Caliburn.Micro: Action of Button inside ControlTemplate

Question

I try to use the Caliburn.Micro framework to optimize my current WPF application following the MVVM scheme. Setting the action of a button can normally achieved very without any problem just by setting the x:Name value of the button and adding a function with the same name in the view model. Things (at least it seems to me so) get more complicated when you try to do this inside a ControlTemplate . My current approach looks like this code:

<ItemsControl x:Name="Chains">
    <ItemsControl.Template>
        <ControlTemplate TargetType="ItemsControl">
            <StackPanel>
                <ContentControl/>
                <ItemsPresenter />
                <Button Content="+" x:Name="AddChain"/>
             </StackPanel>
        </ControlTemplate>
    </ItemsControl.Template>
    <ItemsControl.ItemsPanel>
        <ItemsPanelTemplate>
            <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" />
        </ItemsPanelTemplate>
    </ItemsControl.ItemsPanel>
</ItemsControl>

But sadly, the AddChain method of the ViewModel which corresponds to the view in which this code is placed is never called.

I think that I have to tell Caliburn to use this ViewModel and not a ViewModel which corresponds to the ControlTemplate . Is this correct? How can I solve the issue?

Answer 1

Bind the cal:Bind.Model attached property to your view model:

<ItemsControl x:Name="Chains">
    <ItemsControl.Template>
        <ControlTemplate TargetType="ItemsControl" xmlns:cal="http://www.caliburnproject.org">
            <StackPanel cal:Bind.Model="{Binding}">
                <ContentControl/>
                <ItemsPresenter />
                <Button Content="+" x:Name="AddChain"/>
            </StackPanel>
        </ControlTemplate>
    </ItemsControl.Template>
    <ItemsControl.ItemsPanel>
        <ItemsPanelTemplate>
            <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" />
        </ItemsPanelTemplate>
    </ItemsControl.ItemsPanel>
</ItemsControl>

Answer 2

There are more examples under the CaliburnMicro. I had the same issue with buttons created dynamically under a ItemSource. MM8 answer answer is helpfull and shall be enough, but if you looking to know more or for other applications have a read through will help you. CaliburnMicro ActionDocs - See Section "Action Parameters"