WPF: Correctly storing an object in a TreeViewItem

Question

To store an object (say, an instance of a class) in a TreeViewItem, I am currently storing the object in the TreeViewItem's Header and then overriding the ToString method of that class, so that it displays the correct string header; I then cast the object back during an event.

---

Is this the correct way to achieve this sort of thing, or is there any better, more proper way ?

Answer 1

The "proper" way is to just add the object to the TreeView's (or TreeViewItem's) Items collection and use a HierarchicalDataTemplate to control how the item is rendered:

Person.cs:

public class Person
{
 private readonly ICollection<Person> _children = new ObservableCollection<Person>();

 public string Name { get; set; }

 public ICollection<Person> Children
 {
  get
  {
   return _children;
  }
 }
}

Window1.xaml.cs:

public Window1()
{
    InitializeComponent();

    var people = new List<Person>();
    var kent = new Person() { Name = "Kent" };
    kent.Children.Add(new Person() { Name = "Tempany" });
    people.Add(kent);
    _treeView.ItemsSource = people;
}

Window1.xaml:

<TreeView x:Name="_treeView">
 <TreeView.Resources>
  <HierarchicalDataTemplate DataType="{x:Type local:Person}" ItemsSource="{Binding Children}">
   <TextBlock Text="{Binding Name}"/>
  </HierarchicalDataTemplate>
 </TreeView.Resources>
</TreeView>

HTH, Kent