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Designer view not showing Group headers

I have a problem with group header in the Visual Studio 2015 designer. The group header do show up in while running my Windows 10 UWP app.
I have the following XAML:
<RelativePanel Background="{ThemeResource ApplicationPageBackgroundThemeBrush}">
<ListView x:Name="TracksOverview"
IsItemClickEnabled="True"
ItemsSource="{Binding Source={StaticResource TracksOverviewSource}}"
ItemTemplate="{StaticResource TrackOverview}"
RelativePanel.AlignBottomWithPanel="True"
RelativePanel.AlignTopWithPanel="True"
RelativePanel.AlignLeftWithPanel="True">
<ListView.GroupStyle>
<GroupStyle>
<GroupStyle.HeaderTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<TextBlock Text="1900-2000"
Foreground="White" />
</DataTemplate>
</GroupStyle.HeaderTemplate>
</GroupStyle>
</ListView.GroupStyle>
</ListView>
</RelativePanel>
I've taken a screenshot of my designer and of my program.
As you can see the header doesn't show up int the designer view (left) but does while running (right).
First I thought there is something wrong with my binding but, it doesn't even show the static text, it does reserve some space for it.
Thanks in advance,
Rick

First of all, if it works as expected while running, I wouldn't worry about header not showing up in design mode. However, if you want to see your design-time values displayed, then you need to look into setting the design-time data context with d: prefixes (e.g., d:DataContext for relevant controls) and design-time attributes.
During design time, the Designer displays whatever it can evaluate while leaving out the ones it can't (like the Header in your case), which means you need to supply design time values. As a counter-argument, do you really want to devote time to populating design-time values when you know it works with real data? Design-time display has its purpose such as showing as close a replica UI of a working system. If this is not the aim I wouldn't worry about it.

how to add user controls as listbox items

I am using WPF .net 4.5 (c#) and I would like to make a ListBox that contains a series of user controls. (If a listbox is the wrong type of control, please let me know).
I want my listbox to have a copy of the user control as the list items, with different contents within each one.
How do I add user controls to a listbox?
Thanks for your help in advance!

You can set ItemTemplate for the listbox with your usercontrol in it.
<ListBox>
<ListBox.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<local:UserControl1/>
</DataTemplate>
</ListBox.ItemTemplate>
</ListBox>
Thanks

I think you can design a DataTemplate which ha the same UI or Style as this UserControl .
maybe just copy paste can get a DataTemplate as you want,however
<DataTemplate>
<local:UserControl1/>
</DataTemplate>
this king seems very strange for me I dont konw it can work as you want,so I also want to know
the answers。

AutoCompleteBox in silverlight toolkit for windows phone wrong display

I'm having a problem with the autocompletebox from the toolkit for windows phone. I bind it to some data, then when i press it and start typing, it discovers some items but they are displayed wrong (the list is shown separated from the box, and also if i click on any item, nothing happens. If i click where the item would be supposed to be (for example, right on the top of the box), then it gets selected. It looks like a rendering problem (bug?)) but perhaps i'm doing something wrong. Here's the code for the box :
<DataTemplate x:Key="DataTemplate1">
<ContentControl Content="{Binding Name}" Margin="8,7"/>
</DataTemplate>
<toolkit:AutoCompleteBox ItemsSource="{Binding}" x:Name="txtSelectValues" MinWidth="250" Margin="0,0,0,0" ItemTemplate="{StaticResource DataTemplate1}" VerticalAlignment="Top" />

Found it. It's a bug with the AutoCompleteBox. When inside a scrollviewer control, the dropdown gets messed up and displayed in an incorrect position

Its not just that is also to do with being placed inside of a Pivot/Panaroma as well as the scrollviewer, the silverlight gurus have stated they haven't a timeline for the fix for the Pivot control, and there is a nasty hack
http://silverlight.codeplex.com/workitem/7574

I think the answer might just be that you shouldn't be using a ContentControl directly used like this. Try using something like a TextBlock instead - e.g.:
<DataTemplate x:Key="DataTemplate1">
<TextBlock Text="{Binding Name}" Margin="8,7"/>
</DataTemplate>
If that's not the answer, then try pulling back to a simple example - especially removing all the Margin's, Width's, Alignment's, etc - then put them back in one-by-one to work out and understand what is causing the effect you are seeing.

Populate WPF DataGrid dynamically

My program needs to take input from a fire alarm panel over a serial connection and populate a list based on it. When a new device is reported from the panel, the statement is parsed and the device is added to the device List.
That part of my program all works fine and dandy. The problem now is displaying the list of fire alarm devices to the user.
I am hoping to do this using a DataGrid (unless there's a better way?) but am not able to find a lot of helpful documentation on WPF DataGrids that is relevant to me. Most of what's out there seems to be displaying data from a database. Mine however, needs to update every time the panel spits out a new device description and the device List in my program is appended.
I see I can set AutoGenerateColumns to true and initially display my list just fine. BUT, I would like to customize the column headers. Also this doesn't update when the List is appended so I'm not sure how to "refresh" it.
When AutoGenerateColumns is false, I get no data displayed. When the program runs it shows me the correct number of rows corresponding to the number of items in my list, but no data. Wondering how/if I need to link each column with its corresponding device data member?
Lastly, how do you format a DataGrid to look pretty through re-sizes? I can set column width and all that, but what I want is a few of the columns to be fixed width, and the middle column to expand to fill remaining available area.
This is my first stab at WPF. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Personaly i dont like DataGrid much. Yes they are easier to bind and they offer built-in resize and sorting options but they are not as flexible as an ItemsControl with a good DataTemplating on your Objects. Let me explain myself.
I tend to populate my ItemsControl with an ObservableCollection. Then, i use a DataTemplate in order to tell my ItemsControl how to display my custom items.
Your CustomObjects can be Modeles objects if your doing MVVM.
If your list is binded to an ObservableCollection, the Added and Removed items will appear dynamicly into your list, which is what i belive your trying to do.
For the column size, you could put a Grid specifying GridColumns width to fixed Width for some columns and * for others so they fill the remaining space.
Here's an alternative to the GridView
I use a ScrollViewer around my ItemControl so if the ItemsControl get too big, you can scroll it.
The ItemsControl's ItemSource is binded to your FireAlarms's ObservableCollection.
The WrapPanel in the ItemsControl will contain each DataTemplate. It's Width is binded to his parent (or ancestor if you will) which is an ItemsControl
<ScrollViewer
Grid.Row="x"
Grid.Column="y"
VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Auto"
Margin="5">
<ItemsControl
BorderBrush="DarkBlue"
BorderThickness="2"
ItemsSource="{Binding Path=FireAlarms}"
ItemTemplate="{StaticResource FireAlarmsTemplate}"
>
<ItemsControl.ItemsPanel>
<ItemsPanelTemplate>
<WrapPanel
Orientation="Horizontal"
Width="{Binding RelativeSource=
{RelativeSource FindAncestor,
AncestorType={x:Type ItemsControl}},
Path=ActualWidth}"
>
</WrapPanel>
</ItemsPanelTemplate>
</ItemsControl.ItemsPanel>
</ItemsControl>
</ScrollViewer>
Ok then you need a DataTemplate. You can put the DataTemplate in your windows's ressource or in a DataDictionnary. Lets say you have a class :
FireAlarm
{
Public String AlarmInfo1;
Public String AlarmInfo2;
Public String AlarmInfo3;
}
Here could be a nice DataTemplate to start with :
<DataTemplate x:Key="FireAlarms">
<Border
BorderBrush="SteelBlue"
Background="LightBlue"
BorderThickness="2"
Margin="10"
Padding="10">
<StackPanel
Orientation="Vertical"
>
<Grid>
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition></RowDefinition>
<RowDefinition></RowDefinition>
<RowDefinition></RowDefinition>
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<ColumnDefinition></ColumnDefinition>
<ColumnDefinition Width="5"></ColumnDefinition>
<ColumnDefinition></ColumnDefinition>
</Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<Label
Grid.ColumnSpan="3"
Grid.Row="0"
Content="{Binding Path=AlarmName}"
Margin="5,-5,5,10"
FontWeight="Bold"
FontSize="16"
HorizontalContentAlignment="Center"
HorizontalAlignment="Center">
</Label>
<TextBlock
Text="Alarm information 1" Grid.Row="1" Grid.Column="0" />
<TextBox
Text="{Binding Path=AlarmInfo1}"
Grid.Column="2"
Grid.Row="1"
>
</TextBox>
<TextBlock
Text="Alarm information 2" Grid.Row="2" Grid.Column="0" />
<TextBox
Text="{Binding Path=AlarmInfo2}"
Grid.Column="2"
Grid.Row="2"
>
</TextBox>
<TextBlock
Text="Alarm information 3" Grid.Row="3" Grid.Column="0" />
<TextBox
Text="{Binding Path=AlarmInfo3}"
Grid.Column="2"
Grid.Row="3"
>
</TextBox>
</Grid>
</StackPanel>
</Border>
</DataTemplate>
Ok I hope this is usefull for you. My Template will generate 1 square per alarm. If you'd rather have it in a Table like a GridView, you could modify this using a verticaly oriented stack panel and use a grid with variable // invariable column width but since you asked for anything usefull, i tough i'd guive you something fun to work with!
Enjoy!

Some time back I wrote a post Create DataGrid in WPF using code take a look at it, it will help you in creating data grid in dynamic scenarios like yours

If you a dynamic grid (meaning the number and design of the columns are unknown at design time), I do it with code-behind with binding. I generally use the MVVM pattern (if you not familiar with this, I really recommend reading into it since it is THE pattern when working with WPF).
1) You have to set Auto-Generate columns to false of course and give grid a name (here myDataGrid)
GridViewDataColumn newColumn= new GridViewDataColumn();
myDataGrid.Columns.Add(newColumn)
This will add the column to your grid. Now the column will be empty. Now it depends on your data how to fill it with data. If you bind to a known property on the items, do:
newColumn.Binding = new Binding("knownPropertyName");
In most cases though, you do not know the propertyname and bind to an element in the collection.
Then it would like more:
myDoubleCollection.Add(someDoubleValue); //do this for each item in the itemssource of the grid
int index=myDoubleCollection.Count-1;
newColumn.Binding = new Binding(string.Format("myDoubleCollection[{0}]",index));
So this works also.
Another thing to keep in mind is the deletion of columns. This requires some extra work.

That's a lot of questions rolled into one! I suggest you do a bit more background research before asking questions. I would recommend that your read this codeproject article I wrote about the WPF DataGrid a while back:
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/WPF/WPFDataGridExamples.aspx
It will answer most of your questions for you!

Take a look at the MVVM pattern, it'll be a huge help as you create this application.
What you want is an ObservableCollection in the ViewModel. You'll bind the ItemsSource property of the datagrid to this collection. Then have your columns bind to various properties on to display them. Whenever this ObservableCollection has an item appended, your front end should update automatically.
To have a column autosize, set the Width="*".
Here's a sample of a datagrid with MVVM
<DataGrid ItemsSource="{Binding FireAlarmCollection}" SelectedItem="{Binding SelectedFireAlarm, Mode=TwoWay}" AutoGenerateColumns="True" CanUserSortColumns="True" HorizontalScrollBarVisibility="Visible" CanUserResizeColumns="True">
</DataGrid>
As you continue your effort, post separate questions for each issue.

DataSource reflected after maximizing the window in wpf

This is really peculiar. I tried a simple data binding example program. I tried to bind a collection (IList) to a list box. When i alter the collection, the list box is updated only if i maximize the window. Here are the snippets,
<ListBox x:Name="myBirthdaysListBox" ItemsSource="{Binding}">
<ListBox.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<UniformGrid>
<Label Content="{Binding Name}"></Label>
<Label Content="{Binding DateOfBirth}"></Label>
</UniformGrid>
</DataTemplate>
</ListBox.ItemTemplate>
</ListBox>
public Window1()
{
InitializeComponent();
myCalendar = new List<Calendar>();
myBirthdaysListBox.DataContext = myCalendar;
}
I am just a beginner in wpf. Kindly let me know, if i have done some thing terribly wrong in here.

Try using a BindingList<Calendar> rather than just a List<Calendar>, As binding list raises events for when items get added/removed/etc.
What you're seeing is the control is redrawing when you resize, and it's going through all the data again.
Off the top of my head, I believe you need to implement INotifyPropertyChanged on your Calendar such that the binding list is notified if an item in it changes