How to implement commands on MenuItems

Question

In trying to bind a Command to a MenuItem in my program, I've found that Commands don't work with MenuItems like they do with other controls. I've been using this post as a guide, but have had no luck so far. Basically my goal is to run a Command when the MenuItem is clicked.

This is my xaml after looking at the previously mentioned post. My Command is called CreateFiles :

<MenuItem Header="{DynamicResource save}" Command="{Binding Path=PlacementTarget.DataContext.CreateFiles, RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType=ContextMenu}}" />

My Command is created in the window's ViewModel and is declared like normal, but I will post it anyway:

private ICommand _createFiles;

public MainWindowViewModel()
{
   _createFiles = new Command(createFiles_Operations);
}

public ICommand CreateFiles { get { return _createFiles; } }
private void createFiles_Operations()
{

}

To test whether or not my Command is working I set a break point right at the first bracer. So far the program has not stopped at this break point when the MenuItem is clicked.

Since this method does not seem to work, what can I do to make Commands work with MenuItems ?

Update: Command changed to ICommand

Update 2: ContextMenu & Button xaml:

<Button Click="Button_Click_1" Margin="5,4,0,0" Name="Button_1" Height="55" VerticalAlignment="Top" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="55" BorderBrush="Black">...

<ContextMenu x:Name="MainContextMenu" MouseLeave="ContextMenuMouseLeave" Background="White" BorderBrush="#FF959595" SnapsToDevicePixels="False">...

Answer 1

You need to set Mode of RelativeSource to FindAncestor to get ContextMenu :

<MenuItem Header="{DynamicResource save}"
          Command="{Binding Path=PlacementTarget.DataContext.CreateFiles,
             RelativeSource={RelativeSource Mode=FindAncestor,
                                            AncestorType=ContextMenu}}" />

---

You have set PlacementRectangle property to refer to itself ie ContextMenu . Don't set that property, ContextMenuService internally set PlacementRectangle to the element on which it is applied (in your case it will be Button).

Remove this PlacementRectangle="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}}" from ContextMenu.

It should be:

<ContextMenu x:Name="MainContextMenu"
             MouseLeave="ContextMenuMouseLeave" Background="White"
             BorderBrush="#FF959595" SnapsToDevicePixels="False">