WPF GroupBox HeaderTemplate and DataBinding

Question

I define a headertemplate into a wpf groupbox and the databinding doesn't work. I don't understand why.

<GroupBox>
<GroupBox.HeaderTemplate>
            <DataTemplate>
            <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" >
                <Image Source="/PopuAssuNetApplication.UI.Control;component/Images/Members.png" Width="24" />
                <TextBlock VerticalAlignment="Center">
                                <TextBlock.Text>
                                        <MultiBinding StringFormat="{x:Static Member=resx:Resources.PersonsInContractGroupBox}"> 
                                            <Binding Path="CurrentContract.Federation" RelativeSource="{RelativeSource FindAncestor, AncestorType={x:Type GroupBox}}">
                                            </Binding>
                                            <Binding Path="CurrentContract.Type" Converter="{StaticResource contractTypeConverter}" RelativeSource="{RelativeSource FindAncestor, AncestorType={x:Type GroupBox}}">
                                            </Binding>
                                            <Binding Path="CurrentContract.Number" RelativeSource="{RelativeSource FindAncestor, AncestorType={x:Type GroupBox}}">
                                            </Binding>
                                        </MultiBinding>
                                    </TextBlock.Text>
                </TextBlock>
                <WpfComponent:WaitControl Margin="7,0,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="24" Height="24" MarginCenter="4">
                    <WpfComponent:WaitControl.Style>
                        <Style>
                            <Style.Triggers>
                                <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding Path=IsMembersOfContractBusy, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged, ElementName=PersonsInContract}" Value="true">
                                    <Setter Property="WpfComponent:WaitControl.Visibility" Value="Visible" />
                                </DataTrigger>
                                <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding Path=IsMembersOfContractBusy, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged, ElementName=PersonsInContract}" Value="false">
                                    <Setter Property="WpfComponent:WaitControl.Visibility" Value="Collapsed" />
                                </DataTrigger>
                            </Style.Triggers>
                        </Style>
                    </WpfComponent:WaitControl.Style>
                </WpfComponent:WaitControl>
            </StackPanel>
                </DataTemplate>
        </GroupBox.HeaderTemplate>

Answer 1

The GroupBox does not have a member called "CurrentContract". Most probably, you want to accesss a property called "CurrentContract" from the corresponding ViewModel?! The ViewModel is the GroupBox's DataContext, so you have to change the Binding Paths to something like...

<Binding Path="DataContext.CurrentContract.Type" Converter="{StaticResource contractTypeConverter}" RelativeSource="{RelativeSource FindAncestor, AncestorType={x:Type GroupBox}}">

Answer 2

The lesson learned above is useful in general for DataTemplates, but I actually found out recently there is a better way to change the header of a groupbox:

<GroupBox>
    <GroupBox.Header>
        <CheckBox IsChecked="{Binding Path=mSomeBoolean}"/>
    </GroupBox.Header>
</GroupBox>

This way there is no need to define a relative source in the bindings.

Also please note this issue with GroupBoxes and the header.