Binding to property in code behind through window name

Question

I would like to bind a textbox to a property of the window that is defined in the code behind file.

The binding succeeds when referencing the window when setting a RelativeSource using "FindAncestor" to find the window.

Why does it not work to reference the window by its name, just like I can bind the window's "Title" property?

XAML:

<Window x:Class="WpfApplication123.MainWindow"
        x:Name="MyWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        Title="WPF Binding Example" Height="180" Width="237">
<Grid>
    <TextBox Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="24,24,0,0" Name="textBox1" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="136"
             Text="{Binding ElementName=MyWindow, Path=Title}"/>
    <TextBox Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="24,53,0,0" Name="textBox2" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="136"
             Text="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource FindAncestor, AncestorType={x:Type Window}}, Path=XYZ}"/>
    <TextBox Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="24,82,0,0" Name="textBox3" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="136"
             Text="{Binding ElementName=MyWindow, Path=XYZ}" />
  </Grid>
</Window>

Code behind:

namespace WpfApplication123
{
  public partial class MainWindow : Window
  {
    public MainWindow()
    {
      InitializeComponent();
      XYZ = "XYZ!";
    }

    public string XYZ { get; set; }
  }
}

paparazzo paparazzo · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-24T18:01:24

You can just set this.DataContext = this and then bind to path.

You need

XYZ = "XYZ";

before the InitializeComponent

when the textbox is initialized XYZ is null

Binding to property in code behind through window name

2 Answers