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How to: Make Data Available for Binding in XAML

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This topic discusses various ways you can make data available for binding in Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML), depending on the needs of your application.

Example

If you have a common language runtime (CLR) object you would like to bind to from XAML, one way you can make the object available for binding is to define it as a resource and give it an x:Key. In the following example, you have a Person object with a string property named PersonName. The Person object (in the line shown highlighted that contains the <src> element) is defined in the namespace called SDKSample.

<Window
  xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
  xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
  xmlns:src="clr-namespace:SDKSample"
  SizeToContent="WidthAndHeight"
  Title="Simple Data Binding Sample">

  <Window.Resources>
    <src:Person x:Key="myDataSource" PersonName="Joe"/>
    <Style TargetType="{x:Type Label}">
      <Setter Property="DockPanel.Dock" Value="Top"/>
      <Setter Property="FontSize" Value="12"/>
    </Style>
    <Style TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
      <Setter Property="Width" Value="100"/>
      <Setter Property="Height" Value="25"/>
      <Setter Property="DockPanel.Dock" Value="Top"/>
    </Style>
    <Style TargetType="{x:Type TextBlock}">
      <Setter Property="Width" Value="100"/>
      <Setter Property="Height" Value="25"/>
      <Setter Property="DockPanel.Dock" Value="Top"/>
      <Setter Property="Padding" Value="3"/>
    </Style>
  </Window.Resources>
  <Border Margin="5" BorderBrush="Aqua" BorderThickness="1" Padding="8" CornerRadius="3">
    <DockPanel Width="200" Height="100" Margin="35">
      <Label>Enter a Name:</Label>
      <TextBox>
        <TextBox.Text>
          <Binding Source="{StaticResource myDataSource}" Path="PersonName"
                   UpdateSourceTrigger="PropertyChanged"/>
        </TextBox.Text>
      </TextBox>
      
      <Label>The name you entered:</Label>
      <TextBlock Text="{Binding Source={StaticResource myDataSource}, Path=PersonName}"/>
    </DockPanel>
  </Border>
</Window>

You can then bind the TextBlock control to the object in XAML, as the highlighted line that contains the <TextBlock> element shows.

Alternatively, you can use the ObjectDataProvider class, as in the following example:

<Window
  xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
  xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
  xmlns:src="clr-namespace:SDKSample"
  xmlns:system="clr-namespace:System;assembly=mscorlib"
  SizeToContent="WidthAndHeight"
  Title="Simple Data Binding Sample">

  <Window.Resources>
    <ObjectDataProvider x:Key="myDataSource" ObjectType="{x:Type src:Person}">
      <ObjectDataProvider.ConstructorParameters>
        <system:String>Joe</system:String>
      </ObjectDataProvider.ConstructorParameters>
    </ObjectDataProvider>
    <Style TargetType="{x:Type Label}">
      <Setter Property="DockPanel.Dock" Value="Top"/>
      <Setter Property="FontSize" Value="12"/>
    </Style>
    <Style TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
      <Setter Property="Width" Value="100"/>
      <Setter Property="Height" Value="25"/>
      <Setter Property="DockPanel.Dock" Value="Top"/>
    </Style>
    <Style TargetType="{x:Type TextBlock}">
      <Setter Property="Width" Value="100"/>
      <Setter Property="Height" Value="25"/>
      <Setter Property="DockPanel.Dock" Value="Top"/>
    </Style>
  </Window.Resources>

  <Border Margin="25" BorderBrush="Aqua" BorderThickness="3" Padding="8">
    <DockPanel Width="200" Height="100">
      <Label>Enter a Name:</Label>
      <TextBox>
        <TextBox.Text>
          <Binding Source="{StaticResource myDataSource}" Path="Name"
                   UpdateSourceTrigger="PropertyChanged"/>
        </TextBox.Text>
      </TextBox>

      <Label>The name you entered:</Label>
      <TextBlock Text="{Binding Source={StaticResource myDataSource}, Path=Name}"/>
    </DockPanel>
  </Border>
</Window>

You define the binding the same way, as the highlighted line that contains the <TextBlock> element shows.

In this particular example, the result is the same: you have a TextBlock with the text content Joe. However, the ObjectDataProvider class provides functionality such as the ability to bind to the result of a method. You can choose to use the ObjectDataProvider class if you need the functionality it provides.

However, if you are binding to an object that has already been created, you need to set the DataContext in code, as in the following example.

DataSet myDataSet;

private void OnInit(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
  string mdbFile = Path.Combine(AppDataPath, "BookData.mdb");
  string connString = string.Format(
      "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; Data Source={0}", mdbFile);
  OleDbConnection conn = new OleDbConnection(connString);
  OleDbDataAdapter adapter = new OleDbDataAdapter("SELECT * FROM BookTable;", conn);

  myDataSet = new DataSet();
  adapter.Fill(myDataSet, "BookTable");

  // myListBox is a ListBox control.
  // Set the DataContext of the ListBox to myDataSet
  myListBox.DataContext = myDataSet;
}

Private myDataSet As DataSet

Private Sub OnInit(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
  Dim mdbFile As String = Path.Combine(AppDataPath, "BookData.mdb")
  Dim connString As String = String.Format("Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; Data Source={0}", mdbFile)
  Dim conn As New OleDbConnection(connString)
  Dim adapter As New OleDbDataAdapter("SELECT * FROM BookTable;", conn)

  myDataSet = New DataSet()
  adapter.Fill(myDataSet, "BookTable")

  ' myListBox is a ListBox control.
  ' Set the DataContext of the ListBox to myDataSet
  myListBox.DataContext = myDataSet
End Sub

To access XML data for binding using the XmlDataProvider class, see Bind to XML Data Using an XMLDataProvider and XPath Queries. To access XML data for binding using the ObjectDataProvider class, see Bind to XDocument, XElement, or LINQ for XML Query Results.

For information about many ways you can specify the data you are binding to, see Specify the Binding Source. For information about what types of data you can bind to or how to implement your own common language runtime (CLR) objects for binding, see Binding Sources Overview.

See also