Bing Maps with C# and MVVM Infobox and pushpin Bindings

Question

I'm trying to implement a map screen for a Windows 8.1 program of mine and I'm using Bing Maps API with C# and MVVM.

The problems I'm facing:

First, I am able to show the pushpin and the infobox on the map using binding in the xaml but when I move the map, the infobox remains in the same position (centered in that case), not following the pushpin or the map movement.

Here the xaml:

<bm:Map ZoomLevel="15" Height="500" Width="600" ShowTraffic="False" ShowScaleBar="False" ShowNavigationBar="False" ShowBreadcrumb="False" ShowBuildings="False"
            Credentials="xxxxxxx" Name="myMap" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" VerticalAlignment="Stretch">
        <bm:Map.Center>
            <bm:Location Latitude="-25.450520" Longitude="-49.251557" />
        </bm:Map.Center>

        <bm:Map.Children>

            <bm:MapLayer Name="DataLayer">
                <bm:Pushpin Style="{Binding PushpinStyle}">
                    <bm:MapLayer.Position>
                        <bm:Location Latitude="{Binding Establishment.Pin.Latitude, Mode=OneWay}" Longitude="{Binding Establishment.Pin.Longitude, Mode=OneWay}" />
                    </bm:MapLayer.Position>
                </bm:Pushpin>
            </bm:MapLayer>

            <bm:MapLayer Margin="5,0,0,0" Position="{Binding InfoboxPosition}" Height="Auto" Width="Auto" >
                <Grid x:Name="Infobox" Visibility="{Binding InfoboxVisibility}" Margin="35,0,0,0" Height="Auto" >
                    <Border MaxWidth="350" Style="{StaticResource InfoboxBorderStyle}" />
                    <StackPanel Margin="10" MinWidth="200" MaxWidth="350">
                        <Grid>
                            <TextBlock Text="{Binding Establishment.Name}" Style="{StaticResource InfoboxTitleStyle}" />
                        </Grid>
                        <TextBlock Text="{Binding EstablishmentAddress}" Style="{StaticResource InfoboxContentStyle}"  MaxWidth="290" Margin="7" />
                    </StackPanel>
                </Grid>
            </bm:MapLayer>

        </bm:Map.Children>

    </bm:Map>

Second, if I have a map with multiple pushpins binded on a list, how can I add the "Pushpin.Tapped" event for each pin calling a method to move and set visible the infobox from ViewModel? Currently I make it work using simple codebehind (not VM) with something like that:

public MapControl()
    {
        this.InitializeComponent();
        AddPushpin(new Location(-25.450520, -49.251557), "Title", "Description", DataLayer, EstablishmentKindEnum.Cinema);
    }

    private async void pushpinTapped(object sender, TappedRoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        Pushpin p = sender as Pushpin;
        PushpinMetadata m = (PushpinMetadata)p.Tag;

        //Ensure there is content to be displayed before modifying the infobox control
        if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(m.Title) || !String.IsNullOrEmpty(m.Description))
        {
            Infobox.DataContext = m;
            Infobox.Visibility = Visibility.Visible;
            MapLayer.SetPosition(Infobox, MapLayer.GetPosition(p));
        }
        else
            Infobox.Visibility = Visibility.Collapsed;
    }

    private void CloseInfobox_Tapped(object sender, TappedRoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        Infobox.Visibility = Visibility.Collapsed;
    }

    public void AddPushpin(Location latlong, string title, string description, MapLayer layer, EstablishmentKindEnum kind)
    {
        var pushpin = MapHelper.CreatePushpin(latlong, title, description, kind);
        MapLayer.SetPosition(pushpin, latlong);
        pushpin.Tapped += pushpinTapped;
        layer.Children.Add(pushpin);
    }

I need to do it all from ViewModel. I'm new on MVVM, anybody can give me some hints?

Rafael Rafael · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-11T19:33:59

I've been reading about MVVM and some people says that the View should be responsible for all presentation interactions and the ViewModel should be responsible for the data.

I make it work with the structure below:

View:

<Grid>
    <bm:Map ZoomLevel="15" Height="500" Width="600" ShowTraffic="False" ShowScaleBar="False" ShowNavigationBar="False" ShowBreadcrumb="False" ShowBuildings="False"
            Credentials="xxxxxx" Name="myMap" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" VerticalAlignment="Stretch" DataContextChanged="Map_DataContextChanged">
        <bm:Map.Center>
            <bm:Location Latitude="-25.450520" Longitude="-49.251557" />
        </bm:Map.Center>

        <bm:Map.Children>

            <bm:MapLayer Name="DataLayer">
                <bm:Pushpin Style="{Binding PushpinStyle}">
                    <bm:MapLayer.Position>
                        <bm:Location Latitude="{Binding Establishment.Pin.Latitude, Mode=OneWay}" Longitude="{Binding Establishment.Pin.Longitude, Mode=OneWay}" />
                    </bm:MapLayer.Position>
                </bm:Pushpin>
            </bm:MapLayer>

            <bm:MapLayer Margin="5,0,0,0"  Height="Auto" Width="Auto" >
                <Grid x:Name="Infobox" Visibility="Collapsed" Margin="35,0,0,0" Height="Auto" >
                        <Border MaxWidth="350" Style="{StaticResource InfoboxBorderStyle}" />
                    <StackPanel Margin="10" MinWidth="200" MaxWidth="350">
                        <Grid>
                            <TextBlock Text="{Binding Establishment.Name}" Style="{StaticResource InfoboxTitleStyle}" />
                            <Button Tapped="CloseInfobox_Tapped" Style="{StaticResource InfoboxCloseButtonStyle}" />
                        </Grid>
                        <TextBlock Text="{Binding EstablishmentAddress}" Style="{StaticResource InfoboxContentStyle}"  MaxWidth="290" Margin="7" />
                    </StackPanel>
                </Grid>
            </bm:MapLayer>

        </bm:Map.Children>

    </bm:Map>
</Grid>

View CodeBehind:

public sealed partial class MapControl : UserControl
{
    public MapControl()
    {
        this.InitializeComponent();
    }

    private async void pushpinTapped(object sender, TappedRoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        Pushpin p = sender as Pushpin;
        Infobox.Visibility = Visibility.Visible;
        MapLayer.SetPosition(Infobox, MapLayer.GetPosition(p));
    }

    private void CloseInfobox_Tapped(object sender, TappedRoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        Infobox.Visibility = Visibility.Collapsed;
    }

    private void Map_DataContextChanged(FrameworkElement sender, DataContextChangedEventArgs args)
    {
        if (DataLayer.Children != null)
            foreach (var pin in DataLayer.Children)
            {
                pin.Tapped += pushpinTapped;
            }
    }
}

My codebehind add the event "Pushpin.Tapped" to all pins in the "DataLayer" after the DataSource change, and also controls the position and visibility of the Infobox. I think that is not a pattern-breaking approach and if you guys have any suggestions or comments, I'll be glad to hear it.

Bing Maps with C# and MVVM Infobox and pushpin Bindings

1 Answers