C# – Bind button in DataTemplate to command in the form’s ViewModel

cdata-bindingmvvmwpfxaml

My problem is similar to the one described in this question:
WPF MVVM Button Control Binding in DataTemplate

Here is my XAML:

<Window x:Class="MissileSharp.Launcher.MainWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        Title="MissileSharp Launcher" Height="350" Width="525">
    <Grid>
        <!-- when I put the button here (outside the list), the binding works -->
        <!--<Button Content="test" Command="{Binding Path=FireCommand}" />-->
        <ListBox ItemsSource="{Binding CommandSets}">
            <ListBox.ItemTemplate>
                <DataTemplate>
                    <!-- I need the button here (inside the list), and here the binding does NOT work -->
                    <Button Content="{Binding}" Command="{Binding Path=FireCommand}" />
                </DataTemplate>
            </ListBox.ItemTemplate>
        </ListBox>
    </Grid>
</Window>

It's just a ListBox, bound to an ObservableCollection<string> named CommandSets (which is in the ViewModel).
This binding works (it displays a button for each item in the collection).

Now I want to bind the button to a command (FireCommand), which is also in the ViewModel.
Here's the relevant part of the ViewModel:

public class MainWindowViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
    public ICommand FireCommand { get; set; }
    public ObservableCollection<string> CommandSets { get; set; }

    public MainWindowViewModel()
    {
        this.FireCommand = new RelayCommand(new Action<object>(this.FireMissile));
    }

    private void FireMissile(Object obj)
    {
        System.Windows.MessageBox.Show("fire");
    }
}

The binding of this button does NOT work.
From what I've understood from the question I linked above, the binding doesn't work because:
(correct me if I'm wrong)

The button is inside the ListBox, so it only "knows" the binding of the ListBox (the ObservableCollection, in this case), but not the binding of the main window
I'm trying to bind to a command in the main ViewModel of the main window (which the button doesn't "know")

The command itself is definitely correct, because when I put the button outside the ListBox (see the XAML above for an example), the binding works and the command is executed.

Apparently, I "just" need to tell the button to bind to the main ViewModel of the form.
But I'm not able to figure out the right XAML syntax.

I tried several approaches that I found after some googling, but none of them worked for me:

<Button Content="{Binding}" Command="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Window}, Path=DataContext.FireCommand}" />

<Button Content="{Binding}" Command="{Binding Path=FireCommand, Source={StaticResource MainWindow}}" />

<Button Content="{Binding}" Command="{Binding Path=FireCommand, RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType={x:Type Window}}}" />

Could someone please:

give me the proper XAML to bind the button inside the ListBox to a command in the form's MainViewModel?
point me to a link where this advanced binding stuff is explained in a way that a WPF/MVVM beginner can understand?
I'm feeling like I'm just copying and pasting arcane XAML incantations, and so far I don't have any clue (and can't find any good documentation) how I would figure out by myself in which cases I'd need RelativeSource or StaticResource or whatever instead of a "normal" binding.

Best Answer

It's:

{Binding DataContext.FireCommand,
         RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType=ListBox}}

No need to walk up to the root unless you actually change the DataContext along the way, but as the ListBox seems to bind to a property on the main VM this should be enough.

The only thing i recommend reading is the Data Binding Overview, and the Binding class documentation (including its properties).

Also here is a short explanation on how bindings are constructed: A binding consists of a source and a Path relative to that source, by default the source is the current DataContext. Sources that can be set explicitly are: Source, ElementName & RelativeSource. Setting any of those will override the DataContext as source.

So if you use a source like RelativeSource and want to access something in the DataContext on that level the DataContext needs to appear in the Path.

Related Solutions

C# – How should the ViewModel close the form

I was inspired by Thejuan's answer to write a simpler attached property. No styles, no triggers; instead, you can just do this:

<Window ...
        xmlns:xc="clr-namespace:ExCastle.Wpf"
        xc:DialogCloser.DialogResult="{Binding DialogResult}">

This is almost as clean as if the WPF team had gotten it right and made DialogResult a dependency property in the first place. Just put a bool? DialogResult property on your ViewModel and implement INotifyPropertyChanged, and voilà, your ViewModel can close the Window (and set its DialogResult) just by setting a property. MVVM as it should be.

Here's the code for DialogCloser:

using System.Windows;

namespace ExCastle.Wpf
{
    public static class DialogCloser
    {
        public static readonly DependencyProperty DialogResultProperty =
            DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached(
                "DialogResult",
                typeof(bool?),
                typeof(DialogCloser),
                new PropertyMetadata(DialogResultChanged));

        private static void DialogResultChanged(
            DependencyObject d,
            DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            var window = d as Window;
            if (window != null)
                window.DialogResult = e.NewValue as bool?;
        }
        public static void SetDialogResult(Window target, bool? value)
        {
            target.SetValue(DialogResultProperty, value);
        }
    }
}

I've also posted this on my blog.

C# – Binding a WPF ComboBox to a custom list

You set the DisplayMemberPath and the SelectedValuePath to "Name", so I assume that you have a class PhoneBookEntry with a public property Name.

Have you set the DataContext to your ConnectionViewModel object?

I copied you code and made some minor modifications, and it seems to work fine. I can set the viewmodels PhoneBookEnty property and the selected item in the combobox changes, and I can change the selected item in the combobox and the view models PhoneBookEntry property is set correctly.

Here is my XAML content:

<Window x:Class="WpfApplication6.Window1"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        Title="Window1" Height="300" Width="300">
<Grid>
    <StackPanel>
        <Button Click="Button_Click">asdf</Button>
        <ComboBox ItemsSource="{Binding Path=PhonebookEntries}"
                  DisplayMemberPath="Name"
                  SelectedValuePath="Name"
                  SelectedValue="{Binding Path=PhonebookEntry}" />
    </StackPanel>
</Grid>
</Window>

And here is my code-behind:

namespace WpfApplication6
{

    /// <summary>
    /// Interaction logic for Window1.xaml
    /// </summary>
    public partial class Window1 : Window
    {
        public Window1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            ConnectionViewModel vm = new ConnectionViewModel();
            DataContext = vm;
        }

        private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            ((ConnectionViewModel)DataContext).PhonebookEntry = "test";
        }
    }

    public class PhoneBookEntry
    {
        public string Name { get; set; }

        public PhoneBookEntry(string name)
        {
            Name = name;
        }

        public override string ToString()
        {
            return Name;
        }
    }

    public class ConnectionViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
    {
        public ConnectionViewModel()
        {
            IList<PhoneBookEntry> list = new List<PhoneBookEntry>();
            list.Add(new PhoneBookEntry("test"));
            list.Add(new PhoneBookEntry("test2"));
            _phonebookEntries = new CollectionView(list);
        }

        private readonly CollectionView _phonebookEntries;
        private string _phonebookEntry;

        public CollectionView PhonebookEntries
        {
            get { return _phonebookEntries; }
        }

        public string PhonebookEntry
        {
            get { return _phonebookEntry; }
            set
            {
                if (_phonebookEntry == value) return;
                _phonebookEntry = value;
                OnPropertyChanged("PhonebookEntry");
            }
        }

        private void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
        {
            if (PropertyChanged != null)
                PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
        }
        public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
    }
}

Edit: Geoffs second example does not seem to work, which seems a bit odd to me. If I change the PhonebookEntries property on the ConnectionViewModel to be of type ReadOnlyCollection, the TwoWay binding of the SelectedValue property on the combobox works fine.

Maybe there is an issue with the CollectionView? I noticed a warning in the output console:

System.Windows.Data Warning: 50 : Using CollectionView directly is not fully supported. The basic features work, although with some inefficiencies, but advanced features may encounter known bugs. Consider using a derived class to avoid these problems.

Edit2 (.NET 4.5): The content of the DropDownList can be based on ToString() and not of DisplayMemberPath, while DisplayMemberPath specifies the member for the selected and displayed item only.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

C# – How should the ViewModel close the form

C# – Binding a WPF ComboBox to a custom list

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