README.md

BytecodeApi.Wpf

WPF & MVVM library and converter engine.

Examples

For brevity, only core components are described here.

BytecodeApi.Wpf

MVVM (ObservableObject & DelegateCommand)

The ObservableObject class from the BytecodeApi package can be used as a base class for ViewModels.

A DelegateCommand can be created as a property and then bound to the view. It has a handler for Execute and CanExecute.

public class MainWindowViewModel : ObservableObject
{
	private DelegateCommand<string>? _TestCommand;
	public DelegateCommand<string> TestCommand => _TestCommand ??= new(TestCommand_Execute);

	private bool _TestProperty;
	public bool TestProperty
	{
		get => _TestProperty;
		set => Set(ref _TestProperty, value);
	}

	private void TestCommand_Execute(string? parameter)
	{
		// ...
	}
}

BytecodeApi.Wpf.Converters

ConverterBase

This class combines IValueConverter and MarkupExtension.

The BytecodeApi.Wpf.Converters namespace has lots of converters. For example, the BooleanConverter converts bool values to other types.

Implementation:

public class BooleanConverter : ConverterBase<bool?>
{
	public BooleanConverterMethod Method { get; set; }

	public BooleanConverter(BooleanConverterMethod method)
	{
		Method = method;
	}

	public override object? Convert(bool? value)
	{
		return Method switch
		{
			BooleanConverterMethod.Default => value,
			BooleanConverterMethod.Inverse => value != true,
			BooleanConverterMethod.Visibility => (value == true).ToVisibility(),
			// ...
		};
	}
}

Usage:

We use the BooleanConverter, because the bound value is a bool. Then we specify to what this value should be converted: Visibility.

<Button Visibility="{Binding ShowThis, Converter={ui:BooleanConverter Visibility}}">

Some converts have additional parameters in their constructors. Depending on the converter and its conversion method, a ConverterParameter may be used.

In the following example, Price is bound. If Price > 0, then Visibility.Visible should be returned, otherwise Visibility.Collapsed:

Visibility="{Binding Price, Converter={ui:EqualityConverter Greater, Visibility}, ConverterParameter={ui:Int32 0}}"

All converters in this namespace follow the same pattern. Additional converters can be implemented by inheriting the ConverterBase class.

More Converter examples

If, the XAML way:

Title="{Binding IsCreate, Converter={ui:IfConverter 'Create Entry', 'Edit Entry'}}"

Display the [Description("...")] attribute of an enum value:

{Binding SomeEnumValue, Converter={ui:EnumConverter Description}}

Display the first 3 digits of a Version:

{Binding Source={x:Static ApplicationVersion}, Converter={ui:VersionConverter 3}}

Convert a DateTime value using Format as the conversion method:

{Binding LastModified, Converter={ui:DateTimeConverter Format}, ConverterParameter='yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss'}

... And many many more. Please review the documentation on each converter and the *ConverterMethod class.

BytecodeApi.Wpf.Markup

Markup Extensions

This namespace has markup extensions for all built in types:

"{ui:Int32 123}"
"{ui:DateTime '2023-01-01', 'yyyy-MM-dd'}"
"{ui:Thickness 10, 5, 10, 5}"
...

event to ICommand extension:

Closed="{ui:EventBinding WindowClosedCommand}"

BytecodeApi.Wpf.Interop

SingleInstance

The SingleInstance can detect an already running instance and notify it:

public partial class App : Application
{
	public static SingleInstance SingleInstance { get; private set; }

	public App()
	{
		SingleInstance = new SingleInstance("MY_APPLICATION_NAME_SINGLE_INSTANCE");
		if (SingleInstance.CheckInstanceRunning())
		{
			SingleInstance.SendActivationMessage();
			Shutdown();
		}
	}
}

public partial class MainWindow
{
	private void MainWindow_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
	{
		App.SingleInstance.RegisterWindow(this);
		App.SingleInstance.Activated += delegate
		{
			Show();
			if (WindowState == WindowState.Minimized) WindowState = WindowState.Normal;
			Activate();
		};
	}
}

BytecodeApi.Wpf.Dialogs

Task Dialog

The Dialog class is a fluent wrapper around the Windows Task Dialog interface. It is internally using System.Windows.Forms.TaskDialog.

DialogResult result = Dialog
	.Title("My Task Dialog")
	.Text("I am a Task Dialog")
	.Icon(DialogIcon.ShieldBlueBar)
	.Expander("Additional info...")
	.Button(DialogResult.OK)
	.Button(DialogResult.Cancel, "Later")
	.Show(owner);

if (result == DialogResult.OK)
{
	// ...
}

The DialogMessageBoxes class offers some shorthand methods for common message boxes:

if (DialogMessageBoxes.OkCancel(owner, "title", "text", isWarning: false, "Text in expander"))
{
	// ...
}

FileDialogs

FileDialogs is a shorthand class to access various file dialogs.

Additionally, it retrieves information about a file extension from the operating system to display a string like

*.txt|Text files

if (FileDialogs.Open("txt") is string path)
{
	// ...
}

if (FileDialogs.OpenFolder(@"C:\path\to\directory") is string directory)
{
	// ...
}

See also:

• FileDialogs.OpenMultiple
• FileDialogs.Save
• FileDialogs.SelectIcon

Changelog

5.0.0 (15.02.2026)

• change: Targeting .NET 10.0
• new: Dialog.IsVisible property
• new: Dialog.ProgressBar, SetButtonEnabled and ShowAsync method
• new: Dialog.Button and CommandLink methods with isEnabled and onClick callback parameter
• change: DependencyPropertyEx methods changed to extension members of DependencyProperty
• change: DispatcherTimerFactory methods changed to extension members of DispatcherTimer

4.0.1 (10.11.2025)

• new: WindowService.BorderBrushProperty
• bugfix: WindowService must not use EnsureHandle(), but wait for the SourceInitialized event

4.0.0 (15.09.2025)

• change: Targeting .NET 9.0
• new: FileDialogs method overloads
• new: BooleanConverterMethod.GridLength* methods
• new: StringConverterMethod.Split* methods
• new: ThicknessConverterMethod.Add* methods

3.0.5 (28.11.2024)

• new: Dialog.Icon method
• new: TabItemConverter class

3.0.4 (27.07.2024)

• change: BooleanConverter now implements the TwoWayConverterBase
• new: EnumerableConverterMethod.Contains
• new: StringConverterMethod.ConcatIfNotEmpty and ConcatBeforeIfNotEmpty
• new: MathConverterMethod.Abs
• new: ThicknessConverter
• new: TextBlockService.TextWrapping property
• new: Dialog class adds support for checkboxes
• new: FileDialogs method overloads with initialDirectory parameter
• new: TextBoxExtensions.GetSelectionStart and GetSelectionLength methods

3.0.3 (10.12.2023)

• new: ObservableUserControl.Shown and ShownOnce events
• new: ObservableItemsControl.Shown and ShownOnce events
• change: BindingErrorTraceListener trace level changed from Information to Error

3.0.2 (30.09.2023)

• new: DateOnlyConverterMethod.Quarter
• new: DateTimeConverterMethod.Quarter

3.0.1 (27.09.2023)

• new: ApplicationExtensions.Dispatch method

3.0.0 (08.09.2023)

• Initial release