WPF Binding and Dynamically Assigning StringFormat Property

Question

I have a form that is generated based on several DataTemplate elements. One of the DataTemplate elements creates a TextBox out of a class that looks like this:

public class MyTextBoxClass
{
   public object Value { get;set;}
   //other properties left out for brevity's sake
   public string FormatString { get;set;}
}

I need a way to "bind" the value in the FormatString property to the "StringFormat" property of the binding. So far I have:

<DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type vm:MyTextBoxClass}">
 <TextBox Text="{Binding Path=Value, StringFormat={Binding Path=FormatString}" />
</DataTemplate>

However, since StringFormat isn't a dependency property, I cannot bind to it.

My next thought was to create a value converter and pass the FormatString property's value in on the ConverterParameter, but I ran into the same problem -- ConverterParameter isn't a DependencyProperty.

So, now I turn to you, SO. How do I dynamically set the StringFormat of a binding; more specifically, on a TextBox?

I would prefer to let XAML do the work for me so I can avoid playing with code-behind. I'm using the MVVM pattern and would like to keep the boundaries between view-model and view as un-blurred as possible.

Thanks!

Answer 1

This code (inspired from DefaultValueConverter.cs @ referencesource.microsoft.com ) works for a two way binding to a TextBox or similar control, as long as the FormatString leaves the ToString() version of the source property in a state that can be converted back. (ie format like "#,0.00" is OK because "1,234.56" can be parsed back, but FormatString="Some Prefix Text #,0.00" will convert to "Some Prefix Text 1,234.56" which can't be parsed back.)

XAML:

<TextBox>
    <TextBox.Text>
        <MultiBinding Converter="{StaticResource ToStringFormatConverter}" 
                ValidatesOnDataErrors="True" NotifyOnValidationError="True" TargetNullValue="">
            <Binding Path="Property" TargetNullValue="" />
            <Binding Path="PropertyStringFormat" Mode="OneWay" />
        </MultiBinding>
    </TextBox.Text>
</TextBox>

Note duplicate TargetNullValue if the source property can be null.

C#:

/// <summary>
/// Allow a binding where the StringFormat is also bound to a property (and can vary).
/// </summary>
public class ToStringFormatConverter : IMultiValueConverter
{
    public object Convert(object[] values, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        if (values.Length == 1)
            return System.Convert.ChangeType(values[0], targetType, culture);
        if (values.Length >= 2 && values[0] is IFormattable)
            return (values[0] as IFormattable).ToString((string)values[1], culture);
        return null;
    }

    public object[] ConvertBack(object value, Type[] targetTypes, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        var targetType = targetTypes[0];
        var nullableUnderlyingType = Nullable.GetUnderlyingType(targetType);
        if (nullableUnderlyingType != null) {
            if (value == null)
                return new[] { (object)null };
            targetType = nullableUnderlyingType;
        }
        try {
            object parsedValue = ToStringFormatConverter.TryParse(value, targetType, culture);
            return parsedValue != DependencyProperty.UnsetValue
                ? new[] { parsedValue }
                : new[] { System.Convert.ChangeType(value, targetType, culture) };
        } catch {
            return null;
        }
    }

    // Some types have Parse methods that are more successful than their type converters at converting strings
    private static object TryParse(object value, Type targetType, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        object result = DependencyProperty.UnsetValue;
        string stringValue = value as string;

        if (stringValue != null) {
            try {
                MethodInfo mi;
                if (culture != null
                    && (mi = targetType.GetMethod("Parse",
                        BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Static, null,
                        new[] { typeof(string), typeof(NumberStyles), typeof(IFormatProvider) }, null))
                    != null) {
                    result = mi.Invoke(null, new object[] { stringValue, NumberStyles.Any, culture });
                }
                else if (culture != null
                    && (mi = targetType.GetMethod("Parse",
                        BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Static, null,
                        new[] { typeof(string), typeof(IFormatProvider) }, null))
                    != null) {
                    result = mi.Invoke(null, new object[] { stringValue, culture });
                }
                else if ((mi = targetType.GetMethod("Parse",
                        BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Static, null,
                        new[] { typeof(string) }, null))
                    != null) {
                    result = mi.Invoke(null, new object[] { stringValue });
                }
            } catch (TargetInvocationException) {
            }
        }

        return result;
    }
}

Answer 2

One way may be to create a class that inherits TextBox and in that class create your own dependency property that delegates to StringFormat when set. So instead of using TextBox in your XAML you will use the inherited textbox and set your own dependency property in the binding.

Answer 3

This is a solution from Andrew Olson that uses attached properties and thus can be used in various situations.

Used like this:

<TextBlock 
    local:StringFormatHelper.Format="{Binding FormatString}"
    local:StringFormatHelper.Value="{Binding Value}"
    Text="{Binding (local:StringFormatHelper.FormattedValue)}"
    />

The required helper: ( source Gist )

public static class StringFormatHelper
{
    #region Value

    public static DependencyProperty ValueProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached(
        "Value", typeof(object), typeof(StringFormatHelper), new System.Windows.PropertyMetadata(null, OnValueChanged));

    private static void OnValueChanged(DependencyObject obj, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs args)
    {
        RefreshFormattedValue(obj);
    }

    public static object GetValue(DependencyObject obj)
    {
        return obj.GetValue(ValueProperty);
    }

    public static void SetValue(DependencyObject obj, object newValue)
    {
        obj.SetValue(ValueProperty, newValue);
    }

    #endregion

    #region Format

    public static DependencyProperty FormatProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached(
        "Format", typeof(string), typeof(StringFormatHelper), new System.Windows.PropertyMetadata(null, OnFormatChanged));

    private static void OnFormatChanged(DependencyObject obj, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs args)
    {
        RefreshFormattedValue(obj);
    }

    public static string GetFormat(DependencyObject obj)
    {
        return (string)obj.GetValue(FormatProperty);
    }

    public static void SetFormat(DependencyObject obj, string newFormat)
    {
        obj.SetValue(FormatProperty, newFormat);
    }

    #endregion

    #region FormattedValue

    public static DependencyProperty FormattedValueProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached(
        "FormattedValue", typeof(string), typeof(StringFormatHelper), new System.Windows.PropertyMetadata(null));

    public static string GetFormattedValue(DependencyObject obj)
    {
        return (string)obj.GetValue(FormattedValueProperty);
    }

    public static void SetFormattedValue(DependencyObject obj, string newFormattedValue)
    {
        obj.SetValue(FormattedValueProperty, newFormattedValue);
    }

    #endregion

    private static void RefreshFormattedValue(DependencyObject obj)
    {
        var value = GetValue(obj);
        var format = GetFormat(obj);

        if (format != null)
        {
            if (!format.StartsWith("{0:"))
            {
                format = String.Format("{{0:{0}}}", format);
            }

            SetFormattedValue(obj, String.Format(format, value));
        }
        else
        {
            SetFormattedValue(obj, value == null ? String.Empty : value.ToString());
        }
    }
}

Answer 4

One could create an attached behavior that could replace the binding with one that has the FormatString specified. If the FormatString dependency property then the binding would once again be updated. If the binding is updated then the FormatString would be reapplied to that binding.

The only two tricky things that I can think that you would have to deal with. One issue is whether you want to create two attached properties that coordinate with each other for the FormatString and the TargetProperty on which the binding exist that the FormatString should be applied (ex. TextBox.Text) or perhaps you can just assume which property your dealing with depending on the target control type. The other issue may be that it may be non-trivial to copy an existing binding and modifying it slightly given the various types of bindings out there which might also include custom bindings.

It's important to consider though that all of this only achieves formatting in the direction from your data to your control. As far as I can discover using something like a MultiBinding along with a custom MultiValueConverter to consume both the original value and the FormatString and produce the desired output still suffers from the same problem mainly because the ConvertBack method is only given the output string and you would be expected to decipher both the FormatString and the original value from it which at that point is almost always impossible.

The remaining solutions that should work for bidirectional formatting and unformatting would be the following:

• Write a custom control that extends TextBox that has the desired formatting behavior like Jakob Christensen suggested.
• Write a custom value converter that derives from either DependencyObject or FrameworkElement and has a FormatString DependencyProperty on it. If you want to go the DependencyObject route I believe you can push the value into the FormatString property using the OneWayToSource binding with a "virtual branch" technique. The other easier way may to instead inherit from FrameworkElement and place your value converter into the visual tree along with your other controls so that you can just bind to it when needed by ElementName.
• Use an attached behavior similar to the one I mentioned at the top of this post but instead of setting a FormatString instead have two attached properties, one for a custom value converter and one for the parameter that would be passed to the value converter. Then instead of modifying the original binding to add the FormatString you would be adding the converter and the converter parameter to the binding. Personally I think this option would result in the most readable and intuitive result because attached behaviors tend to be more clean yet still flexible enough to use in a variety of situations other than just a TextBox.

Answer 5

Just bind the textbox to the instance of a MyTextBoxClass instead of MyTextBoxClass.Value and use a valueconverter to create a string from the value and formatstring.

Another solution is to use a multivalue converter which would bind to both Value and FormatString.

The first solution don't support changes to properties, that is if value or formatstring changes the value converter will not be called like it would be if you are using a multivalueconverter and binding directly to the properties.