Binding a WPF DataGrid inside a UserControl

Question

I would like to create a UserControl containing a DataGrid and then define the columns directly inside my UserControl:

<my:ControlContainingDataGrid ItemsSource="{Binding}">
  <my:ControlContainingDataGrid.Columns>
    <DataGridTextColumn Binding="{Binding Path=Property1}" Header="Property 1"/>

In the UserControl I expose the columns of the DataGrid :

static ControlContainingDataGrid()
{
  ColumnsProperty = DependencyProperty.Register(
    "Columns",
    typeof(ObservableCollection<DataGridColumn>),
    typeof(ControlContainingDataGrid),
    new UIPropertyMetadata(new ObservableCollection<DataGridColumn>())
  );
}

[Description("Columns"), Category("Columns")]
public ObservableCollection<DataGridColumn> Columns
{
  get { return _datagGrid.Columns; }
}

public static readonly DependencyProperty ColumnsProperty;

=> it doesn't work : the column binded to Property1 is not created.

I try to create the column programatically :

    _datagGrid.Columns.Add(new DataGridTextColumn {
      Header = "Property 1",
      Binding = new Binding {
        Path = new PropertyPath("Property1"),
        Mode = BindingMode.TwoWay,
      },
    });

_datagGrid.ItemsSource = testList;

=> it doesn't work : the header is displayed but each row of my DataGrid is empty (bad binding ?).

1- What is the simpliest way to bind the columns of a DataGrid via the UserControl in the XAML part ?

2- What is the simpliest way to bind the columns of a DataGrid via the UserControl programatically ?

Akil Akil · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-07T19:57:13

I do this programmatically. Pretty much the same code as you have. Works fine. I have never tried to bind the Columns collection itself though I don't see why that should not work.

Your message is a little ambiguous. If you mean to say that your column does not show up, maybe you need to add the columns prior to creating the table. If the rows show up with empty value in the column, then your binding 'Property1' is wrong.

I don't work in XAML so don't know nothing about that.

Binding a WPF DataGrid inside a UserControl

1 Answers