Silverlight DataGridTemplateColumn vs. DataGridTextColumn

Question

Why does this work...

<data:DataGridTemplateColumn Header="YTD v. Exchange" x:Name="YTDvExchange" Visibility="Collapsed" CanUserSort="True" SortMemberPath="ytdExchangeReturn.value">
                    <data:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellTemplate>
                        <DataTemplate>
                            <TextBlock  TextAlignment="Right" VerticalAlignment="Center"
                                    Text="{Binding ytdExchangeReturn.value, Converter={StaticResource fcFixedDecimalConverter}}"
                                    Foreground="{Binding ytdExchangeReturn.value, Converter={StaticResource fcForegroundValueConverter}}"/>
                        </DataTemplate>
                    </data:DataGridTemplateColumn.CellTemplate>
                </data:DataGridTemplateColumn>

But this does not...

<data:DataGridTextColumn Header="YTD v. Exchange"
                    Binding="{Binding ytdExchangeReturn.value, Converter={StaticResource fcFixedDecimalConverter}}"
                    Foreground="{Binding ytdExchangeReturn.value, Converter={StaticResource fcForegroundValueConverter}}"/>

I get 'System.Windows.Markup.XamlParseException: AG_E_PARSER_BAD_PROPERTY_VALUE' for the second one. The problem applies ony to the Foreground converter, the binding is fine.

Answer 1

I think the issue is that the Foreground property of the DataGridTextColumn is not a dependency property and hence cannot be used for databinding.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.windows.controls.datagridtextcolumn.foreground(v=VS.95).aspx

The Foreground property of the TextBlock used for the CellTemplate is a dependency property and hence a valid target for databinding.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.windows.controls.textblock.foreground(v=vs.95).aspx

Reference:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc221408(VS.95).aspx#setting_properties_data_binding

http://forums.silverlight.net/forums/p/151524/338879.aspx#338879