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Bind a property, inside DataTemplateItem in ListBox, to an outside object in MainPage

I got ListBox with DataTemplate, inside DataTemplate I got another ListBox, trying to bind it's Visibility to another object which is found in the MainPage
XAML:
<ListBox x:Name="RegistersListView" ItemsSource="{x:Bind registersList}">
<ListBox.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate x:DataType="structures:Register">
<StackPanel>
<ListBox x:Name="FieldsListView" ItemsSource="{x:Bind fields_list}" Visibility="{x:Bind SomeVisibilityObjectIMain}">
<ListBox.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate x:DataType="structures:Field">
<Button Content="{x:Bind name}"/>
</DataTemplate>
</ListBox.ItemTemplate>
</ListBox>
</StackPanel>
</DataTemplate>
</ListBox.ItemTemplate>
</ListBox>
C#:
public sealed partial class HWTab : Page
{
public ObservableCollection<Register> registersList = new ObservableCollection<Register>();
public var SomeVisibilityObjectIMain;
public HWTab()
{
InitializeComponent();
InitData();
this.DataContext = hwType;
}
....
}
I need to bind to "SomeVisibilityObjectIMain" somehow, I tried to bind with ElementName or even make object static, but could not succeed.
My bindable object is more complex than the example here but solve this will give me the way for solution.

You could use {Binding} instead of x:Bind. This way you could add a x:Name="Page" to your page and then use this name in the inner binding:
{Binding ElementName=Page, Path=MyProperty}
For {Binding} to work however, MyProperty must be actually a property. From your sample code (which uses var which is also invalid) it seems it is just a plain field, so you will need something like:
public string MyProperty {get;set;}
To also get PropertyChanged notifications, you will need to add a backing field and trigger PropertyChanged event.
However, overall a better solution would be to include all information a DataTemplate needs into the actual items which are bound to it. That means - you would create a custom view model type for the items, which would include the information that you need to control visibility.

Datagrid ObservableCollection for one row wpf

I want to populate a datagrid with itemsource={Binding Model}.
This is not working out. It seems as the datagrid does not understand how to display these properties.
An easy but silly workaround works great:
In viewmodel:
Props= new ObservableCollection<MonitoringBinaryModel>();
_Model = new MonitoringBinaryModel(name);
Props.Add(_Model);
Then in xaml
itemsource={Binding Props}
Seems silly to create an observablecollection when its only suppose to hold one item. Is there a better way to make any type of instance observable?

DataGrid is designed to display a collection of objects of same type. Collection is a must. If you want DataGrid to show a content of your model, you need to obey former's design, by either using ObservableCollection or implementing a bunch of interfaces which would allow your viewmodel's properties to be retrieved in 'collection way'.
I used to have a bunch of models implementing ITypedList interface back in Windows Forms time - it wasn't a simple exercise to say the truth, so if I were you I'd rather go for either way:
Wrap model into any collection - exactly as you've stated
Replace data grid with container grid plus a number of direct bindings, like this:
<Grid>
<TextBlock Grid.Column="2" Grid.Row="0" Text="Prop1"/>
...
<TextBlock Grid.Column="2" Grid.Row="1" Text="{Binding Prop1}"/>

Well ItemsSource property is of type IEnumarable so until your MonitoringBinaryModel implement IEnumerable binding will not work.
Again because ItemsSource is IEnumerable you should provide IEnumerable as binding source. So there is no need to make yout Props as ObservableCollection. You can use ordinary List<>, or anything implementing IEnumerable with your single MonitoringBinaryModel:
_Model = new MonitoringBinaryModel(name);
Props = new List<MonitoringBinaryModel> { _Model };
Other option is to use CompositeCollection inside your XAML:
<DataGrid.ItemsSource>
<CompositeCollection>
<Binding Path="_Model"/>
</CompositeCollection>
</DataGrid.ItemsSource>

reusable wrapper via converter:
public class ItemsSourceConverter: IValueConverter
{
public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
{
// doesn't allow to add new rows in DataGrid
return Enumerable.Repeat(value, 1);
}
public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
}
usage in xaml
add converter to resourses:
<Window.Resources>
<wpfApplication1:ItemsSourceConverter x:Key="ItemWrapper"/>
</Window.Resources>
and use converter resourse with binding
<DataGrid ItemsSource="{Binding Path=Model, Converter={StaticResource ItemWrapper}}"
AutoGenerateColumns="False">
<DataGrid.Columns>
<DataGridTextColumn Binding="{Binding Path=Name}"/>
</DataGrid.Columns>
</DataGrid>
or
<ItemsControl ItemsSource="{Binding Path=Model, Converter={StaticResource ItemWrapper}}">
<ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<Label Content="{Binding Path=Name}"/>
</DataTemplate>
</ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
</ItemsControl>

C# WPF: Listbox with drag to select text

I need to create a WPF ListBox that supports two features:
Content Converter Binding:
The items in the ListBox need to be passed to a converter that converts the items to a text format.
Display items in a way that lets users select and copy text from ListBox items
I need the text of each ListBox item to be selectable. Users want to use their mouse to drag-to-select parts of the elements so they can copy the text to their clipboard.
I implemented [this copy/paste solution][1] but it does not let a user select parts of the ListBox item text, rather it supports copying the entire text.
I'm able to create a ListBox using the converter, but I can not figure out how to put the converted text into a control that lets users select the displayed text. Here is what I have:
<ListBox Name="FinishedTestErrorsListBox"
FontSize="12"
ItemsSource="{Binding Path=SelectedComparisonResult.TestFailItems}">
<ListBox.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<ContentControl Content="{Binding Converter={StaticResource testFailItemConverter}}"/>
</DataTemplate>
</ListBox.ItemTemplate>
</ListBox>
I've tried adding a TextBox to the DataTemplate as shown below...
<TextBlock Text="{Binding Converter={StaticResource testFailItemConverter}}"/>
... but this creates a runtime error caused by sending the wrong type of object to the converter. I know here I'm not setting up the converter binding properly, though I don't have a good grasp on how I should setup the binding here or why this causes errors.
So, my question is:
What content container can I use to let users select text from the individual ListBox items?
Thank you for any help,
Charlie
EDIT
Here's the converter code...
public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
{
ITestFailItem i = (ITestFailItem)value;
return i.Itemize();
}
EDIT 2
The following runtime error is throw when the ListBox is first initialized:
An unhandled exception of type 'System.Windows.Markup.XamlParseException' occurred in PresentationFramework.dll
Additional information: Provide value on 'System.Windows.Baml2006.TypeConverterMarkupExtension' threw an exception
EDIT 3
The culprit is a line of code I'd omitted from the original snippet as I thought it was irrelevant - I've learned a good lesson along the way!
Extension Question
Why does the following snippet cause an error? How can I achieve the desired affect of making the textbox span the entire containing grid?
<TextBox Width="*"
Text="{Binding Path=., Converter={StaticResource testFailItemConverter}}"/>

Try this. TextBlocks don't support text selection, but TextBoxes do. You just have to make it read-only so the user can't modify the text, and change its border thickness and background so they look like labels:
<ListBox Name="FinishedTestErrorsListBox"
FontSize="12"
ItemsSource="{Binding Path=SelectedComparisonResult.TestFailItems}">
<ListBox.Resources>
<converter:TestFailItemConverter x:Key="testFailItemConverter" />
</ListBox.Resources>
<ListBox.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<TextBox Text="{Binding Path=.,
Converter={StaticResource testFailItemConverter},
Mode=OneWay}"
BorderThickness="0"
Background="Transparent"
IsReadOnly="True"/>
</DataTemplate>
</ListBox.ItemTemplate>
</ListBox>

Have You tried TextBox? You can select text inside textbox. Path have to be changed to Path=.
<TextBox Text="{Binding Path=., Converter={StaticResource testFailItemConverter}}" />
There is not much code to work with, but this code works for me:
xaml:
<Window x:Class="StackOverflowTest.MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:s="clr-namespace:StackOverflowTest"
Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
<Window.Resources>
<s:TestFailItemConverter x:Key="testFailItemConverter" />
</Window.Resources>
<Grid>
<ListBox Name="FinishedTestErrorsListBox"
FontSize="12"
ItemsSource="{Binding Path=SelectedComparisonResult.TestFailItems}">
<ListBox.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<!--<ContentControl Content="{Binding Converter={StaticResource testFailItemConverter}}"/>-->
<TextBox Text="{Binding Path=., Converter={StaticResource testFailItemConverter}}" />
</DataTemplate>
</ListBox.ItemTemplate>
</ListBox>
</Grid>
</Window>
Model's code:
public class Dummy
{
public ObservableCollection<string> TestFailItems { get; set; }
public Dummy()
{
TestFailItems = new ObservableCollection<string>(new List<string> { "a", "b" });
}
}
public class Model
{
public Dummy SelectedComparisonResult { get; set; }
public Model()
{
SelectedComparisonResult = new Dummy();
}
}
Converter's code:
public class TestFailItemConverter: IValueConverter
{
public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
{
return "aa";
}
public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
{
return value;
}
}

Change the foreground color of a TextBlock in the LongListSelector

I have a longlistselector for my windows phone 8 app:
<phone:LongListSelector x:Name="AppMenuList" Background="Transparent"
ItemTemplate="{StaticResource AppMenuListTemplate}"
IsGroupingEnabled="true" HideEmptyGroups="true"
LayoutMode="List" SelectionChanged="OnMenuItemTapped"
Margin="5,50,0,0"/>
With the following DataTemplate:
<phone:PhoneApplicationPage.Resources>
<DataTemplate x:Key="AppMenuListTemplate">
<Grid>
<StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Margin="0,5,0,0" Height="80" Width="800" Tap="vTapFeedback">
<TextBlock HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="0,20,0,20" Height="50"
Width="800" TextWrapping="NoWrap"
Text="{Binding MenuItemName}" VerticalAlignment="Center"
FontSize="32" Foreground="#115445" />
</StackPanel>
</Grid>
</DataTemplate>
</phone:PhoneApplicationPage.Resources>
From my C# code, I am setting the ItemsSource property for the longlistselector to display the list of items to the user. However all the items are of same color as specified in the TextBlock property Foreground.
I have a requirement in which I want the user to be able to tap every item of the list and perform some operation except the one. I want that it should be shown as disabled to the user by using a Gray color for it.
I am not able to accomplish this. Can anyone suggest how I can do this ?

There are three solutions that come to my mind:
you can use VisualTreeHelper to find your textbox and then change its Foreground Color
I've bound Foreground color to a property of Item Class, then when I change this property, Foreground changes automatically. I assume than you were able to bind your Text, then there should be no problem with binding Foreground. One thing you will probably need is a Converter.
you can define VisualStates in Style of your TextBlock.
EDIT - code sample after request
I've definded my Converter like this:
namespace myApp.Converters
{
public class BoolToBrush : IValueConverter
{
private Brush FalseValue = (Application.Current.Resources["TransparentBrush"] as Brush);
private Brush TrueValue = (Application.Current.Resources["PhoneAccentBrush"] as Brush);
public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
{
if (value == null)
return FalseValue;
else
return (bool)value ? TrueValue : FalseValue;
}
public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
{
return value != null ? value.Equals(TrueValue) : false;
}
}
In my Item class I've a property Selected (bool in this case) to which Foreground (or Background) is bound. I use it in XAML (item or control) like this:
<UserControl.Resources xmlns:local="clr-namespace:myApp.Converters">
<local:BoolToBrush x:Key="boolToBrush"/>
</UserControl.Resources>
<Grid Name="myElement" Background="{Binding Path=Selected, Converter={StaticResource boolToBrush}}">
Of course you can define more coplex convertes - if you need more Brushes and so on.
On the other hand I would also consider using VisualStates.
Hope this helps a little.

Binding to instance of ItemsSource

I have a ListBox on a WPF User Control that is defined as
<ListBox Grid.Row="1" ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll="False" Background="#00000000" BorderThickness="0" ItemsSource="{Binding BuyItNowOptions}"
ItemTemplate="{DynamicResource BuyItNowDataTemplate}" IsSynchronizedWithCurrentItem="True"
Style="{DynamicResource InheritEmptyListStyle}" SelectedItem="{Binding SelectedResearch}" ItemContainerStyle="{DynamicResource ListBoxItemStyle}"/>
BuyItNowOptions is a public property on the ViewModel that is of type ObservableCollection
In the BuyItNowDataTemplate I have a label that needs to have some logic performed before displaying a price.
<Label Padding="1" HorizontalContentAlignment="Stretch" Grid.Column="2" Grid.Row="2" Margin="1">
<TextBlock Text="{Binding ExchangePrice, StringFormat=C}"
Visibility="{Binding ReturnRequired, Converter={StaticResource BooleanToVisibilityConverter}}"/>
</Label>
The binding here indicates that it will use the ExchangePrice property of the instance of AutoResearchProxy that it is on like BuyItNowOptions[CurrentIndex].ExchangePrice.
What I would like to know is it possible to create the binding in such a way that it references the whole instance of the AutoResearchProxy so that I can pass it to a converter and manipulate several properties of the AutoResearchProxy and return a calculated price?
I would envision my converter looking like this.
public class PriceConverter : IValueConverter
{
public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
{
if (value is AutoResearchProxy)
{
var research = value as AutoResearchProxy;
//Some logic to figure out actual price
}
else
return String.Empty;
}
Hopefully this makes sense.

You can pass the whole datacontext-object to a Binding by not specifying a Path or by setting it to ., that however will result in the binding not updating if any of the relevant properties of that object change.
I would recommend you use a MultiBinding instead, that way you can target the necessary properties and the binding will update if any of those change. (For usage examples see the respective section on MSDN)

MyProperty="{Binding Converter={StaticResource ObjectToDerivedValueConverter}
That should do it.