Unfamiliar C# syntax for class instantiation / initialization - DataContext?

Hi Tom,

If you would post the entire code snippet it would have been easier to explain. By the looks of it, this is not initialization, this is casting.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/language-reference/keywords/as

It will try to cast the DataContext as a type of InspectionsByTasksViewModel.

Biggest advantage or disadvantage of as keyword is, that the as operator is like a cast operation. But, if the conversion isn't possible, as returns null instead of raising an exception.

Regards,
Chinmay.

By the looks of it, this is not initialization,

Well, vm is being initialized...it's just being initialized based on what you described  ;)

You're correct; I did not give much surrounding code or context.  Here is a screenshot of an example where this is taking place.

I should have mentioned that this was inside of a XAML application, and apparently "DataContext" belongs to the FrameworkElement, which apparently is part of XAML (I'm brand new to XAML).

I've just never seen initialization of a class instance done via casting?

I am not sure if you have used VB.Net or some other language but VB.Net does have a similar operator

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/visual-basic/language-reference/operators/trycast-operator

Thank you!