How do I do databinding in WPF - ListBox and ListView

I, too, find that WPF is a strange new world, that takes a lot to learn.

Have you seen articles like this?

WPF Data Binding Tutorial
http://coredotnet.blogspot.com/2006/05/wpf-data-binding-tutorial.html

Bob

Hi Bob,

I thought only you would be the one attempting to answer this :-)

I have seen that article and numerous others like these.

http://blogs.msdn.com/henryh/archive/2005/06/23/431846.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/07/12/DataPoints/

I have now managed to databind the ListBox.  It is displaying fields vertically, i.e

Row1
  field 1
  field 2
  field 3
Row 2
  field 1
  field 2
  field 3

And I have no styling.  Having used to doing the styling via property pages and also creating templates via GUI, I am now wondering why we have to code GUI in XAML which is simple looking language but certainly not easy.

What I was attempting to do was load a list of users from DB and show them in List control (ListBox, ListView etc) then user types a few characters on textbox I use for filtering then I would run some LINQ to get users whose names start with the characters entered.  all works apart from styling (and when LINQ is applied to filter users I get the right number of users back but the ListBox although it contains the correct number of users does not display them - there must some tweaking I am missing).  All in all it is weird way of doing things

I am just looking at the web for a WPF book.  It is said that every Windows Forms developer must learn WPF so better start now!

Hassan

XAML is a completely different beast than anything that I have seen in a long time.  Have you seen or used anything like Expression?  

What kind of styling are you looking for?

Bob

Yeah I agree about XAML!  I guess it is a matter of getting used to it.  I prefer object based priogramming as opposed to declarative.

Do you mean Expression Blend?  I haven't used it.  Does it come with VS 2008 (I am using VS 2008 Beta 2)?

Styling wise I am after 2 types of styling, basic which I should be able to achieve at some point and fancy which may not be possible

Basic
 - display header row with column header text
 - display fields as columns horizontally like a datagrid would

Fancy (as above plus)
 - header bgcolour - gradient
 - borders and gradient colour on selected rows

That'd do for now :-)

Yeah, Expression Blend ;)

It is a separate application from VS 2008, but comes in the MSDN subscription.  It makes it easier to style XAML.

How is your ListBox declared?

Bob

I see.  We only received Beta 2 and we are waiting for the RTM stuff.  I will install Expression Blend then and hope it helps.

My whole XAML below

<Window x:Class="WpfApp1.Users"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    Title="Users" Height="402" Width="495">
    <Grid>
        <Button Height="25" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="18,0,0,24" Name="btnUsers" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Width="109" Click="btnUsers_Click">Get Users</Button>
        <TextBox Height="25" Margin="140,0,94,25" Name="txtUser" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" />
        <ListBox Margin="10,10,12,66" Name="listBox1" ItemsSource="{Binding}">
            <ListBox.ItemTemplate>
                <DataTemplate>
                    <StackPanel>
                        <TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=firstName}" />
                        <TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=lastName}"/>
                        <TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=email}"/>
                    </StackPanel>
                </DataTemplate>
            </ListBox.ItemTemplate>
        </ListBox>
        <TextBlock Height="20" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="26,0,0,3" Name="textBlock1" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Width="104" />
        <TextBox Height="20" Margin="140,0,188,2" Name="textBox1" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" />
    </Grid>

</Window>


And my whole code behind minus using directives

    public partial class Users : Window
    {
        DataTable dt = new DataTable();

        public Users()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
           
            this.Loaded += new RoutedEventHandler(Users_Loaded);
        }

        void Users_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            SqlDataAdapter adaptor = new SqlDataAdapter("cms_getUsers", "server=dbserver;database=bayer_bioscience;user id=webBayer;password=password;");
            adaptor.Fill(dt);
            DataContext = dt;

            //this.listView1.DataContext = ds.Tables[0];
            //Binding bind = new Binding();
            //bind.Source = ds.Tables[0];
            //this.listView1.SetBinding(ListView.ItemsSourceProperty, bind);
           
        }

        private void btnUsers_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            var query = from r in dt.AsEnumerable()
                        where r.Field<string>("lastName").StartsWith(this.txtUser.Text)
                        select r;

            //DataContext = query;
            //listBox1.DataContext = DataContext;
        }
    }

Bob,

Are you any good at Mobile dev? Windows Mobile 5 and CF 2.0?

I have this issue that I couldn't fix for 5 months now !!!!

>>I have this issue that I couldn't fix for 5 months now !!!!
Is there a question open?

Bob

I had a question open but it is now closed - I'll explain.

Basically this issue doesn't stop program from running.  Just that when an exception occurs I get a generic error explained here
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2460541&SiteID=1

I can open a question if you could look into it or find others whop are good at this topic.  I only know of one Mikal613 but he/she could not fix this one.

by the way, tyhe gradient colour you showed me is brilliant! thanks

You would have to open another question, and give me the URL for it before I could help you.

Bob

Bob,

Here
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/23005473/An-error-message-cannot-be-displayed-because-an-optional-resource-assembly-containing-it-cannot-be-found.html

Sorry Bob.  left this open too long.  I have abandoned my WPF  research for now.  I bought a book and want to read it first then get back to it.  Thanks for helping as always

H