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How to: Create a Binding

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A binding is a relationship between a UI property and a CLR object. There are several ways to create a binding object that defines a specific instance of a binding.

To create a binding in XAML

  1. Define the source object.

    Public Class Dog
    Private _DogName As String
    Public Property DogName() As String
        Get
            Return _DogName
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            _DogName = value
        End Set
    End Property
End Class

        public class Dog
    {
        public string DogName { get; set; }
    }

  2. Create a reference to the namespace of the source object in XAML.

    <UserControl x:Class="BindingXAML.Page"
xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation" 
xmlns:x="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" 
xmlns:my="clr-namespace:BindingXAML">

  3. Create an instance of the source object in the Resources section.

    <Grid.Resources>
    <my:Dog x:Key="MyDog" DogName="Spot"/>
</Grid.Resources>

  4. Bind to the source object by setting either the Source property or the DataContext property. The DataContext is inherited by all the element's children.

    <TextBlock Text="{Binding DogName, Source={StaticResource MyDog}, Mode=OneTime}"/>

    -or-

    <TextBlock Text="{Binding DogName, Mode=OneTime}" DataContext="{StaticResource MyDog}"/>

To create a binding by using code

  1. Add the System.Windows.Data namespace

    Imports System.Windows.Data

    using System.Windows.Data;

  2. Define the source object.

    Public Class Dog
    Private _DogName As String
    Public Property DogName() As String
        Get
            Return _DogName
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            _DogName = value
        End Set
    End Property
End Class

    public class Dog
{
    public string DogName { get; set; }
}

  3. Create the FrameworkElement you want to bind to.

    <Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot" Background="White">
    <TextBlock x:Name="MyTextBlock" Text="Test"/>
</Grid>

  4. Create an instance of the source object

    Dim MyDog As New Dog()
MyDog.DogName = "Spot"

    Dog MyDog = new Dog();
MyDog.DogName = "Spot";

  5. Create a binding object.

    Dim MyBinding As New Binding()

    Binding MyBinding = new Binding();

  6. Set the binding properties on the binding object.

    MyBinding.Path = New PropertyPath("DogName")
MyBinding.Mode = BindingMode.OneTime

    MyBinding.Path = new PropertyPath("DogName");
MyBinding.Mode = BindingMode.OneTime;

  7. Set the source of the binding by setting either the Source property or the DataContext property. The DataContext is inherited by all the element's children.

    MyBinding.Source = MyDog

    MyBinding.Source = MyDog;

    -or-

    MyTextBlock.DataContext = MyDog

    MyTextBlock.DataContext = MyDog;

  8. Attach the binding to the property of the FrameworkElement.

    MyTextBlock.SetBinding(TextBlock.TextProperty, MyBinding)

    MyTextBlock.SetBinding(TextBlock.TextProperty, MyBinding);

See Also

Reference

Binding

Concepts

Data Binding