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How do i make a UIElement change when a propertie change?

I am trying to make a really simple app to learn DataBinding and events. The following code is supposed to change the label content when i click on a button, but actually it changes the property but doesn't update the label.
This is the main code :
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
environments = new ObservableCollection<Env>();
environments.Add(new Env("env1", new ObservableCollection<Cell>()));
environments.Add(new Env("env2", new ObservableCollection<Cell>()));
foreach (Env e in environments)
{
Label label = new Label
{
Content = e.Name
};
pnlMain.Children.Add(label);
}
}
private void ChangeEnvName_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
foreach (Env env in environments)
{
env.Name = "test";
}
}
And this is the Env class :
class Env : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
//membres
#region membres
private string _name;
private ObservableCollection<Cell> _cells;
#endregion
//propriétés
#region propriétés
public string Name
{
get { return this._name; }
set
{
if (this._name != value)
{
this._name = value;
this.NotifyPropertyChanged("Name");
}
}
}
public ObservableCollection<Cell> Cells
{
get { return this._cells; }
set
{
if (this._cells != value)
{
this._cells = value;
this.NotifyPropertyChanged("Cells");
}
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
#endregion
//méthodes
#region méthodes
public void NotifyPropertyChanged(string propName)
{
if (this.PropertyChanged != null)
this.PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propName));
}
#endregion
//constructeur
#region contructeur
public Env(string name, ObservableCollection<Cell> cells)
{
_name = name;
_cells = cells;
}
#endregion
}
What's the problem? Isn't it suppose the update the label.content when i update Env.Name ?

You haven't bound the Content property of the Label to the Name property. You have just set it to a string. Try this:
foreach (Env e in environments)
{
Label label = new Label();
label.SetBinding(Label.ContentProperty, new Binding("Name") { Source = e });
pnlMain.Children.Add(label);
}
Or create an Environments property that returns environments, set the DataContext to this and bind to Environments[index].Name. If you don specify an explicit Source of the binding, it will look for the property in its current DataContext which may be inherited from a parent element. Please see the docs for more information.

WPF Databinding, value won't update

I know this is terribly common issue, but I just can't get the button to update to "Pressed1" and "Pressed2" content when changing "Default" of buttonContent. Having looked at few questions, I can't find the answer that'd work for me, I simply can't find out what is wrong here, so here's the crappy code:
The window with a button
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
Code_Behind cB;
public MainWindow()
{
cB = new Code_Behind();
this.DataContext = cB;
InitializeComponent();
}
private void button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
cB.buttonPressed();
}
}
And here's the separate class
public class Code_Behind : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private string _buttonContent = "Default";
public string buttonContent
{
get { return _buttonContent; }
set {
if (_buttonContent != value)
{
buttonContent = value;
OnPropertyChanged("buttonContent");
}
}
}
public void buttonPressed()
{
int timesPressed = 0;
if (timesPressed != 1)
{
_buttonContent = "Pressed1";
timesPressed++;
}
else if (timesPressed != 2)
{
_buttonContent = "Pressed2";
timesPressed++;
timesPressed = 0;
}
}
protected void OnPropertyChanged(string name)
{
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
}
}

You are not setting the property, but the backing field. Hence the PropertyChanged event is not fired.
Replace
_buttonContent = "Pressed1";
...
_buttonContent = "Pressed2";
with
buttonContent = "Pressed1";
...
buttonContent = "Pressed2";
Besides that, it is a widely accepted convention to write property names with Pascal casing, i.e. ButtonContent instead of buttonContent.
Moreover, your property setter looks odd (probably because you try to squeeze too much code in one line).
Instead of
set
{
if (_buttonContent != value)
{
_buttonContent = value;
}
OnPropertyChanged("buttonContent");
}
it should certainly be
set
{
if (_buttonContent != value)
{
_buttonContent = value;
OnPropertyChanged("buttonContent");
}
}

How to update a ListBox if an element was changed c#

Hi,
I'm struggling a bit using the ListBox.DataSource and the INotifyPropertyChanged Interface. I checked several posts about this issue already but I cannot figure out, how to update the view of a ListBox if an element of the bound BindingList is changed.
I basically want to change the color of an IndexItem after the content has been parsed.
Here the relevant calls in my form:
btn_indexAddItem.Click += new EventHandler(btn_indexAddItem_Click);
lst_index.DataSource = Indexer.Items;
lst_index.DisplayMember = "Url";
lst_index.DrawItem += new DrawItemEventHandler(lst_index_DrawItem);
private void btn_indexAddItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Indexer.AddSingleURL(txt_indexAddItem.Text);
}
private void lst_index_DrawItem(object sender, DrawItemEventArgs e)
{
IndexItem item = lst_index.Items[e.Index] as IndexItem;
if (item != null)
{
e.DrawBackground();
SolidBrush brush = new SolidBrush((item.hasContent) ? SystemColors.WindowText : SystemColors.ControlDark);
e.Graphics.DrawString(item.Url, lst_index.Font, brush, 0, e.Index * lst_index.ItemHeight);
e.DrawFocusRectangle();
}
}
Indexer.cs:
class Indexer
{
public BindingList<IndexItem> Items { get; }
private object SyncItems = new object();
public Indexer()
{
Items = new BindingList<IndexItem>();
}
public void AddSingleURL(string url)
{
IndexItem item = new IndexItem(url);
if (!Items.Contains(item))
{
lock (SyncItems)
{
Items.Add(item);
}
new Thread(new ThreadStart(() =>
{
// time consuming parsing
Thread.Sleep(5000);
string content = item.Url;
lock (SyncItems)
{
Items[Items.IndexOf(item)].Content = content;
}
}
)).Start();
}
}
}
IndexItem.cs
class IndexItem : IEquatable<IndexItem>, INotifyPropertyChanged
{
public int Key { get; }
public string Url { get; }
public bool hasContent { get { return (_content != null); } }
private string _content;
public string Content {
get
{
return (hasContent) ? _content : "empty";
}
set
{
_content = value;
ContentChanged();
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void ContentChanged()
{
if (this.PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs("Content"));
}
}
public IndexItem(string url)
{
this.Key = url.GetHashCode();
this.Url = url;
}
public override bool Equals(object obj)
{
return Equals(obj as IndexItem);
}
public override int GetHashCode()
{
return Key;
}
public bool Equals(IndexItem other)
{
if (other == null) return false;
return (this.Key.Equals(other.Key)) ||
((hasContent || other.hasContent) && (this._content.Equals(other._content)));
}
public override string ToString()
{
return Url;
}
}
Any ideas what went wrong and how to fix it? I'll appreciate any hint...

It seems to me that the control should redraw when it raises the ListChanged event for that item. This will force it to do so:
lst_index.DrawItem += new DrawItemEventHandler(lst_index_DrawItem);
Indexer.Items.ListChanged += Items_ListChanged;
private void Items_ListChanged(object sender, ListChangedEventArgs e)
{
lst_index.Invalidate(); // Force the control to redraw when any elements change
}
So why doesn't it do that already? Well, it seems that the listbox only calls DrawItem if both DisplayMember changed, and if the INotifyPropertyChanged event was raised from the UI thread. So this also works:
lock (SyncItems)
{
// Hacky way to do an Invoke
Application.OpenForms[0].Invoke((Action)(() =>
{
Items[Items.IndexOf(item)].Url += " "; // Force listbox to call DrawItem by changing the DisplayMember
Items[Items.IndexOf(item)].Content = content;
}));
}
Note that calling PropertyChanged on the Url is not sufficient. The value must actually change. This tells me that the listbox is caching those values. :-(
(Tested with VS2015 REL)

Why does opening and closing a window speed up my application? - C# WPF MVVM Observer Pattern

I have a C# WPF application built with Visual Studio 2015. I'm using MVVM and the Observer Pattern.
My Provider is a user control called 'ucClientFilter1ViewModel' that contains two text box controls where the user can search for a client(s):
namespace NSUCClientControls
{
public class ucClientFilter1ViewModel : ViewModelBase, IObservable<ClientFilterParameter>
{
private string filterLocation;
private string whereSearch1;
private string whereSearch2;
private List<IObserver<ClientFilterParameter>> observers;
public ucClientFilter1ViewModel()
{
observers = new List<IObserver<ClientFilterParameter>>();
}
public string FilterLocation
{
get { return filterLocation; }
set { filterLocation = value; }
}
public string WhereSearch1
{
get { return whereSearch1; }
set
{
whereSearch1 = value;
TestUpdateGrid(filterLocation);
}
}
public string WhereSearch2
{
get { return whereSearch2; }
set
{
whereSearch2 = value;
TestUpdateGrid(filterLocation);
}
}
private void TestUpdateGrid(string _filterLocation)
{
var filterInfo = new ClientFilterParameter(this);
foreach (var observer in observers)
{
observer.OnNext(filterInfo);
}
}
public IDisposable Subscribe(IObserver<ClientFilterParameter> observer)
{
// Check whether observer is already registered. If not, add it
if (!observers.Contains(observer))
{
observers.Add(observer);
// Provide observer with existing data
var filterInfo = new ClientFilterParameter(this);
observer.OnNext(filterInfo);
}
return new Unsubscriber<ClientFilterParameter>(observers, observer);
}
internal class Unsubscriber<ClientFilterParameter> : IDisposable
{
private IObserver<ClientFilterParameter> observer;
private List<IObserver<ClientFilterParameter>> observers;
public Unsubscriber(List<IObserver<ClientFilterParameter>> _observers, IObserver<ClientFilterParameter> _observer)
{
observers = _observers;
observer = _observer;
}
public void Dispose()
{
if (observers.Contains(observer))
{
observers.Remove(observer);
}
}
}
}
}
My Observer is a user control called 'ucClientGrid1ViewModel' that contains a datagrid where the search results are displayed.
namespace NSUCClientControls
{
public class ucClientGrid1ViewModel : ViewModelBase, IObserver<ClientFilterParameter>
{
private IDisposable cancellation;
private ObservableCollection<Client> clientsMultiple;
public ucClientGrid1ViewModel()
{
}
public ObservableCollection<Client> ClientsMultiple
{
get
{
var myClientDataAccess = new ClientDataAccess();
clientsMultiple = myClientDataAccess.GetClientListFromSQL_Test2();
return clientsMultiple;
}
set
{
}
}
public virtual void Subscribe(ucClientFilter1ViewModel provider)
{
cancellation = provider.Subscribe(this);
}
public void OnNext(ClientFilterParameter myFilter)
{
OnPropertyChanged("ClientsMultiple");
var myDummyWindow = new dummyWindow();
myDummyWindow.Show();
myDummyWindow.Close();
}
public void OnError(Exception error)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
public void OnCompleted()
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
}
}
This all works and I get the search results that I am expecting. But what I don't understand is why the inclusion of the following lines actually speed things up!
var myDummyWindow = new dummyWindow();
myDummyWindow.Show();
myDummyWindow.Close();
I'm new to MVVM and the observer pattern, so as I was writing the code I had included message boxes at various points to help me to follow the flow of it. It was all working as expected. Then I removed the message boxes and it still worked but the application was pausing at the end before you could continue to keep searching.
Putting a message box back in at the end prevented this pause. Replacing the message box with a "DummyWindow" that just opens and closes has the same affect and prevents the pause at the end. This is what I currently have but I'd rather not leave this in there.
Presumably opening the window causes something else to happen which stops some redundant process, and this then prevents the pause? What else could I do to prevent the pause at the end, without using this DummyWindow?
I've tried searching on here and with Bing with no luck.
Thanks in advance!
Edit:
ViewModelBase...
namespace NSCommon
{
public abstract class ViewModelBase : INotifyPropertyChanged, IDisposable
{
protected ViewModelBase()
{
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null)
{
var e = new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName);
handler(this, e);
}
}
public void Dispose()
{
OnDispose();
}
protected virtual void OnDispose()
{
}
}
}
ClientFilterParameter...
namespace NSCommon
{
public class ClientFilterParameter
{
public ClientFilterParameter(ucClientFilter1ViewModel myFilter)
{
FilterLocation = myFilter.FilterLocation;
WhereSearch1 = myFilter.WhereSearch1;
WhereSearch2 = myFilter.WhereSearch2;
}
private string filterLocation;
private string whereSearch1;
private string whereSearch2;
public string FilterLocation
{
get { return filterLocation; }
set { filterLocation = value; }
}
public string WhereSearch1
{
get { return whereSearch1; }
set { whereSearch1 = value; }
}
public string WhereSearch2
{
get { return whereSearch2; }
set { whereSearch2 = value; }
}
}
}

XAML custom collection binding async collection update

I have a custom class inheriting from ObservableCollection and INotifyPropertyChanged (i.e. the custom class also has properties) that serves as a Collection<T> where T also inherits from INotifyPropertyChanged:
public class CustomCollection<T> : ObservableCollection<T>, INotifyPropertyChanged where T: INotifyPropertyChanged {
private string _name;
public string Name {
get {
return _name;
}
set {
if (_name != value) {
_name = value;
NotifyPropertyChanged("Name");
}
}
}
private int _total;
public int Total {
get {
return _total;
}
set {
if (_total != value) {
_total = value;
NotifyPropertyChanged("Total");
}
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void NotifyPropertyChanged(String propertyName) {
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if (null != handler) {
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
And T item class:
public class DataItem : INotifyPropertyChanged {
private string _fname;
public string Fname {
get {
return _fname;
}
set {
if (value != _fname) {
_fname = value;
NotifyPropertyChanged("Fname");
}
}
}
private int_value;
public int Value {
get {
return _value;
}
set {
if (value != _value) {
_value = value;
NotifyPropertyChanged("Value");
}
}
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void NotifyPropertyChanged(String propertyName) {
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if (null != handler) {
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
}
}
And the ViewModel:
public class ViewModel : ViewModelBase {
private readonly IService _dataService;
private bool _isLoading;
public bool IsLoading {
get {
return _isLoading;
}
private set {
_isLoading = value;
RaisePropertyChanged("IsLoading");
}
}
private CustomCollection<DataItem> _items;
public CustomCollection<DataItem> Items
{
get
{
return _items;
}
set
{
_items= value;
RaisePropertyChanged("Items");
}
}
public ViewModel(IService dataService) {
_dataService = dataService;
}
public void Refresh() {
if (!this.IsLoading) {
this.IsLoading = true;
_dataService.RefreshData(
this, (error) => {
if (error != null) {
return;
}
if (!IsInDesignMode)
this.IsLoading = false;
}
);
}
}
public void GetData() {
if (Games == null) {
Games = new CustomCollection<DataItem>();
} else {
Games.Clear();
}
if (!this.IsLoading) {
this.IsLoading = true;
_dataService.GetData(
this, (error) => {
if (error != null) {
return;
}
if (!IsInDesignMode)
this.IsLoading = false;
}
);
}
}
And I have bound the CustomCollection<T> to a control in my View (xaml). Everything works fine initially, upon navigating to the page, the ViewModel calls for a DataService to retrieve the data and populate the CustomCollection<T>. However, when refreshing the data, the View is not updated until all the data has been iterated over and refreshed/updated!
Here is the code for the refresh/updated (keep in mind, I'm retrieving the data via a web service, and for the purposes of testing have just manually updated the Value property in DataItem at each passover of the CustomCollection<T>):
public async RefreshData(ViewModel model, Action<Exception> callback) {
if (model.Items == null) return;
// ... retrieve data from web service here (omitted) ...
foreach (DataItem item in retrievedItems) { // loop for each item in retrieved items
DataItem newItem = new DataItem() { Fname = item.Fname, Value = item.Value };
if (model.Items.contains(newItem)) { // override for .Equals in CustomCollection<T> allows for comparison by just Fname property
model.Items[model.Items.IndexOf(newItem)].Value += 10; // manual update
} else {
model.Items.Add(newItem);
}
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(1000); // 1 second pause to "see" each item updated sequentially...
}
callback(null);
}
So in summary, how can I make it so updating Value of my DataItem will instantly reflect in the View, given my current setup of CustomCollection<DateItem>? Something to do with async perhaps? I mean, when Sleep(1000) gets called, the UI does not hang, maybe this has something to do with it?
Any ideas on how to fix this? As you might have guessed, this issue is also present when first retrieving the data (but is barely noticeable as data is retrieved/processed during the navigation to the View).
Note: I'm using the MVVMLight Toolkit.
Thanks.