DataGrid Column Header Binding Behavior

I ran into a problem binding a localized string to a Silverlight 4 DataGrid Column Header, it turns out the Header property on a DataGridTextColumn isn't a dependency property and so it doesn't support binding.  This behavior will let you bind a value to the header.

Hope that helps someone else out who may be trying to localize their application.

Jacob 

CheckedItemCollection for Silverlight and WPF CheckBox List or RadioButton List

Here is a simple class for wrapping a list of items so they can be checked from a list.  There are some helper methods like CheckAll, UnCheckAll, and CheckWhere that I've found useful in my projects.

Then when you are done and need to get the checked items you can use the handy CheckedItems property.

Jacob

Exceptional Visualizer

This is a shameless cross post of the project introduction for a new project I just started on CodePlex to help with debugging complex PRISM dependency resolution errors called Exceptional Visualizer.

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Project Description

A Debugger Visualizer for Visual Studio 2008 that allows for effective visual tracing of deep Exception stacks. Useful for Unity Resolution Exceptions as seen in PRISM (Composite Application Guidance); such as Microsoft.Practices.Unity.ResolutionFailedException and Microsoft.Practices.ObjectBuilder2.BuildFailedException.

Screen Shots

Other Info

This project displays the Exception information in a WPF window. This is an example of a Debugging Visualizer that uses WPF for visualization.

Now Playing: Otis Taylor - Nasty Letter

WPF Calendar Control

For our time entry here at the office we use the infamous NetTERD (.Net Time and Expense Reporting Database). I created the NetTERD as an extension of the existing Access Database that was distributed upon arrival at the company.

Anyway, to get to the point of this post, I've never been happy with the way we select dates in the NetTERD. We've decided to go with a WPF version of the NetTERD that will add alot of features that will be helpful for creating estimates and tracking revisions and changes. The WPF has a lot to offer when it comes to user interfaces, so I decided to take some time and make a stylish calendar control for selecting the date in the new WPFTerd (Codename Adept).

After reading some posts about WPF over at the Hanselminutes blog I did a quick google image search for a calendar. I found a pretty good set of them at some random Pocono vacation site; so I horked the image and opened up Photoshop for a little workout of my Photoshop-Fu.

Not too bad for a programmer with no design skills. So we have our background image, now we fire up our Visual Studio 2008 and do some XAML coding. I specifically wanted to not use Blend for this because I need to start getting more familiar with the XAML, I don't want to fall victim to the Law of Leaky Abstractions. All the coding here was done with the VS 2008 Source Editor, not the designer.

After getting the date to display on my background how I wanted, I needed a way to work in the traditional version of the DatePicker control. I found a nice WPF DatePicker control by Marlon Grech and decided I could bend it to my will. I changed the style of the DatePicker a little to make it work by clicking the bits of calendar on the upper right of the image. Just a couple Visibility="Collapsed" and changing the TriggerBox styles and Voila! we got something semi-respectable.

Check out the source if you are looking for something to hork as well. You'll need to download the AvalonControlLibrary and add a reference to it also. Fair warning, it is statically sized, I'm hoping to make it sizeable later. I'd also like to do some kind of sexy animation with the DatePicker popup. Suggestions welcome.

Jacob