How to To Create Dynamic Submenu's in WPF

Monday, November 28, 2011

WPF

For creating dynamic sub-menus, <MenuItem.ItemContainerStyle> must be used instead of using <MenuItem.ItemTemtplae>; Try to avoid using ItemTemplate , specially a MenuItem should not be used inside an ItemTemplate as it creates two menu items for a sub-menu.

Here is a very good article explaining the difference and usage of each - http://weblogs.asp.net/okloeten/archive/2007/11/14/5149692.aspx

<MenuItem.ItemContainerStyle>
    <Style
        TargetType="{x:Type MenuItem}">
        <EventSetter
            Event="Click"
            Handler="HandleMenuItemApplyPreset_Click" />
        <Setter
            Property="Header"
            Value="{Binding Path=Title}" />
    </Style>
</MenuItem.ItemContainerStyle>

But, In some special cases it is required to use these two in conjunction (e.g. for displaying complex header) -

<MenuItem.ItemContainerStyle>

    <Style

        TargetType="{x:Type MenuItem}">

        <Setter

            Property="IsCheckable"

            Value="True" />

        <EventSetter

            Event="Checked"

            Handler="HandleMenuItemSelectScenario_Checked" />

        <Setter

            Property="IsChecked">

            <Setter.Value>

                <Binding

                    RelativeSource="{RelativeSource FindAncestor, AncestorType=ContextMenu}"

                    Path="PlacementTarget.ScenarioCollectionView.SelectedScenario.IsChecked" />

                <Binding />

            </Setter.Value>

        </Setter>

    </Style>

</MenuItem.ItemContainerStyle>

<MenuItem.ItemTemplate>

    <DataTemplate>

        <StackPanel

            Orientation="Horizontal">

            <TextBlock

                Text="{Binding Path=Record.MasterComponent}"

                Opacity="0.5"

                Margin="0,0,4,0" />

            <TextBlock

                Text="{Binding Path=Record.GlobalDisplayNameWithBrackets}" />

        </StackPanel>

    </DataTemplate>

</MenuItem.ItemTemplate>

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