Converters

Table of Contents

Template10 ships with a collection of useful converters that you can use in your application.

• StringFormatConverter
• ValueWhenConverter
• ChangeTypeConverter

StringFormatConverter

This converter can take in a value and format it using format strings provided as either a parameter or property of the converter.

• Formatting Types in .NET: here
• Standard Date/Time Format Strings: here
• Custom Date/Time Format Strings: here
• Standard Numeric Format Strings: here
• Custom Numeric Format Strings: here

Implementation

You can add this control as a Resource to another XAML element:

<Page.Resources>
    <converters:StringFormatConverter x:Key="StrFormatConverter" />
    <converters:StringFormatConverter x:Key="PriceConverter" Format="{}{0:N4}"/>
    <converters:StringFormatConverter x:Key="ValueConverter" Format="{}{0:N2}"/>
</Page.Resources>

With the resource in place, you can use the resource as the Converter when binding a value on your page. The ConverterParameter binding property specifies the format string:

<TextBlock Text="{Binding DateTimeValue, Converter={StaticResource StrFormatConverter}, ConverterParameter=\{0:D\}}" />
<TextBlock Text="{Binding PriceProperty, Converter={StaticResource PriceConverter}" />
<TextBlock Text="{Binding ValueProperty, Converter={StaticResource ValueConverter}" />

ValueWhenConverter

This converter can display data from one of two binary choices. If the data being bound is equivalent to the When property of the converter, then the result of the binding will be the Value property of the converter. If they are not equivalent, the result of the binding will be the Otherwise converter.

Properties

Name	Type	Notes
When	object	This is the object evaluated for equivalence with the bound value. The bound value is technically an input parameter to this converter.
Value	object	This object is the result of the binding conversion if the originally bound value is equivalent to the value of the When property.
Otherwise	object	This object is the result of the binding conversion if the originally bound value is NOT equivalent to the value of the When property.

Implementation

You can add this binding as a Resource to another XAML element.

<converters:ValueWhenConverter x:Key="VisibleWhenTrueConverter">
    <converters:ValueWhenConverter.When>
        <x:Boolean>True</x:Boolean>
    </converters:ValueWhenConverter.When>
    <converters:ValueWhenConverter.Value>
        <Visibility>Visible</Visibility>
    </converters:ValueWhenConverter.Value>
    <converters:ValueWhenConverter.Otherwise>
        <Visibility>Collapsed</Visibility>
    </converters:ValueWhenConverter.Otherwise>
</converters:ValueWhenConverter>

With the resource in place, you can use the resource as the Converter when binding a value on your page.

<TextBlock Text="Hello Admin" Visibility="{Binding IsAdmin, Converter={StaticResource VisibleWhenTrueConverter}}" />

Note, if you want to use a value of Null, use the following syntax:

<converters:ValueWhenConverter x:Key="VisibleWhenNullConverter" When="{x:Null}">
	<converters:ValueWhenConverter.Value>
		<Visibility>Visible</Visibility>
	</converters:ValueWhenConverter.Value>
	<converters:ValueWhenConverter.Otherwise>
		<Visibility>Collapsed</Visibility>
	</converters:ValueWhenConverter.Otherwise>
</converters:ValueWhenConverter>

ChangeTypeConverter

This converter can convert the type used in a binding - this is especially helpful when using the x:Bind syntax to bind a strongly-typed property in a View Model to a XAML control property that is declared as object - such as the SelectedItem on a ListView.

Syntax

<Page.Resources>
    <converters:ChangeTypeConverter x:Key="TypeConverter"/>
</Page.Resources>


<Grid>
    <ListView ItemsSource='{x:Bind ViewModel.Items, Mode=OneWay}'
              SelectedItem='{x:Bind ViewModel.CurrentItem, Mode=TwoWay, Converter={StaticResource TypeConverter}}'/>
</Grid>