Embed a ListView inside another ListView for one to many relationships

Article
05/31/2011

In the old days (about 16 years ago), FoxPro’s object, containership and inheritance models made it easy to put objects inside other objects.

So, for example, a FoxPro grid of Customers could have a column containing a grid of each customer’s orders, and each order, in turn, could have a grid of the order detail items.

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) has a similar capability. This sample will put an ItemsControl (such as a TreeView, Menu, ListView) inside a column of a ListView.

The sample includes the Browse class from this post: https://blogs.msdn.com/calvin_hsia/archive/2007/12/06/6684376.aspx which I’ve included for completeness below.

The data used is obtained from the assembly that contains the type “Integer”, which happens to be MSCorlib.DLL.

The code uses all the types inside MSCorLib and shows, their Events, Properties, and Methods as columns in a Browse.

The Browse class can handle simple types, such as Integers and Strings, but ignores other types, such as a Collection of Methods.

MakeNewColumn and myValueConverter add a new column, binding it to a type in the Linq query from the Browse.

A column must be able to generate lots of containers for the data, so it uses a FrameworkElementFactory to generate a template .

The ValueConverter gets called to convert a Collection(Of Methods) to an IEnumerable

Start Visual Studio 2010 File->New Project->VB WPF Application.

Edit the file MainWindow.Xaml.vb. Replace the contents with the code below. Hit F5

Imports System.Reflection

Class MainWindow

Private Sub MainWindow_Loaded(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As RoutedEventArgs) Handles Me.Loaded

Me.WindowState = Windows.WindowState.Maximized

Dim asm = Assembly.GetAssembly(GetType(Integer)) ' get assembly containing Integer (MSCorLib)

Me.Title = asm.FullName

Dim q = From a In asm.GetExportedTypes

Select

TypeName = a.FullName,

[Event] = a.GetMembers.Where(Function(obj) obj.MemberType = MemberTypes.Event),

[Property] = From mem In a.GetMembers Where mem.MemberType = MemberTypes.Property,

Field = From mem In a.GetMembers Where mem.MemberType = MemberTypes.Field,

NestedType = From mem In a.GetMembers Where mem.MemberType = MemberTypes.NestedType,

Method = a.GetMembers.Where(Function(obj) obj.MemberType = MemberTypes.Method)

Order By TypeName

Dim br = New Browse(q)

With CType(br.View, GridView)

.Columns.Add(MakeNewColumn(Of ListView)("Method"))

.Columns.Add(MakeNewColumn(Of TreeView)("Property"))

.Columns.Add(MakeNewColumn(Of ListBox)("Field"))

.Columns.Add(MakeNewColumn(Of ListView)("Event"))

.Columns.Add(MakeNewColumn(Of Menu)("NestedType"))

End With

Me.Content = br

End Sub

'constrain the generic type to an ItemsControl

Public Function MakeNewColumn(Of T As ItemsControl)(ByVal colName As String) As GridViewColumn

Dim elementFactory As New FrameworkElementFactory(GetType(T))

Dim binder As New Binding(colName) With {

.Mode = BindingMode.OneTime

}

binder.Converter = New myConverter(colName)

elementFactory.SetBinding(ItemsControl.ItemsSourceProperty, binder)

'Set max height for row, so 300 members don't get too unwieldy

elementFactory.SetValue(ItemsControl.MaxHeightProperty, 100.0) ' float

elementFactory.SetValue(ItemsControl.WidthProperty, 300.0) ' float

Select Case GetType(T)

Case GetType(ListView)

elementFactory.SetValue(ItemsControl.BackgroundProperty, Brushes.LightCoral)

Dim innerBinding = New Binding(colName) With {

.Mode = BindingMode.OneTime,

.Converter = New myConverter(colName)

}

elementFactory.SetBinding(ItemsControl.ItemTemplateProperty, innerBinding)

elementFactory.SetBinding(

ItemsControl.ItemsSourceProperty,

New Binding(colName) With {

.Mode = BindingMode.OneTime,

.Converter = Nothing

}

)

Case GetType(TreeView)

elementFactory.SetValue(ItemsControl.FontFamilyProperty, New FontFamily("Courier New"))

elementFactory.SetValue(ItemsControl.BackgroundProperty, Brushes.AliceBlue)

elementFactory.SetValue(ItemsControl.FontSizeProperty, 8.0)

Case Else

End Select

Dim datTemplate = New DataTemplate With

{

.VisualTree = elementFactory

}

Dim newcol = New GridViewColumn With {

.Header = colName,

.CellTemplate = datTemplate

}

Return newcol

End Function

End Class

Public Class myConverter

Implements IValueConverter

Private _colName As String

Public Sub New(ByVal colName As String)

_colName = colName

End Sub

Public Function Convert(ByVal value As Object, ByVal targetType As Type, ByVal parameter As Object, ByVal culture As Globalization.CultureInfo) As Object Implements IValueConverter.Convert

Dim q As Object = Nothing

Select Case targetType

Case GetType(IEnumerable)

Dim r = CType(value, IEnumerable)

Select Case _colName

Case "Method"

q = From a In r

Select

MethodName = a.Name,

ModName = a.Module.Name,

MemType = a.MemberType.ToString,

FullName = a

Case "Property"

q = From a In r

Select

PropertyName = a.Name,

ModName = a.Module.Name,

MemType = a.MemberType.ToString,

FullName = a

Case "Field"

q = From a In r

Select

FieldName = a.Name,

ModName = a.Module.Name,

MemType = a.MemberType.ToString,

FullName = a

Case Else

q = From a In r

Select

a.Name,

ModName = a.Module.Name,

MemType = a.MemberType.ToString,

FullName = a

End Select

Case GetType(DataTemplate)

Dim XAMLdt = _

<DataTemplate

xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"

<TextBlock

Name=<%= _colName %>

Text=<%= "{Binding}" %>

Background="Yellow"

</TextBlock>

</StackPanel>

</DataTemplate>

Dim dt = CType(System.Windows.Markup.XamlReader.Load(XAMLdt.CreateReader), DataTemplate)

q = dt

Case Else

Throw New NotImplementedException(targetType.ToString)

End Select

Return q

End Function

Public Function ConvertBack(ByVal value As Object, ByVal targetType As Type, ByVal parameter As Object, ByVal culture As Globalization.CultureInfo) As Object Implements IValueConverter.ConvertBack

Throw New NotImplementedException

End Function

End Class

' see https://blogs.msdn.com/calvin\_hsia/archive/2007/12/06/6684376.aspx

Class Browse

Inherits ListView

Sub New(ByVal Query As Object, Optional ByVal Parent As Object = Nothing)

Dim gv As New GridView

Me.View = gv

Me.ItemsSource = Query

If Not Parent Is Nothing Then

If Parent.GetType.BaseType Is GetType(Window) Then

CType(Parent, Window).Title = "# items = " + Me.Items.Count.ToString

End If

Me.AddHandler(GridViewColumnHeader.ClickEvent, New RoutedEventHandler(AddressOf HandleHeaderClick))

If Query.GetType.GetInterface(GetType(IEnumerable(Of )).FullName).GetGenericArguments(0).Name = "XElement" Then ' It's XML

Dim Elem1 = CType(Query, IEnumerable(Of XElement))(0).Elements ' Thanks Avner!

For Each Item In Elem1

Dim gvc As New GridViewColumn

gvc.Header = Item.Name.LocalName

gv.Columns.Add(gvc)

Dim bind As New Binding("Element[" + Item.Name.LocalName + "].Value")

gvc.DisplayMemberBinding = bind

gvc.Width = 180

Else ' it's some anonymous type like "VB$AnonymousType_1`3". Let's use reflection to get the column names

For Each mem In From mbr In _

Query.GetType().GetInterface(GetType(IEnumerable(Of )).FullName) _

.GetGenericArguments()(0).GetMembers _

Where mbr.MemberType = Reflection.MemberTypes.Property

Dim datatype = CType(mem, Reflection.PropertyInfo)

Dim coltype = datatype.PropertyType.Name

Select Case coltype

Case "Int32", "String", "Int64"

Dim gvc As New GridViewColumn

gvc.Header = mem.Name

gv.Columns.Add(gvc)

If coltype <> "String" Then

gvc.Width = 80

Dim XAMLdt = _

<DataTemplate

xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"

xmlns:x="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"

<TextBlock Name="tb"

Text=<%= "{Binding Path=" + mem.Name + "}" %>

Foreground="Black"

FontWeight="Bold"

Background="SpringGreen">

</TextBlock>

</StackPanel>

</DataTemplate>

gvc.CellTemplate = System.Windows.Markup.XamlReader.Load(XAMLdt.CreateReader)

Else

gvc.DisplayMemberBinding = New Binding(mem.Name)

gvc.Width = 180

End If

End Select

End If

Dim XAMLlbStyle = _

<Style

xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"

xmlns:x="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"

TargetType="ListBoxItem">

<Style.Triggers>

</Trigger>

</Trigger>

</Style.Triggers>

</Style>

Me.ItemContainerStyle = Windows.Markup.XamlReader.Load(XAMLlbStyle.CreateReader)

End Sub

Dim _Lastdir As System.ComponentModel.ListSortDirection = ComponentModel.ListSortDirection.Ascending

Dim _LastHeaderClicked As GridViewColumnHeader = Nothing

Sub HandleHeaderClick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As RoutedEventArgs)

If e.OriginalSource.GetType Is GetType(GridViewColumnHeader) Then

Dim gvh = CType(e.OriginalSource, GridViewColumnHeader)

Dim dir As System.ComponentModel.ListSortDirection = ComponentModel.ListSortDirection.Ascending

If Not gvh Is Nothing AndAlso Not gvh.Column Is Nothing Then

Dim hdr = gvh.Column.Header

If gvh Is _LastHeaderClicked Then

If _Lastdir = ComponentModel.ListSortDirection.Ascending Then

dir = ComponentModel.ListSortDirection.Descending

End If

Sort(hdr, dir)

_LastHeaderClicked = gvh

_Lastdir = dir

End If

End Sub

Sub Sort(ByVal sortby As String, ByVal dir As System.ComponentModel.ListSortDirection)

Me.Items.SortDescriptions.Clear()

Dim sd = New System.ComponentModel.SortDescription(sortby, dir)

Me.Items.SortDescriptions.Add(sd)

Me.Items.Refresh()

End Sub

End Class

</Code Sample>

Embed a ListView inside another ListView for one to many relationships

Additional resources