How to populate WPF Combobox by code behind with custom class?

Question

I have this classes

 public class UILanguagesModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
    {
        public UILanguagesModel()
        {
            IList<UILanguage> list = new List<UILanguage>();

            UILanguage english = new UILanguage();
            english.Culture = "en";
            english.SpecCulture = "en-US";
            english.EnglishName = "English";           

            UILanguage spanish = new UILanguage();
            spanish.Culture = "es";
            spanish.SpecCulture = "es-ES";
            spanish.EnglishName = "Spanish";   

            list.Add(english);
            list.Add(spanish);
            _languages = new CollectionView(list);
        }
        private readonly CollectionView _languages;
        private UILanguage _language;

        public CollectionView Languages
        {
            get { return _languages; }
        }

        public UILanguage Language
        {
            get { return _language; }
            set
            {
                if (_language == value) return;
                _language = value;
                OnPropertyChanged("Language");
            }
        }
        private void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
        {
            if (PropertyChanged != null)
                PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
        }
        public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
    }

    public sealed class UILanguage
    {
        public string EnglishName { set; get; }

        public string Culture { set; get; }

        public string SpecCulture { set; get; }
    }

And I need to populate with "EnglisgName" WPF Combobox.

How to do it?

Thank you!

Markup XAML

 <ComboBox Grid.Column="1" Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="0,1,0,0" 
                  Name="cmbLanguages" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="207" />

Why are you doing multiple language support for your UI in this fashion? Its possible to detect the current system culture. I hate programs that let me select a language that I cannot even read. — Security Hound
– Security Hound, Commented Jan 18, 2012 at 18:00
@Ramhoud. In fact I will use this fashion of localization c-sharpening.blogspot.com/2011/04/… :) So language will depend on system culture by default. — NoWar
– NoWar, Commented Jan 18, 2012 at 18:15
@Ramhoud. But anyway I need to give possibility to user to select other language and keep it. Sometimes Chinese folk have to work with Spanish UI under French MS Windows... You know what I mean? Hahahaha — NoWar
– NoWar, Commented Jan 18, 2012 at 18:15

Clemens · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-18 18:53:31Z

3

When binding a ComboBox to a collection of items you would usually define your collection class as an ObservableCollection:

public class UILanguages : ObservableCollection<UILanguage>
{
}

and bind your ComboBox to a CollectionViewSource that uses the ObservableCollection as Source, like declared in the following XAML. CollectonViewSource keeps tracks of the selected item.

<Window x:Class="ComboBoxTest.MainWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        xmlns:local="clr-namespace:ComboBoxTest"
        Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
    <Window.Resources>
        <local:UILanguages x:Key="UILanguages"/>
        <CollectionViewSource x:Key="UILanguagesViewSource" Source="{StaticResource UILanguages}"/>
    </Window.Resources>
    <Grid>
        <ComboBox Grid.Column="1" Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="0,1,0,0"  
                  Name="cmbLanguages" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="207"
                  ItemsSource="{Binding Source={StaticResource UILanguagesViewSource}}"/>
    </Grid>
</Window>

Then populate the collection:

UILanguages languages = (UILanguages)Resources["UILanguages"];

languages.Add(
    new UILanguage
    {
        Culture = "en",
        SpecCulture = "en-US",
        EnglishName = "English"
    });

languages.Add(
    new UILanguage
    {
        Culture = "es",
        SpecCulture = "es-ES",
        EnglishName = "Spanish"
    });

It is of course also possible to define the ObservableCollection and the CollectionViewSource in code, thus avoiding the XAML resource declarations:

UILanguages languages = new UILanguages();

languages.Add(
    new UILanguage
    {
        Culture = "en",
        SpecCulture = "en-US",
        EnglishName = "English"
    });

languages.Add(
    new UILanguage
    {
        Culture = "es",
        SpecCulture = "es-ES",
        EnglishName = "Spanish"
    });

CollectionViewSource cvs = new CollectionViewSource
{
    Source = languages
};

cmbLanguages.SetBinding(ItemsControl.ItemsSourceProperty, new Binding { Source = cvs });

You may also want to override ToString in your UILanguage class to display something useful:

public sealed class UILanguage
{
    public string EnglishName { set; get; }

    public string Culture { set; get; }

    public string SpecCulture { set; get; }

    public override string ToString()
    {
        return EnglishName;
    }
}

edited Jan 18, 2012 at 18:53

answered Jan 18, 2012 at 18:26

Clemens

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3 Comments

NoWar Over a year ago

Thank you for your help! I get some error using you snippet. Error 1 ''local' is an undeclared prefix. Line 8, position 10.' XML is not valid. D:\....

Clemens Over a year ago

I've completed the XAML. local is simply the XAML namespace declaration of the project's namespace, ComboBoxTest here.

NoWar Over a year ago

Thank you very much! Your solution completely perfect for me. It works fine!

Louis Kottmann · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-18 16:55:57Z

1

If in the constructor of the View (the C# file associated with your XAML), you set:

this.DataContext = new UILanguagesModel ();

Then it's as simple as a Binding:

<ComboBox Grid.Column="1" Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="0,1,0,0" 
                  Name="cmbLanguages" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="207" 
                  ItemsSource="{Binding Languages}"/>

Then you're probably going to want the selected value of your ComboBox to be in your Language property, in which case the binding becomes:

<ComboBox Grid.Column="1" Height="23" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="0,1,0,0" 
                      Name="cmbLanguages" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="207" 
                      ItemsSource="{Binding Languages}"
                      SelectedValue="{Binding Language}"/>

EDIT: You're probably going to have to declare your Languages collection as an ObservableCollection

answered Jan 18, 2012 at 16:55

Louis Kottmann

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2 Comments

NoWar Over a year ago

Sorry I did as u said but it doesn't populate combobox.

Louis Kottmann Over a year ago

I'm not sure I understand what you just meant. It works with the code I provided?

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