WPF: how to find an element in a datatemplate from an itemscontrol
- by EV
Hi,
I have the following problem: the application is using the custom itemscontrol called ToolBox. The elements of a toolbox are called toolboxitems and are custom contentcontrol. Now, the toolbox stores a number of images that are retrieved from a database and displayed. For that I use a datatemplate inside the toolbox control. However, when I try to drag and drop the elements, I don't get the image object but the database component. I thought that I should then traverse the structure to find the Image element. here's the code:
Toolbox:
public class Toolbox : ItemsControl
{
private Size defaultItemSize = new Size(65, 65);
public Size DefaultItemSize
{
get { return this.defaultItemSize; }
set { this.defaultItemSize = value; }
}
protected override DependencyObject GetContainerForItemOverride()
{
return new ToolboxItem();
}
protected override bool IsItemItsOwnContainerOverride(object item)
{
return (item is ToolboxItem);
}
}
ToolBoxItem:
public class ToolboxItem : ContentControl
{
private Point? dragStartPoint = null;
static ToolboxItem()
{
FrameworkElement.DefaultStyleKeyProperty.OverrideMetadata(typeof(ToolboxItem), new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(typeof(ToolboxItem)));
}
protected override void OnPreviewMouseDown(MouseButtonEventArgs e)
{
base.OnPreviewMouseDown(e);
this.dragStartPoint = new Point?(e.GetPosition(this));
}
public String url { get; private set; }
protected override void OnMouseMove(MouseEventArgs e)
{
base.OnMouseMove(e);
if (e.LeftButton != MouseButtonState.Pressed)
{
this.dragStartPoint = null;
}
if (this.dragStartPoint.HasValue)
{
Point position = e.GetPosition(this);
if ((SystemParameters.MinimumHorizontalDragDistance <=
Math.Abs((double)(position.X - this.dragStartPoint.Value.X))) ||
(SystemParameters.MinimumVerticalDragDistance <=
Math.Abs((double)(position.Y - this.dragStartPoint.Value.Y))))
{
string xamlString = XamlWriter.Save(this.Content);
MessageBoxResult result = MessageBox.Show(xamlString);
DataObject dataObject = new DataObject("DESIGNER_ITEM", xamlString);
if (dataObject != null)
{
DragDrop.DoDragDrop(this, dataObject, DragDropEffects.Copy);
}
}
e.Handled = true;
}
}
private childItem FindVisualChild<childItem>(DependencyObject obj)
where childItem : DependencyObject
{
for (int i = 0; i < VisualTreeHelper.GetChildrenCount(obj); i++)
{
DependencyObject child = VisualTreeHelper.GetChild(obj, i);
if (child != null && child is childItem)
return (childItem)child;
else
{
childItem childOfChild = FindVisualChild<childItem>(child);
if (childOfChild != null)
return childOfChild;
}
}
return null;
}
}
here is the xaml file for ToolBox and toolbox item:
<Style TargetType="{x:Type s:ToolboxItem}">
<Setter Property="Control.Padding"
Value="5" />
<Setter Property="ContentControl.HorizontalContentAlignment"
Value="Stretch" />
<Setter Property="ContentControl.VerticalContentAlignment"
Value="Stretch" />
<Setter Property="ToolTip"
Value="{Binding ToolTip}" />
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type s:ToolboxItem}">
<Grid>
<Rectangle Name="Border"
StrokeThickness="1"
StrokeDashArray="2"
Fill="Transparent"
SnapsToDevicePixels="true" />
<ContentPresenter Content="{TemplateBinding ContentControl.Content}"
Margin="{TemplateBinding Padding}"
SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding UIElement.SnapsToDevicePixels}"
ContentTemplate="{TemplateBinding ContentTemplate}"/>
</Grid>
<ControlTemplate.Triggers>
<Trigger Property="IsMouseOver"
Value="true">
<Setter TargetName="Border"
Property="Stroke"
Value="Gray" />
</Trigger>
</ControlTemplate.Triggers>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>
<Style TargetType="{x:Type s:Toolbox}">
<Setter Property="SnapsToDevicePixels"
Value="true" />
<Setter Property="Focusable"
Value="False" />
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate>
<Border BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding Border.BorderThickness}"
Padding="{TemplateBinding Control.Padding}"
BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding Border.BorderBrush}"
Background="{TemplateBinding Panel.Background}"
SnapsToDevicePixels="True">
<ScrollViewer VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Auto">
<ItemsPresenter SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding UIElement.SnapsToDevicePixels}" />
</ScrollViewer>
</Border>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
<Setter Property="ItemsPanel">
<Setter.Value>
<ItemsPanelTemplate>
<WrapPanel Margin="0,5,0,5"
ItemHeight="{Binding Path=DefaultItemSize.Height, RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType=s:Toolbox}}"
ItemWidth="{Binding Path=DefaultItemSize.Width, RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType=s:Toolbox}}" />
</ItemsPanelTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>
</ResourceDictionary>
Example usage:
<Toolbox x:Name="NewLibrary" DefaultItemSize="55,55" ItemsSource="{Binding}" >
<ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<StackPanel>
<Image Source="{Binding Path=url}" />
</StackPanel>
</DataTemplate>
</ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
</Toolbox>
The object that I get is a database object. When using a static resource I get the Image object. How to retrieve this Image object from a datatemplate? I though that I could use this tutorial:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb613579.aspx
But it does not seem to solve the problem.
Could anyone suggest a solution?
Thanks!