Generics in Xamarin.Forms XAML

Xamarin.Forms XAML provides support for consuming generic CLR types by specifying the generic constraints as type arguments. This support is provided by the x:TypeArguments directive, which passes the constraining type arguments of a generic to the constructor of the generic type.

Important

Defining generic classes in Xamarin.Forms XAML, with the x:TypeArguments directive, is unsupported.

Type arguments are specified as a string, and are typically prefixed, such as sys:String and sys:Int32. Prefixing is required because the typical types of CLR generic constraints come from libraries that are not mapped to the default Xamarin.Forms namespace. However, the XAML 2009 built-in types such as x:String and x:Int32, can also be specified as type arguments, where x is the XAML language namespace for XAML 2009. For more information about the XAML 2009 built-in types, see XAML 2009 Language Primitives.

Multiple type arguments can be specified by using a comma delimiter. In addition, if a generic constraint uses generic types, the nested constraint type arguments should be contained in parentheses.

Note

The x:Type markup extension supplies a CLR type reference for a generic type, and has a similar function to the typeof operator in C#. For more information, see x:Type markup extension.

Single primitive type argument

A single primitive type argument can be specified as a prefixed string argument using the x:TypeArguments directive:

<ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
             xmlns:scg="clr-namespace:System.Collections.Generic;assembly=netstandard"
             ...>
    <CollectionView>
        <CollectionView.ItemsSource>
            <scg:List x:TypeArguments="x:String">
                <x:String>Baboon</x:String>
                <x:String>Capuchin Monkey</x:String>
                <x:String>Blue Monkey</x:String>
                <x:String>Squirrel Monkey</x:String>
                <x:String>Golden Lion Tamarin</x:String>
                <x:String>Howler Monkey</x:String>
                <x:String>Japanese Macaque</x:String>
            </scg:List>
        </CollectionView.ItemsSource>
    </CollectionView>
</ContentPage>

In this example, System.Collections.Generic is defined as the scg XAML namespace. The CollectionView.ItemsSource property is set to a List<T> that's instantiated with a string type argument, using the XAML 2009 built-in x:String type. The List<string> collection is initialized with multiple string items.

Alternatively, but equivalently, the List<T> collection can be instantiated with the CLR String type:

<ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
             xmlns:scg="clr-namespace:System.Collections.Generic;assembly=netstandard"
             xmlns:sys="clr-namespace:System;assembly=netstandard"
             ...>
    <CollectionView>
        <CollectionView.ItemsSource>
            <scg:List x:TypeArguments="sys:String">
                <sys:String>Baboon</sys:String>
                <sys:String>Capuchin Monkey</sys:String>
                <sys:String>Blue Monkey</sys:String>
                <sys:String>Squirrel Monkey</sys:String>
                <sys:String>Golden Lion Tamarin</sys:String>
                <sys:String>Howler Monkey</sys:String>
                <sys:String>Japanese Macaque</sys:String>
            </scg:List>
        </CollectionView.ItemsSource>
    </CollectionView>
</ContentPage>

Single object type argument

A single object type argument can be specified as a prefixed string argument using the x:TypeArguments directive:

<ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
             xmlns:models="clr-namespace:GenericsDemo.Models"
             xmlns:scg="clr-namespace:System.Collections.Generic;assembly=netstandard"
             ...>
    <CollectionView>
        <CollectionView.ItemsSource>
            <scg:List x:TypeArguments="models:Monkey">
                <models:Monkey Name="Baboon"
                               Location="Africa and Asia"
                               ImageUrl="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Papio_anubis_%28Serengeti%2C_2009%29.jpg/200px-Papio_anubis_%28Serengeti%2C_2009%29.jpg" />
                <models:Monkey Name="Capuchin Monkey"
                               Location="Central and South America"
                               ImageUrl="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Capuchin_Costa_Rica.jpg/200px-Capuchin_Costa_Rica.jpg" />
                <models:Monkey Name="Blue Monkey"
                               Location="Central and East Africa"
                               ImageUrl="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/BlueMonkey.jpg/220px-BlueMonkey.jpg" />
            </scg:List>
        </CollectionView.ItemsSource>
        <CollectionView.ItemTemplate>
            <DataTemplate>
                <Grid Padding="10">
                    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                        <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
                        <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
                    </Grid.RowDefinitions>
                    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                        <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
                        <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
                    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                    <Image Grid.RowSpan="2"
                           Source="{Binding ImageUrl}"
                           Aspect="AspectFill"
                           HeightRequest="60"
                           WidthRequest="60" />
                    <Label Grid.Column="1"
                           Text="{Binding Name}"
                           FontAttributes="Bold" />
                    <Label Grid.Row="1"
                           Grid.Column="1"
                           Text="{Binding Location}"
                           FontAttributes="Italic"
                           VerticalOptions="End" />
                </Grid>
            </DataTemplate>
        </CollectionView.ItemTemplate>
    </CollectionView>
</ContentPage>

In this example, GenericsDemo.Models is defined as the models XAML namespace, and System.Collections.Generic is defined as the scg XAML namespace. The CollectionView.ItemsSource property is set to a List<T> that's instantiated with a Monkey type argument. The List<Monkey> collection is initialized with multiple Monkey items, and a DataTemplate that defines the appearance of each Monkey object is set as the ItemTemplate of the CollectionView.

Multiple type arguments

Multiple type arguments can be specified as prefixed string arguments, delimited by a comma, using the x:TypeArguments directive. When a generic constraint uses generic types, the nested constraint type arguments are contained in parentheses:

<ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
             xmlns:models="clr-namespace:GenericsDemo.Models"
             xmlns:scg="clr-namespace:System.Collections.Generic;assembly=netstandard"
             ...>
    <CollectionView>
        <CollectionView.ItemsSource>
            <scg:List x:TypeArguments="scg:KeyValuePair(x:String,models:Monkey)">
                <scg:KeyValuePair x:TypeArguments="x:String,models:Monkey">
                    <x:Arguments>
                        <x:String>Baboon</x:String>
                        <models:Monkey Location="Africa and Asia"
                                       ImageUrl="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Papio_anubis_%28Serengeti%2C_2009%29.jpg/200px-Papio_anubis_%28Serengeti%2C_2009%29.jpg" />
                    </x:Arguments>
                </scg:KeyValuePair>
                <scg:KeyValuePair x:TypeArguments="x:String,models:Monkey">
                    <x:Arguments>
                        <x:String>Capuchin Monkey</x:String>
                        <models:Monkey Location="Central and South America"
                                       ImageUrl="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Capuchin_Costa_Rica.jpg/200px-Capuchin_Costa_Rica.jpg" />   
                    </x:Arguments>
                </scg:KeyValuePair>
                <scg:KeyValuePair x:TypeArguments="x:String,models:Monkey">
                    <x:Arguments>
                        <x:String>Blue Monkey</x:String>
                        <models:Monkey Location="Central and East Africa"
                                       ImageUrl="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/BlueMonkey.jpg/220px-BlueMonkey.jpg" />
                    </x:Arguments>
                </scg:KeyValuePair>
            </scg:List>
        </CollectionView.ItemsSource>
        <CollectionView.ItemTemplate>
            <DataTemplate>
                <Grid Padding="10">
                    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                        <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
                        <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
                    </Grid.RowDefinitions>
                    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                        <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
                        <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
                    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                    <Image Grid.RowSpan="2"
                           Source="{Binding Value.ImageUrl}"
                           Aspect="AspectFill"
                           HeightRequest="60"
                           WidthRequest="60" />
                    <Label Grid.Column="1"
                           Text="{Binding Key}"
                           FontAttributes="Bold" />
                    <Label Grid.Row="1"
                           Grid.Column="1"
                           Text="{Binding Value.Location}"
                           FontAttributes="Italic"
                           VerticalOptions="End" />
                </Grid>
            </DataTemplate>
        </CollectionView.ItemTemplate>
    </CollectionView>
</ContentPage    

In this example, GenericsDemo.Models is defined as the models XAML namespace, and System.Collections.Generic is defined as the scg XAML namespace. The CollectionView.ItemsSource property is set to a List<T> that's instantiated with a KeyValuePair<TKey, TValue> constraint, with the inner constraint type arguments string and Monkey. The List<KeyValuePair<string,Monkey>> collection is initialized with multiple KeyValuePair items, using the non-default KeyValuePair constructor, and a DataTemplate that defines the appearance of each Monkey object is set as the ItemTemplate of the CollectionView. For information on passing arguments to a non-default constructor, see Passing constructor arguments.

Related links

• XAML 2009 Language Primitives
• x:Type markup extension
• Passing constructor arguments