ComponentOne InputPanel for WPF
Data Binding / Binding InputPanel with ObservableCollection
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    Binding InputPanel with ObservableCollection
    In This Topic

    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 WPF application.
    2. Add the InputPanel control to the application and name it 'InPanel'.
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    Create a data source for InputPanel

    1. Add a new class, Employee, to the application.
    2. Add the data generators and fields to the class. 
      ' ** fields
Private m_id As Integer, cid As Integer
Private m_first As String, m_last As String
Private m_father As String
Private m_occupation As EOccupation
Private m_active As Boolean
Private m_hired As DateTime
Private m_weight As Double

' ** data generators
Shared rnd As New Random()
Shared firstNames As String() = "Andy|Ben|Charlie|Dan|Ed|Fred|Gil".Split("|"c)
Shared lastNames As String() = "Ambers|Bishop|Cole|Danson|Evers|Trask|Ulam".Split("|"c)
Shared countries As String() = "China|India|United States|Japan|Myanmar".Split("|"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|Dan|Ed|Fred|Gil".Split('|');
static string[] lastNames = "Ambers|Bishop|Cole|Danson|EversTrask|Ulam".Split('|');
static string[] countries = "China|India|United States|Japan|Myanmar".Split('|');
    3. Add properties to the class using the following code. 
      Public Property ID() As Integer
    Get
        Return m_id
    End Get
    Set(value As Integer)
        If value <> m_id Then
            m_id = value
        End If
    End Set
End Property
Public ReadOnly Property Name() As String
    Get
        Return String.Format("{0} {1}", First, Last)
    End Get
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(value As Integer)
        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 m_occupation
    End Get
    Set(value As EOccupation)
        If value <> m_occupation Then
            m_occupation = value
        End If
    End Set
End Property



Public Property Active() As Boolean
    Get
        Return m_active
    End Get
    Set(value As Boolean)
        If value <> m_active Then
            m_active = value
        End If
    End Set
End Property


Public Property First() As String
    Get
        Return m_first
    End Get
    Set(value As String)
        If value <> m_first Then
            m_first = value
        End If
    End Set
End Property


Public Property Last() As String
    Get
        Return m_last
    End Get
    Set(value As String)
        If value <> m_last Then
            m_last = value
        End If
    End Set
End Property


Public Property Hired() As DateTime
    Get
        Return m_hired
    End Get
    Set(value As DateTime)
        If value <> m_hired Then
            m_hired = value
        End If
    End Set
End Property


Public Property Weight() As Double
    Get
        Return m_weight
    End Get
    Set(value As Double)
        If value <> m_weight Then
            m_weight = value
        End If
    End Set
End Property

' some read-only stuff
Public ReadOnly Property Father() As String
    Get
        Return m_father
    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

      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. 
      Private values As Array = [Enum].GetValues(GetType(EOccupation))
Public Sub New(id__1 As Integer)
    ID = id__1
    First = GetString(firstNames)
    Last = GetString(lastNames)
    CountryID = rnd.[Next]() Mod countries.Length
    Occupation = CType(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
    m_father = String.Format("{0} {1}", GetString(firstNames), Last)
End Sub

      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. 
      ' ** 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

      // ** 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;
}
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    Bind InputPanel to ObservableCollection

    1. Add the following code to bind the InputPanel control with data using the ItemsSource property. 
      InPanel.ItemsSource = Employee.GetEmployeeList(50)

      InPanel.ItemsSource = Employee.GetEmployeeList(50);
    2. Press F5 to run the application.
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