Collection binding can be implemented in InputPanel using ObservableCollection which works similar to a regular collection. To bind InputPanel to an ObservableCollection, the ObservableCollection<T> class is used to obtain a collection, which acts as a binding source and then the ItemsSource property gets this collection to bind it to the InputPanel control.

Perform the following steps for data binding using ObservableCollection<T> class:

1. Set up the application
2. Create a data source for InputPanel
3. Bind InputPanel to ObservableCollection

Set up the application

1. Create a UWP application.
2. Add the InputPanel control to the application and name it InPanel.

Create a data source for InputPanel

1. Add a new class, Employee.cs, to the application.
2. Add the data generators and fields to the class.
   • Visual Basic
   • C#

   • Visual Basic

   '' ** fields
   Private cid As Integer
   Private eid As Integer
   Private empoccupation As EOccupation
   Private firstname As String, lastname As String
   Private empfather As String
   Private activeemp As Boolean
   Private hiredate As DateTime
   Private empweight As Double
   
   ' ** data generators
   Shared rnd As New Random()
   Shared firstNames As String() = "Andy|Ben|Charlie|Fred|Jack|Karl|Larry|Mark".Split("|"c)
   Shared lastNames As String() = "Ambers|Cole|Danson|Myers|Paulson|Richards".Split("|"c)
   Shared countries As String() = "China|India|United States|Brazil|Russia|Japan".Split("|"c)
   

   • C#

   // ** fields
   int id, cid;
   string first, last;
   string father;
   EOccupation occupation;
   bool active;
   DateTime hired;
   double weight;
   
   // ** data generators
   static Random rnd = new Random();
   static string[] firstNames = "Andy|Ben|Charlie|Fred|Jack|Karl|Larry|Mark".Split('|');
   static string[] lastNames = "Ambers|Cole|Danson|Myers|Paulson|Richards".Split('|');
   static string[] countries = "China|India|United States|Brazil|Russia|Japan".Split('|');
   

3. Add properties to the class using the following code.
   • Visual Basic
   • C#

   • Visual Basic

   Public Property ID() As Integer
       Get
           Return eid
       End Get
       Set
           If Value <> eid Then
               eid = Value
           End If
       End Set
   End Property
   Public ReadOnly Property Country() As String
       Get
           Return countries(cid)
       End Get
   End Property
   
   Public Property CountryID() As Integer
       Get
           Return cid
       End Get
       Set
           If Value <> cid AndAlso Value > -1 AndAlso Value < countries.Length Then
               cid = Value
           End If
       End Set
   End Property
   
   Public Property Occupation() As EOccupation
       Get
           Return empoccupation
       End Get
       Set
           If Value <> empoccupation Then
               empoccupation = Value
           End If
       End Set
   End Property
   
   Public Property Active() As Boolean
       Get
           Return activeemp
       End Get
       Set
           If Value <> activeemp Then
               activeemp = Value
           End If
       End Set
   End Property
   
   Public Property First() As String
       Get
           Return firstname
       End Get
       Set
           If Value <> firstname Then
               firstname = Value
           End If
       End Set
   End Property
   
   Public Property Last() As String
       Get
           Return lastname
       End Get
       Set
           If Value <> lastname Then
               lastname = Value
           End If
       End Set
   End Property
   
   Public Property Hired() As DateTime
       Get
           Return hiredate
       End Get
       Set
           If Value <> hiredate Then
               hiredate = Value
           End If
       End Set
   End Property
   
   Public Property Weight() As Double
       Get
           Return empweight
       End Get
       Set
           If Value <> empweight Then
               empweight = Value
           End If
       End Set
   End Property
   
   ' some read-only stuff
   Public ReadOnly Property Father() As String
       Get
           Return empfather
       End Get
   End Property
   
   ' ** utilities
   Private Shared Function GetString(arr As String()) As String
       Return arr(rnd.[Next](arr.Length))
   End Function
   
   ' ** static value providers
   Public Shared Function GetCountries() As String()
       Return countries
   End Function
   Public Shared Function GetFirstNames() As String()
       Return firstNames
   End Function
   Public Shared Function GetLastNames() As String()
       Return lastNames
   End Function
   

   • C#

   public int ID
   {
       get { return id; }
       set
       {
           if (value != id)
           {
               id = value;
           }
       }
   }
   public string Name
   {
       get { return string.Format("{0} {1}", First, Last); }
   }
           
   public string Country
   {
       get { return countries[cid]; }
   }
   
           
   public int CountryID
   {
       get { return cid; }
       set
       {
           if (value != cid && value > -1 && value < countries.Length)
           {
               cid = value;
           }
       }
   }
   
           
   public EOccupation Occupation
   {
       get
       {
           return occupation;
       }
       set
       {
           if (value != occupation)
           {
               occupation = value;
           }
       }
   }
   
   
           
   public bool Active
   {
       get { return active; }
       set
       {
           if (value != active)
           {
               active = value;
           }
       }
   }
   
           
   public string First
   {
       get { return first; }
       set
       {
           if (value != first)
           {
               first = value;
           }
       }
   }
   
           
   public string Last
   {
       get { return last; }
       set
       {
           if (value != last)
           {
               last = value;
           }
       }
   }
   
           
   public DateTime Hired
   {
       get { return hired; }
       set
       {
           if (value != hired)
           {
               hired = value;
           }
       }
   }
   
           
   public double Weight
   {
       get { return weight; }
       set
       {
           if (value != weight)
           {
               weight = value;
           }
       }
   }
   
   // some read-only stuff
   public string Father
   {
       get { return father; }
   }
   
   // ** utilities
   static string GetString(string[] arr)
   {
       return arr[rnd.Next(arr.Length)];
   }
   
   // ** static value providers
   public static string[] GetCountries() { return countries; }
   public static string[] GetFirstNames() { return firstNames; }
   public static string[] GetLastNames() { return lastNames; }
   

4. Create a constructor of Employee class and add the following code to it.
   • Visual Basic
   • C#

   • Visual Basic

   Private values As Array = [Enum].GetValues(GetType(EOccupation))
   Public Sub New(eid As Integer)
       ID = eid
       First = GetString(firstNames)
       Last = GetString(lastNames)
       CountryID = rnd.[Next]() Mod countries.Length
       Occupation = DirectCast(values.GetValue(rnd.[Next] _
                    (values.Length - 1)), EOccupation)
       Active = rnd.NextDouble() >= 0.5
       Hired = DateTime.Today.AddDays(-rnd.[Next](1, 365))
       Weight = 50 + rnd.NextDouble() * 50
       empfather = String.Format("{0} {1}", GetString(firstNames), Last)
   End Sub
   

   • C#

   Array values = Enum.GetValues(typeof(EOccupation));
   public Employee(int id)
   {
       ID = id;
       First = GetString(firstNames);
       Last = GetString(lastNames);
       CountryID = rnd.Next() % countries.Length;
       Occupation = (EOccupation)(values.GetValue(rnd.Next
                    (values.Length - 1)));
       Active = rnd.NextDouble() >= .5;
       Hired = DateTime.Today.AddDays(-rnd.Next(1, 365));
       Weight = 50 + rnd.NextDouble() * 50;
       father = string.Format("{0} {1}", GetString(firstNames), Last);
   }
   

5. Create a method, GetEmployeeList, of ObservableCollection<T> class using the following code.
   • Visual Basic
   • C#

   • Visual Basic

   ' ** static list provider
   Public Shared Function GetEmployeeList(count As Integer) _
       As ObservableCollection(Of Employee)
       Dim list = New ObservableCollection(Of Employee)()
       For i As Integer = 0 To count - 1
           Dim emp As New Employee(i)
           list.Add(emp)
       Next
       Return list
   End Function
   

   • C#

   // ** static list provider
   public static ObservableCollection<Employee> GetEmployeeList(int count)
   {
       var list = new ObservableCollection<Employee>();
       for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
       {
           Employee emp = new Employee(i);
           list.Add(emp);
       }
       return list;
   }
   

Bind InputPanel to ObservableCollection

1. Add the following code to bind the InputPanel control with data using the ItemsSource property.
   • Visual Basic
   • C#

   • Visual Basic

   InPanel.ItemsSource = Employee.GetEmployeeList(50)
   

   • C#

   InPanel.ItemsSource = Employee.GetEmployeeList(50);
   

2. Press F5 to run the application.