To do DataBinding of the Document in a WPF RichtextBox, I saw 2 Solutions so far, which are to derive from the RichtextBox and add a DependencyProperty, and also the solution with a "proxy". Neither the first or the second are satisfactory. Does somebody know another solution, or instead, a commercial RTF control which is capable of DataBinding? The normal Textbox ist not an alternative, since we need text formating.
Any idea?
Create a UserControl which has a RichTextBox.. Now add the following dependency property:
public FlowDocument Document
{
get { return (FlowDocument)GetValue(DocumentProperty); }
set { SetValue(DocumentProperty, value); }
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty DocumentProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Document", typeof(FlowDocument), typeof(RichTextBoxControl), new PropertyMetadata(OnDocumentChanged));
private static void OnDocumentChanged(DependencyObject d, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
RichTextBoxControl control = (RichTextBoxControl) d;
if (e.NewValue == null)
control.RTB.Document = new FlowDocument(); //Document is not amused by null :)
control.RTB.Document = document;
}
This solution is probably that "proxy" solution you saw somewhere.. However.. RichTextBox simply does not have Document as DependencyProperty... So you have to do this in another way...
HTH
I can give you an ok solution and you can go with it, but before I do I'm going to try to explain why Document is not a DependencyProperty to begin with.
During the lifetime of a RichTextBox control, the Document property generally doesn't change. The RichTextBox is initialized with a FlowDocument. That document is displayed, can be edited and mangled in many ways, but the underlying value of the Document property remains that one instance of the FlowDocument. Therefore, there is really no reason it should be a Dependency Property, ie, Bindable. If you have multiple locations that reference this FlowDocument, you only need the reference once. Since it is the same instance everywhere, the changes will be accessible to everyone.
I don't think FlowDocument supports document change notifications, though I am not sure.
That being said, here's a solution. Before you start, since RichTextBox doesn't implement INotifyPropertyChanged and Document is not a dependency property, we have no notifications when the RichTextBox's Document property changes, so the binding can only be OneWay.
Create a class that will provide the FlowDocument. Binding requires the existence of a Dependency Property, so this class inherits from DependencyObject.
class HasDocument : DependencyObject
{
public static readonly DependencyProperty DocumentProperty =
DependencyProperty.Register("Document",
typeof(FlowDocument),
typeof(HasDocument),
new PropertyMetadata(new PropertyChangedCallback(DocumentChanged)));
private static void DocumentChanged(DependencyObject obj, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
Debug.WriteLine("Document has changed");
}
public FlowDocument Document
{
get { return GetValue(DocumentProperty) as FlowDocument; }
set { SetValue(DocumentProperty, value); }
}
}
Create a Window with a rich text box in XAML.
<Window x:Class="samples.Window1"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
Title="Flow Document Binding" Height="300" Width="300"
>
<Grid>
<RichTextBox Name="richTextBox" />
</Grid>
</Window>
Give the Window a field of type HasDocument.
HasDocument hasDocument;
Window constructor should create the binding.
hasDocument = new HasDocument();
InitializeComponent();
Binding b = new Binding("Document");
b.Source = richTextBox;
b.Mode = BindingMode.OneWay;
BindingOperations.SetBinding(hasDocument, HasDocument.DocumentProperty, b);
If you want to be able to declare the binding in XAML, you would have to make your HasDocument class derive from FrameworkElement so that it can be inserted into the logical tree.
Now, if you were to change the Document property on HasDocument, the rich text box's Document will also change.
FlowDocument d = new FlowDocument();
Paragraph g = new Paragraph();
Run a = new Run();
a.Text = "I showed this using a binding";
g.Inlines.Add(a);
d.Blocks.Add(g);
hasDocument.Document = d;
Hey guys! There is a much easier way!
You can easily create an attached DocumentXaml (or DocumentRTF) property which will allow you to bind the RichTextBox's document. It is used like this, where Autobiography is a string property in your data model:
<TextBox Text="{Binding FirstName}" />
<TextBox Text="{Binding LastName}" />
<RichTextBox local:RichTextBoxHelper.DocumentXaml="{Binding Autobiography}" />
Viola! Fully bindable RichTextBox data!
The implemention of this property is quite simple: When the property is set, load the XAML (or RTF) into a new FlowDocument. When the FlowDocument changes, update the proerty value.
This code should do the trick:
public class RichTextBoxHelper : DependencyObject
{
public static string GetDocumentXaml(DependencyObject obj) { return (string)obj.GetValue(DocumentXamlProperty)); }
public static void SetDocumentXaml(DependencyObject obj, string value) { obj.SetValue(DocumentXamlProperty, value); }
public static readonly DependencyProperty DocumentXamlProperty = DependencyProperty. RegisterAttached("DocumentXaml", typeof(string), typeof(RichTextBoxHelper), new FrameworkPropertyMetadata
{
BindsTwoWayByDefault = true,
PropertyChangedCallback = (obj, e) =>
{
var richTextBox = (RichTextBox)obj;
// Parse the XAML to a document (or use XamlReader.Parse())
var xaml = GetDocumentXaml(richTextBox);
var doc = new FlowDocument();
var range = new TextRange(doc.ContentStart, doc.ContentEnd);
range.Load(new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(xaml)), DataFormats.Xaml);
// Set the document
richTextBox.Document = doc;
// When the document changes update the source
range.Changed += (obj2, e2) =>
{
if(richTextBox.Document==doc)
{
MemoryStream buffer = new MemoryStream();
range.Save(buffer, DataFormats.Xaml);
SetDocumentXaml(richTextBox, Encoding.UTF8.GetString(buffer.ToArray()));
}
}
});
}
The same code could be used for TextFormats.RTF or TextFormats.XamlPackage. For XamlPackage you would have a property of type byte[] instead of string.
The XamlPackage format has several advantages over plain XAML, especially the ability to include resources such as images, and it is more flexible and easier to work with than RTF.
It is hard to believe this question sat for 15 months without anyone pointing out the easy way to do this.
I have tuned up previous code a little bit. First of all range.Changed hasn't work for me. After I changed range.Changed to richTextBox.TextChanged it turns out that TextChanged event handler can invoke SetDocumentXaml recursively, so I've provided protection against it. I also used XamlReader/XamlWriter instead of TextRange.
public class RichTextBoxHelper : DependencyObject
{
private static HashSet<Thread> _recursionProtection = new HashSet<Thread>();
public static string GetDocumentXaml(DependencyObject obj)
{
return (string)obj.GetValue(DocumentXamlProperty);
}
public static void SetDocumentXaml(DependencyObject obj, string value)
{
_recursionProtection.Add(Thread.CurrentThread);
obj.SetValue(DocumentXamlProperty, value);
_recursionProtection.Remove(Thread.CurrentThread);
}
public static readonly DependencyProperty DocumentXamlProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached(
"DocumentXaml",
typeof(string),
typeof(RichTextBoxHelper),
new FrameworkPropertyMetadata(
"",
FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.AffectsRender | FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.BindsTwoWayByDefault,
(obj, e) => {
if (_recursionProtection.Contains(Thread.CurrentThread))
return;
var richTextBox = (RichTextBox)obj;
// Parse the XAML to a document (or use XamlReader.Parse())
try
{
var stream = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(GetDocumentXaml(richTextBox)));
var doc = (FlowDocument)XamlReader.Load(stream);
// Set the document
richTextBox.Document = doc;
}
catch (Exception)
{
richTextBox.Document = new FlowDocument();
}
// When the document changes update the source
richTextBox.TextChanged += (obj2, e2) =>
{
RichTextBox richTextBox2 = obj2 as RichTextBox;
if (richTextBox2 != null)
{
SetDocumentXaml(richTextBox, XamlWriter.Save(richTextBox2.Document));
}
};
}
)
);
}
hi this is sujit kumar , i want to have a clear cut picture of the rich text box concept. Can u give some simple and useful idea so that i can use it. I am new to this .Net as well as WPF . Help me out
Here's a VB.Net version of Lolo's answer:
Public Class RichTextBoxHelper
Inherits DependencyObject
Private Shared _recursionProtection As New HashSet(Of System.Threading.Thread)()
Public Shared Function GetDocumentXaml(ByVal depObj As DependencyObject) As String
Return DirectCast(depObj.GetValue(DocumentXamlProperty), String)
End Function
Public Shared Sub SetDocumentXaml(ByVal depObj As DependencyObject, ByVal value As String)
_recursionProtection.Add(System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread)
depObj.SetValue(DocumentXamlProperty, value)
_recursionProtection.Remove(System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread)
End Sub
Public Shared ReadOnly DocumentXamlProperty As DependencyProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("DocumentXaml", GetType(String), GetType(RichTextBoxHelper), New FrameworkPropertyMetadata("", FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.AffectsRender Or FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.BindsTwoWayByDefault, Sub(depObj, e)
RegisterIt(depObj, e)
End Sub))
Private Shared Sub RegisterIt(ByVal depObj As System.Windows.DependencyObject, ByVal e As System.Windows.DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs)
If _recursionProtection.Contains(System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread) Then
Return
End If
Dim rtb As RichTextBox = DirectCast(depObj, RichTextBox)
Try
rtb.Document = Markup.XamlReader.Parse(GetDocumentXaml(rtb))
Catch
rtb.Document = New FlowDocument()
End Try
' When the document changes update the source
AddHandler rtb.TextChanged, AddressOf TextChanged
End Sub
Private Shared Sub TextChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As TextChangedEventArgs)
Dim rtb As RichTextBox = TryCast(sender, RichTextBox)
If rtb IsNot Nothing Then
SetDocumentXaml(sender, Markup.XamlWriter.Save(rtb.Document))
End If
End Sub
End Class
This VB.Net version works for my situation. I removed thread collection semaphore, instead using RemoveHandler and AddHandler. Also, since a FlowDocument can only be bound to one RichTextBox at a time, I put in a check that the RichTextBox's IsLoaded=True. Let's begin with how I used the class in a MVVM app which uses ResourceDictionary instead of Window.
' Loaded and Unloaded events seems to be the only way to initialize a control created from a Resource Dictionary
' Loading document here because Loaded is the last available event to create a document
Private Sub Rtb_Loaded(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs)
' only good place to initialize RichTextBox.Document with DependencyProperty
Dim rtb As RichTextBox = DirectCast(sender, RichTextBox)
Try
rtb.Document = RichTextBoxHelper.GetDocumentXaml(rtb)
Catch ex As Exception
Debug.WriteLine("Rtb_Loaded: Message:" & ex.Message)
End Try
End Sub
' Loaded and Unloaded events seems to be the only way to initialize a control created from a Resource Dictionary
' Free document being held by RichTextBox.Document by assigning New FlowDocument to RichTextBox.Document. Otherwise we'll see an of "Document belongs to another RichTextBox"
Private Sub Rtb_Unloaded(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs)
Dim rtb As RichTextBox = DirectCast(sender, RichTextBox)
Dim fd As New FlowDocument
RichTextBoxHelper.SetDocumentXaml(rtb, fd)
Try
rtb.Document = fd
Catch ex As Exception
Debug.WriteLine("PoemDocument.PoemDocumentView.PoemRtb_Unloaded: Message:" & ex.Message)
End Try
End Sub
Public Class RichTextBoxHelper Inherits DependencyObject
Public Shared Function GetDocumentXaml(ByVal depObj As DependencyObject) As FlowDocument
Return depObj.GetValue(DocumentXamlProperty)
End Function
Public Shared Sub SetDocumentXaml(ByVal depObj As DependencyObject, ByVal value As FlowDocument)
depObj.SetValue(DocumentXamlProperty, value)
End Sub
Public Shared ReadOnly DocumentXamlProperty As DependencyProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("DocumentXaml", GetType(FlowDocument), GetType(RichTextBoxHelper), New FrameworkPropertyMetadata(Nothing, FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.AffectsRender Or FrameworkPropertyMetadataOptions.BindsTwoWayByDefault, Sub(depObj, e)
RegisterIt(depObj, e)
End Sub))
Private Shared Sub RegisterIt(ByVal depObj As System.Windows.DependencyObject, ByVal e As System.Windows.DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs)
Dim rtb As RichTextBox = DirectCast(depObj, RichTextBox)
If rtb.IsLoaded Then
RemoveHandler rtb.TextChanged, AddressOf TextChanged
Try
rtb.Document = GetDocumentXaml(rtb)
Catch ex As Exception
Debug.WriteLine("RichTextBoxHelper.RegisterIt: ex:" & ex.Message)
rtb.Document = New FlowDocument()
End Try
AddHandler rtb.TextChanged, AddressOf TextChanged
Else
Debug.WriteLine("RichTextBoxHelper: Unloaded control ignored:" & rtb.Name)
End If
End Sub
' When a RichTextBox Document changes, update the DependencyProperty so they're in sync.
Private Shared Sub TextChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As TextChangedEventArgs)
Dim rtb As RichTextBox = TryCast(sender, RichTextBox)
If rtb IsNot Nothing Then
SetDocumentXaml(sender, rtb.Document)
End If
End Sub
End Class