HighlightItems. Do whatever you need to do in this method, or if you want the code to also run when the collection itself is replaced, you can make another method that actually does what you want, and then call that method from both ItemsChanged and HighlightItemsCollectionChanged.

Thank you.
I have changed the code following your advice and now I can receive a notification when the element of the collection is changed.
I knew about the ObservableCollection but I didn't know how to use right about CollectionChanged event.
In fact, previous I tried to use the ObservableCollection and registered the CollectionChanged delegate method at the Constructer as following but it is not called.
public ObservableCollection<TextStyle> Items
{
get { return (ObservableCollection<TextStyle>)GetValue(ItemsProperty); }
set { SetValue(ItemsProperty, value); }
}
// Using a DependencyProperty as the backing store for Items. This enables animation, styling, binding, etc...
public static readonly DependencyProperty ItemsProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Items", typeof(ObservableCollection<TextStyle>), typeof(HighlightBehavior),
new PropertyMetaData(null));
public HighlightBehavior()
{
SetValue(ItemsProperty, new ObservableCollection<TextStyle>());
Items.CollectionChanged += OnCollectionChanged;
}
private void OnCollectionChanged(object sender, NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs e)
{
// The code when the collection is changed.
}
Now, I have registered the CollectionChanged delegate method in the PropertyChangedCallback method as following and it(OnCollectionChanged method at the following code) is called.
public ObservableCollection<TextStyle> Items
{
get { return (ObservableCollection<TextStyle>)GetValue(ItemsProperty); }
set { SetValue(ItemsProperty, value); }
}
// Using a DependencyProperty as the backing store for Items. This enables animation, styling, binding, etc...
public static readonly DependencyProperty ItemsProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Items", typeof(ObservableCollection<TextStyle>), typeof(HighlightBehavior),
new PropertyMetaData(ItemsChanged));
private static void ItemsChanged(DependencyObject d, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
var col = (ObservableCollection<TextStyle>)e.NewValue;
if (col != null) { col.CollectionChanged += OnCollectionChanged; ; }
col = (ObservableCollection<TextStyle>)e.OldValue;
if (col != null) { col.CollectionChanged -= OnCollectionChanged; }
}
public HighlightBehavior()
{
SetValue(ItemsProperty, new ObservableCollection<TextStyle>());
}
Thank you for your answer in detail.

WPF MVVM - Update Dropdown When Clicked

I have a dropdown (ComboBox) that displays all the com ports available on a machine. Now, ports come and go when you connect and disconnect devices.
For performance reasons I don't want to keep calling System.IO.Ports.SerialPort.GetPortNames(), but rather just call that when the user clicks on the Combobox? Is this possible? Is there an MVVM approach to this problem?

Use InvokeCommandAction.
xmlns:i="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/2010/interactivity"
DropDownOpenedCommand is an ICommand property on your ViewModel.
<ComboBox>
<i:Interaction.Triggers>
<i:EventTrigger EventName="DropDownOpened">
<i:InvokeCommandAction Command="{Binding DropDownOpenedCommand}"/>
</i:EventTrigger>
</i:Interaction.Triggers>
</ComboBox>
Edit: obviously DropDownOpened not SelectionChanged, as Patrice commented.

You can use something like MVVMLight's EventToCommand to accomplish this. Basically, the event of clicking the combo would be hooked to your MVVM command binding, which would then fire the method that calls GetPortNames().
Here are some alternatives:
MVVM Light: Adding EventToCommand in XAML without Blend, easier way or snippet? (check the accepted answer)
http://www.danharman.net/2011/08/05/binding-wpf-events-to-mvvm-viewmodel-commands/ (Prism)

What I would recommend is scrapping the 'only update on clicks' idea, and just use binding and notifications for this (unless for some reason you think there will be so many Connect/Disconnect events it will slow your system). The simplest version of that would be a dependency property.
Provide an IObservableList<Port> property as a dependency property on your ViewModel like this:
/// <summary>
/// Gets or sets...
/// </summary>
public IObservableList<Port> Ports
{
get { return (IObservableList<Port>)GetValue(PortsProperty); }
set { SetValue(PortsProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty PortsProperty = DependencyProperty.Register("Ports", typeof(IObservableList<Port>), typeof(MyViewModelClass), new PropertyMetadata(new ObservableList<Port>));
Now you may add/remove items to/from that list whenever you connect or disconnect devices, just do not replace the list. This will force the list to send off a ListChangedEvent for each action on the list, and the ComboBox (or any other bound UI) will react to those events.
This should be performant enough for you, as this will only cause the UI ComboBox to update whenever an event goes through.

I took a stab at routing events to a command:
XAML:
<ComboBox
ItemsSource="{Binding Items}"
local:ControlBehavior.Event="SelectionChanged"
local:ControlBehavior.Command="{Binding Update}" />
Code:
using System;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Input;
namespace StackOverflow
{
public class ControlBehavior
{
public static DependencyProperty CommandParameterProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("CommandParameter", typeof(object), typeof(ControlBehavior));
public static DependencyProperty CommandProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("Command", typeof(ICommand), typeof(ControlBehavior));
public static DependencyProperty EventProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("Event", typeof(string), typeof(ControlBehavior), new PropertyMetadata(PropertyChangedCallback));
public static void EventHandler(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
var s = (sender as DependencyObject);
if (s != null)
{
var c = (ICommand)s.GetValue(CommandProperty);
var p = s.GetValue(CommandParameterProperty);
if (c != null && c.CanExecute(s))
c.Execute(s);
}
}
public static void PropertyChangedCallback(DependencyObject o, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs a)
{
if (a.Property == EventProperty)
{
EventInfo ev = o.GetType().GetEvent((string)a.NewValue);
if (ev != null)
{
var del = Delegate.CreateDelegate(ev.EventHandlerType, typeof(ControlBehavior).GetMethod("EventHandler"));
ev.AddEventHandler(o, del);
}
}
}
public string GetEvent(UIElement element)
{
return (string)element.GetValue(EventProperty);
}
public static void SetEvent(UIElement element, string value)
{
element.SetValue(EventProperty, value);
}
public ICommand GetCommand(UIElement element)
{
return (ICommand)element.GetValue(CommandProperty);
}
public static void SetCommand(UIElement element, ICommand value)
{
element.SetValue(CommandProperty, value);
}
public object GetCommandParameter(UIElement element)
{
return element.GetValue(CommandParameterProperty);
}
public static void SetCommandParameter(UIElement element, object value)
{
element.SetValue(CommandParameterProperty, value);
}
}
}

Two Way Binding to AvalonEdit Document Text using MVVM

I want to include an AvalonEdit TextEditor control into my MVVM application. The first thing I require is to be able to bind to the TextEditor.Text property so that I can display text. To do this I have followed and example that was given in Making AvalonEdit MVVM compatible. Now, I have implemented the following class using the accepted answer as a template
public sealed class MvvmTextEditor : TextEditor, INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public static readonly DependencyProperty TextProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Text", typeof(string), typeof(MvvmTextEditor),
new PropertyMetadata((obj, args) =>
{
MvvmTextEditor target = (MvvmTextEditor)obj;
target.Text = (string)args.NewValue;
})
);
public new string Text
{
get { return base.Text; }
set { base.Text = value; }
}
protected override void OnTextChanged(EventArgs e)
{
RaisePropertyChanged("Text");
base.OnTextChanged(e);
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public void RaisePropertyChanged(string info)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(info));
}
}
Where the XAML is
<Controls:MvvmTextEditor HorizontalAlignment="Stretch"
VerticalAlignment="Stretch"
FontFamily="Consolas"
FontSize="9pt"
Margin="2,2"
Text="{Binding Text, NotifyOnSourceUpdated=True, Mode=TwoWay}"/>
Firstly, this does not work. The Binding is not shown in Snoop at all (not red, not anything, in fact I cannot even see the Text dependency property).
I have seen this question which is exactly the same as mine Two-way binding in AvalonEdit doesn't work but the accepted answer does not work (at least for me). So my question is:
How can I perform two way binding using the above method and what is the correct implementation of my MvvmTextEditor class?
Thanks for your time.
Note: I have my Text property in my ViewModel and it implements the required INotifyPropertyChanged interface.

Create a Behavior class that will attach the TextChanged event and will hook up the dependency property that is bound to the ViewModel.
AvalonTextBehavior.cs
public sealed class AvalonEditBehaviour : Behavior<TextEditor>
{
public static readonly DependencyProperty GiveMeTheTextProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("GiveMeTheText", typeof(string), typeof(AvalonEditBehaviour),
new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(default(string), FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.BindsTwoWayByDefault, PropertyChangedCallback));
public string GiveMeTheText
{
get { return (string)GetValue(GiveMeTheTextProperty); }
set { SetValue(GiveMeTheTextProperty, value); }
}
protected override void OnAttached()
{
base.OnAttached();
if (AssociatedObject != null)
AssociatedObject.TextChanged += AssociatedObjectOnTextChanged;
}
protected override void OnDetaching()
{
base.OnDetaching();
if (AssociatedObject != null)
AssociatedObject.TextChanged -= AssociatedObjectOnTextChanged;
}
private void AssociatedObjectOnTextChanged(object sender, EventArgs eventArgs)
{
var textEditor = sender as TextEditor;
if (textEditor != null)
{
if (textEditor.Document != null)
GiveMeTheText = textEditor.Document.Text;
}
}
private static void PropertyChangedCallback(
DependencyObject dependencyObject,
DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs dependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs)
{
var behavior = dependencyObject as AvalonEditBehaviour;
if (behavior.AssociatedObject!= null)
{
var editor = behavior.AssociatedObject as TextEditor;
if (editor.Document != null)
{
var caretOffset = editor.CaretOffset;
editor.Document.Text = dependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs.NewValue.ToString();
editor.CaretOffset = caretOffset;
}
}
}
}
View.xaml
<avalonedit:TextEditor
WordWrap="True"
ShowLineNumbers="True"
LineNumbersForeground="Magenta"
x:Name="textEditor"
FontFamily="Consolas"
SyntaxHighlighting="XML"
FontSize="10pt">
<i:Interaction.Behaviors>
<controls:AvalonEditBehaviour GiveMeTheText="{Binding Test, Mode=TwoWay, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}"/>
</i:Interaction.Behaviors>
</avalonedit:TextEditor>
i must be defined as
xmlns:i="clr-namespace:System.Windows.Interactivity;assembly=System.Windows.Interactivity"
ViewModel.cs
private string _test;
public string Test
{
get { return _test; }
set { _test = value; }
}
That should give you the Text and push it back to the ViewModel.

Create a BindableAvalonEditor class with a two-way binding on the Text property.
I was able to establish a two-way binding with the latest version of AvalonEdit by combining Jonathan Perry's answer and 123 456 789 0's answer. This allows a direct two-way binding without the need for behaviors.
Here is the source code...
public class BindableAvalonEditor : ICSharpCode.AvalonEdit.TextEditor, INotifyPropertyChanged
{
/// <summary>
/// A bindable Text property
/// </summary>
public new string Text
{
get
{
return (string)GetValue(TextProperty);
}
set
{
SetValue(TextProperty, value);
RaisePropertyChanged("Text");
}
}
/// <summary>
/// The bindable text property dependency property
/// </summary>
public static readonly DependencyProperty TextProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register(
"Text",
typeof(string),
typeof(BindableAvalonEditor),
new FrameworkPropertyMetadata
{
DefaultValue = default(string),
BindsTwoWayByDefault = true,
PropertyChangedCallback = OnDependencyPropertyChanged
}
);
protected static void OnDependencyPropertyChanged(DependencyObject obj, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs args)
{
var target = (BindableAvalonEditor)obj;
if (target.Document != null)
{
var caretOffset = target.CaretOffset;
var newValue = args.NewValue;
if (newValue == null)
{
newValue = "";
}
target.Document.Text = (string)newValue;
target.CaretOffset = Math.Min(caretOffset, newValue.ToString().Length);
}
}
protected override void OnTextChanged(EventArgs e)
{
if (this.Document != null)
{
Text = this.Document.Text;
}
base.OnTextChanged(e);
}
/// <summary>
/// Raises a property changed event
/// </summary>
/// <param name="property">The name of the property that updates</param>
public void RaisePropertyChanged(string property)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(property));
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
}

I like none of these solutions. The reason the author didn't create a dependency property on Text is for performance reason. Working around it by creating an attached property means the text string must be recreated on every key stroke. On a 100mb file, this can be a serious performance issue. Internally, it only uses a document buffer and will never create the full string unless requested.
It exposes another property, Document, which is a dependency property, and it exposes the Text property to construct the string only when needed. Although you can bind to it, it would mean designing your ViewModel around a UI element which defeats the purpose of having a ViewModel UI-agnostic. I don't like that option either.
Honestly, the cleanest(ish) solution is to create 2 events in your ViewModel, one to display the text and one to update the text. Then you write a one-line event handler in your code-behind, which is fine since it's purely UI-related. That way, you construct and assign the full document string only when it's truly needed. Additionally, you don't even need to store (nor update) the text in the ViewModel. Just raise DisplayScript and UpdateScript when it is needed.
It's not an ideal solution, but there are less drawbacks than any other method I've seen.
TextBox also faces a similar issue, and it solves it by internally using a DeferredReference object that constructs the string only when it is really needed. That class is internal and not available to the public, and the Binding code is hard-coded to handle DeferredReference in a special way. Unfortunately there doesn't seen to be any way of solving the problem in the same way as TextBox -- perhaps unless TextEditor would inherit from TextBox.

Another nice OOP approach is to download the source code of AvalonEdit (it's open sourced), and creating a new class that inherits from TextEditor class (the main editor of AvalonEdit).
What you want to do is basically override the Text property and implement an INotifyPropertyChanged version of it, using dependency property for the Text property and raising the OnPropertyChanged event when text is changed (this can be done by overriding the OnTextChanged() method.
Here's a quick code (fully working) example that works for me:
public class BindableTextEditor : TextEditor, INotifyPropertyChanged
{
/// <summary>
/// A bindable Text property
/// </summary>
public new string Text
{
get { return base.Text; }
set { base.Text = value; }
}
/// <summary>
/// The bindable text property dependency property
/// </summary>
public static readonly DependencyProperty TextProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Text", typeof(string), typeof(BindableTextEditor), new PropertyMetadata((obj, args) =>
{
var target = (BindableTextEditor)obj;
target.Text = (string)args.NewValue;
}));
protected override void OnTextChanged(EventArgs e)
{
RaisePropertyChanged("Text");
base.OnTextChanged(e);
}
/// <summary>
/// Raises a property changed event
/// </summary>
/// <param name="property">The name of the property that updates</param>
public void RaisePropertyChanged(string property)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(property));
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
}

For those wondering about an MVVM implementation using AvalonEdit, here is one of the ways it can be done, first we have the class
/// <summary>
/// Class that inherits from the AvalonEdit TextEditor control to
/// enable MVVM interaction.
/// </summary>
public class CodeEditor : TextEditor, INotifyPropertyChanged
{
// Vars.
private static bool canScroll = true;
/// <summary>
/// Default constructor to set up event handlers.
/// </summary>
public CodeEditor()
{
// Default options.
FontSize = 12;
FontFamily = new FontFamily("Consolas");
Options = new TextEditorOptions
{
IndentationSize = 3,
ConvertTabsToSpaces = true
};
}
#region Text.
/// <summary>
/// Dependancy property for the editor text property binding.
/// </summary>
public static readonly DependencyProperty TextProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Text", typeof(string), typeof(CodeEditor),
new PropertyMetadata((obj, args) =>
{
CodeEditor target = (CodeEditor)obj;
target.Text = (string)args.NewValue;
}));
/// <summary>
/// Provide access to the Text.
/// </summary>
public new string Text
{
get { return base.Text; }
set { base.Text = value; }
}
/// <summary>
/// Return the current text length.
/// </summary>
public int Length
{
get { return base.Text.Length; }
}
/// <summary>
/// Override of OnTextChanged event.
/// </summary>
protected override void OnTextChanged(EventArgs e)
{
RaisePropertyChanged("Length");
base.OnTextChanged(e);
}
/// <summary>
/// Event handler to update properties based upon the selection changed event.
/// </summary>
void TextArea_SelectionChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
this.SelectionStart = SelectionStart;
this.SelectionLength = SelectionLength;
}
/// <summary>
/// Event that handles when the caret changes.
/// </summary>
void TextArea_CaretPositionChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
try
{
canScroll = false;
this.TextLocation = TextLocation;
}
finally
{
canScroll = true;
}
}
#endregion // Text.
#region Caret Offset.
/// <summary>
/// DependencyProperty for the TextEditorCaretOffset binding.
/// </summary>
public static DependencyProperty CaretOffsetProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("CaretOffset", typeof(int), typeof(CodeEditor),
new PropertyMetadata((obj, args) =>
{
CodeEditor target = (CodeEditor)obj;
if (target.CaretOffset != (int)args.NewValue)
target.CaretOffset = (int)args.NewValue;
}));
/// <summary>
/// Access to the SelectionStart property.
/// </summary>
public new int CaretOffset
{
get { return base.CaretOffset; }
set { SetValue(CaretOffsetProperty, value); }
}
#endregion // Caret Offset.
#region Selection.
/// <summary>
/// DependencyProperty for the TextLocation. Setting this value
/// will scroll the TextEditor to the desired TextLocation.
/// </summary>
public static readonly DependencyProperty TextLocationProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("TextLocation", typeof(TextLocation), typeof(CodeEditor),
new PropertyMetadata((obj, args) =>
{
CodeEditor target = (CodeEditor)obj;
TextLocation loc = (TextLocation)args.NewValue;
if (canScroll)
target.ScrollTo(loc.Line, loc.Column);
}));
/// <summary>
/// Get or set the TextLocation. Setting will scroll to that location.
/// </summary>
public TextLocation TextLocation
{
get { return base.Document.GetLocation(SelectionStart); }
set { SetValue(TextLocationProperty, value); }
}
/// <summary>
/// DependencyProperty for the TextEditor SelectionLength property.
/// </summary>
public static readonly DependencyProperty SelectionLengthProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("SelectionLength", typeof(int), typeof(CodeEditor),
new PropertyMetadata((obj, args) =>
{
CodeEditor target = (CodeEditor)obj;
if (target.SelectionLength != (int)args.NewValue)
{
target.SelectionLength = (int)args.NewValue;
target.Select(target.SelectionStart, (int)args.NewValue);
}
}));
/// <summary>
/// Access to the SelectionLength property.
/// </summary>
public new int SelectionLength
{
get { return base.SelectionLength; }
set { SetValue(SelectionLengthProperty, value); }
}
/// <summary>
/// DependencyProperty for the TextEditor SelectionStart property.
/// </summary>
public static readonly DependencyProperty SelectionStartProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("SelectionStart", typeof(int), typeof(CodeEditor),
new PropertyMetadata((obj, args) =>
{
CodeEditor target = (CodeEditor)obj;
if (target.SelectionStart != (int)args.NewValue)
{
target.SelectionStart = (int)args.NewValue;
target.Select((int)args.NewValue, target.SelectionLength);
}
}));
/// <summary>
/// Access to the SelectionStart property.
/// </summary>
public new int SelectionStart
{
get { return base.SelectionStart; }
set { SetValue(SelectionStartProperty, value); }
}
#endregion // Selection.
#region Properties.
/// <summary>
/// The currently loaded file name. This is bound to the ViewModel
/// consuming the editor control.
/// </summary>
public string FilePath
{
get { return (string)GetValue(FilePathProperty); }
set { SetValue(FilePathProperty, value); }
}
// Using a DependencyProperty as the backing store for FilePath.
// This enables animation, styling, binding, etc...
public static readonly DependencyProperty FilePathProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("FilePath", typeof(string), typeof(CodeEditor),
new PropertyMetadata(String.Empty, OnFilePathChanged));
#endregion // Properties.
#region Raise Property Changed.
/// <summary>
/// Implement the INotifyPropertyChanged event handler.
/// </summary>
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public void RaisePropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string caller = null)
{
var handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null)
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(caller));
}
#endregion // Raise Property Changed.
}
Then in your view where you want to have AvalonEdit, you can do
...
<Grid>
<Local:CodeEditor
x:Name="CodeEditor"
FilePath="{Binding FilePath,
Mode=TwoWay,
NotifyOnSourceUpdated=True,
NotifyOnTargetUpdated=True}"
WordWrap="{Binding WordWrap,
Mode=TwoWay,
NotifyOnSourceUpdated=True,
NotifyOnTargetUpdated=True}"
ShowLineNumbers="{Binding ShowLineNumbers,
Mode=TwoWay,
NotifyOnSourceUpdated=True,
NotifyOnTargetUpdated=True}"
SelectionLength="{Binding SelectionLength,
Mode=TwoWay,
NotifyOnSourceUpdated=True,
NotifyOnTargetUpdated=True}"
SelectionStart="{Binding SelectionStart,
Mode=TwoWay,
NotifyOnSourceUpdated=True,
NotifyOnTargetUpdated=True}"
TextLocation="{Binding TextLocation,
Mode=TwoWay,
NotifyOnSourceUpdated=True,
NotifyOnTargetUpdated=True}"/>
</Grid>
Where this can be placed in a UserControl or Window or what ever, then in the ViewModel for this view we have (where I am using Caliburn Micro for the MVVM framework stuff)
public string FilePath
{
get { return filePath; }
set
{
if (filePath == value)
return;
filePath = value;
NotifyOfPropertyChange(() => FilePath);
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Should wrap?
/// </summary>
public bool WordWrap
{
get { return wordWrap; }
set
{
if (wordWrap == value)
return;
wordWrap = value;
NotifyOfPropertyChange(() => WordWrap);
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Display line numbers?
/// </summary>
public bool ShowLineNumbers
{
get { return showLineNumbers; }
set
{
if (showLineNumbers == value)
return;
showLineNumbers = value;
NotifyOfPropertyChange(() => ShowLineNumbers);
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Hold the start of the currently selected text.
/// </summary>
private int selectionStart = 0;
public int SelectionStart
{
get { return selectionStart; }
set
{
selectionStart = value;
NotifyOfPropertyChange(() => SelectionStart);
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Hold the selection length of the currently selected text.
/// </summary>
private int selectionLength = 0;
public int SelectionLength
{
get { return selectionLength; }
set
{
selectionLength = value;
UpdateStatusBar();
NotifyOfPropertyChange(() => SelectionLength);
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Gets or sets the TextLocation of the current editor control. If the
/// user is setting this value it will scroll the TextLocation into view.
/// </summary>
private TextLocation textLocation = new TextLocation(0, 0);
public TextLocation TextLocation
{
get { return textLocation; }
set
{
textLocation = value;
UpdateStatusBar();
NotifyOfPropertyChange(() => TextLocation);
}
}
And that's it! Done.
I hope this helps.
Edit. for all those looking for an example of working with AvalonEdit using MVVM, you can download a very basic editor application from http://1drv.ms/1E5nhCJ.
Notes. This application actually creates a MVVM friendly editor control by inheriting from the AvalonEdit standard control and adds additional Dependency Properties to it as appropriate - *this is different to what I have shown in the answer given above*. However, in the solution I have also shown how this can be done (as I describe in the answer above) using Attached Properties and there is code in the solution under the Behaviors namespace. What is actually implemented however, is the first of the above approaches.
Please also be aware that there is some code in the solution that is unused. This *sample* was a stripped back version of a larger application and I have left some code in as it could be useful to the user who downloads this example editor. In addition to the above, in the example code I access the Text by binding to document, there are some purest that may argue that this is not pure-MVVM, and I say "okay, but it works". Some times fighting this pattern is not the way to go.
I hope this of use to some of you.

How to propagate PropertyChanged changes in DependencyProperty

I have a class which implements INotifyPropertyChanged. An instance of this class is declared as a DependencyProperty in a Window, e.g.,
public IMyClass MyClass
{
get { return (IMyClass)GetValue(MyClassProperty); }
set { SetValue(MyClassProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty MyClassProperty=
DependencyProperty.Register("MyClass", typeof(IMyClass), typeof(MainWindow), new UIPropertyMetadata(null));
In the XAML, I have an element which is bound to this class using
Text="{Binding MyClass, Converter={StaticResource someConverter}}
Whenever I change a property in MyClass, I would like someConverter to be triggered. However, it only happens when I completely swap out MyClass. Is there a way to tie DependencyProperty updates to my MyClass PropertyChanged?
Update. In the spirit of AresAvatar's solution, here's what we have so far. The issue remaining is how to call InvalidateProperty (without having MyClass track it...)
public IMyClass MyClass
{
get { return (IMyClass)GetValue(MyClassProperty); }
set { SetValue(MyClassProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty MyClassProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("MyClass", typeof(IMyClass), typeof(MainWindow),
new UIPropertyMetadata(null, new PropertyChangedCallback(OnMyClassChanged)));
private static void OnMyClassChanged(DependencyObject d, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
if (e.OldValue != null)
{
((IMyClass)e.OldValue).PropertyChanged -= ((MainWindow)d).MyClass_PropertyChanged;
}
if (e.NewValue != null)
{
((IMyClass)e.NewValue).PropertyChanged += ((MainWindow)d).MyClass_PropertyChanged;
}
}
private void MyClass_PropertyChanged(object sender, System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
this.InvalidateProperty(MyClassProperty); <----- still does not refresh binding, but called.
}

Converters should not do more work than simple conversions, your question sounds like the converter uses a lot of properties of the object to create some combined value. Use a MultiBinding instead which hooks into all the different properties on the object you need, that way the MultiValueConverter on that MultiBinding will fire if any of those properties change.
Further, since you seem to create text you might be able to get away without using any converter at all as the StringFormat might be enough.

The only technique I've found is to call the binding's UpdateSource method in a strategically placed event handler, such as LostFocus.
private void mycontrol_LostFocus(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
if (mycontrol.IsModified)
{
var binding = mycontrol.GetBindingExpression(MyControl.FooBarProperty);
binding.UpdateSource();
}
}
If you don't care about chattiness or if your control doesn't take input focus, you could do this in mycontrol_PropertyChanged event or similar. However, forcing a conversion cycle on every property change or every keystroke may interfere with validation.

In MyClass, implement a NotifyPropertyChanged event. Then add a property changed callback to your MyClass DependencyProperty. In the DP's property changed callback, hook your new MyClass NotifyPropertyChanged event to a second callback function (and unhook the previous value, if any, with a -= operator). In the second callback function, call DependencyObject.InvalidateProperty so that the binding gets updated.
Edit: you may need to trigger a binding update with:
BindingExpressionBase exp = BindingOperations.GetBindingExpressionBase(this, Container.MyClassProperty);
if (exp != null)
exp.UpdateTarget();
class MyClass : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
/// <summary>
/// Event raised when a property is changed
/// </summary>
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
/// <summary>
/// Raises the property changed event
/// </summary>
/// <param name="e">The arguments to pass</param>
protected void OnPropertyChanged(PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
PropertyChanged(this, e);
}
/// <summary>
/// Notify for property changed
/// </summary>
/// <param name="name">Property name</param>
protected void NotifyPropertyChanged(string name)
{
OnPropertyChanged(new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
}
/// <summary>
/// The parent container object
/// </summary>
public Container Parent { get; set; }
// Some data
int x;
}
class Container : DependencyObject
{
public static readonly DependencyProperty MyClassProperty = DependencyProperty.Register("MyClass", typeof(MyClass), typeof(Container), new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(MyClassPropChanged));
public MyClass MyClass
{
get { return (MyClass)GetValue(MyClassProperty); }
set { SetValue(MyClassProperty, value); }
}
void MyClassPropChanged(DependencyObject d, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
Container ct = d as Container;
if (ct == null)
return;
MyClass oldc = e.OldValue as MyClass;
if (oldc != null)
{
oldc.PropertyChanged -= new PropertyChangedEventHandler(MyClass_PropertyChanged);
oldc.Parent = null;
}
MyClass newc = e.NewValue as MyClass;
if (newc != null)
{
newc.Parent = ct;
newc.PropertyChanged += new PropertyChangedEventHandler(MyClass_PropertyChanged);
}
}
void MyClass_PropertyChanged(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
MyClass mc = sender as MyClass;
if (mc == null || mc.Parent == null)
return;
mc.Parent.InvalidateProperty(Container.MyClassProperty);
}
}

Combobox SelectedItem not working as expected

I have a combobox which binds to a collection of Foo on my viewmodel (FooCollection). I also set the SelectedItem property of the combobox to a property on my viewmodel of type Foo called SelectedFoo
I then set FooCollection and SelectedFoo and fire the appropriate OnPropertyChanged events.
My combobox contains the list of Foo, but the item displayed in the combobox is always the first item in the list. However, if you drop down the combobox, the item that is then highlighted is the correct item (SelectedFoo). Therefore, it is selecting the correct item, but not displaying it.
<ComboBox Grid.Row="5" ItemsSource="{Binding Path=FooCollection}"
SelectedItem="{Binding SelectedFoo, Mode=TwoWay}"
Name="FooSelectionControl"/>
Does anyone know how to fix this?

Hmm, it works on my end. What kind of collection are you using?
<ComboBox
SelectedItem="{Binding SelectedFoo, Mode=TwoWay}"
ItemsSource="{Binding FooCollection}">
</ComboBox>
Code behind:
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
DataContext = this;
FooCollection = new BindingList<Foo>();
var foo = new Foo("Alpha");
FooCollection.Add(foo);
foo = new Foo("Beta");
SelectedFoo = foo;
FooCollection.Add(foo);
foo = new Foo("Gamma");
FooCollection.Add(foo);
}
public Foo SelectedFoo
{
get { return (Foo)GetValue(SelectedFooProperty); }
set { SetValue(SelectedFooProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty SelectedFooProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("SelectedFoo", typeof(Foo), typeof(MainWindow), new UIPropertyMetadata(null));
public BindingList<Foo> FooCollection
{
get { return (BindingList<Foo>)GetValue(FooCollectionProperty); }
set { SetValue(FooCollectionProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty FooCollectionProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("FooCollection", typeof(BindingList<Foo>), typeof(MainWindow), new UIPropertyMetadata(new BindingList<Foo>()));
and class Foo,
public class Foo : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public Foo(string name)
{
_name = name;
}
private string _name;
public string Name
{
get { return _name; }
set
{
if (_name == value) return;
_name = value;
OnPropertyChanged("Name");
}
}
public override string ToString()
{
return Name;
}
#region INotifyPropertyChanged event
///<summary>
///Occurs when a property value changes.
///</summary>
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
/// <summary>
/// Raises the <see cref="PropertyChanged"/> event for
/// a given property.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="propertyName">The name of the changed property.</param>
protected void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
//validate the property name in debug builds
VerifyProperty(propertyName);
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Verifies whether the current class provides a property with a given
/// name. This method is only invoked in debug builds, and results in
/// a runtime exception if the <see cref="OnPropertyChanged"/> method
/// is being invoked with an invalid property name. This may happen if
/// a property's name was changed but not the parameter of the property's
/// invocation of <see cref="OnPropertyChanged"/>.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="propertyName">The name of the changed property.</param>
[Conditional("DEBUG")]
private void VerifyProperty(string propertyName)
{
Type type = GetType();
//look for a *public* property with the specified name
PropertyInfo pi = type.GetProperty(propertyName);
if (pi == null)
{
//there is no matching property - notify the developer
string msg = "OnPropertyChanged was invoked with invalid property name {0}: ";
msg += "{0} is not a public property of {1}.";
msg = String.Format(msg, propertyName, type.FullName);
Debug.Fail(msg);
}
}
#endregion
}

Maybe try SelectedValue instead of SelectedItem. Also, make sure that Foo.Equals() is implemented correctly.