DataTemplate to generate Menu with MVVM

Question

I'm trying to use a DataTemplate to create a Menu from my ViewModels with respect to MVVM. Basically, I've created several classes which will store information about my Menu structure. I then want to realize that menu stucture as a WPF Menu using a DataTemplate.

I have a menu service which allows different components to register new menus and items within the menus. Here's how I've organized my menu information (ViewModel)

I have the following classes: MainMenuViewModel - Contains a TopLevelMenuViewModelCollection (a collection of top level menus)

TopLevelMenuViewModel - Contains a MenuItemGroupViewModelCollection (a collection of groups of menu items), and a name for the menu 'Text'

MenuItemGroupViewModel - Contains a MenuItemViewModelCollection (collection of menu items)

MenuItemViewModel - Contains text, image uri, command, children MenuItemViewModels

What I want to do is apply a DataTemplate to the previous classes to transform them into a normal Menu.

MainMenuViewModel -> Menu

TopLevelMenuViewModel -> MenuItems with header set

MenuItemGroupViewModel -> Separator followed by a MenuItem for each MenuItemViewModel

MenuItemViewModel -> MenuItem (HeirarchicalDataTemplate)

The problem is I don't see how to generate multiple MenuItems for the MenuItemGroupViewModel. The Menu template wants to always create an ItemContainer for each item which is a MenuItem. Therefore, I either end up with my MenuItems inside a MenuItem which obviously doesn't work, or it doesn't work at all. I've tried several things and still cannot figure out how to make a single item produce more than one MenuItem.

<ResourceDictionary xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
                xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
                xmlns:local="clr-namespace:--">
<!-- These data templates provide the views for the menu -->

<!-- MenuItemGroupView -->
<Style x:Key="MenuItemGroupStyle" TargetType="{x:Type MenuItem}">
    <Setter Property="Header" Value="qqq" />
    <!-- Now what? I don't want 1 item here..
    I wanted this to start with a <separator /> and list the MenuItemGroupViewModel.MenuItems -->
</Style>

<!-- TopLevelMenuView -->
<Style x:Key="TopLevelMenuStyle" TargetType="{x:Type MenuItem}">
    <Setter Property="Header" Value="{Binding Text}" />
    <Setter Property="ItemsSource" Value="{Binding MenuGroups}" />
    <Setter Property="ItemContainerStyle" Value="{StaticResource MenuItemGroupStyle}"/>
</Style>

<!-- MainMenuView -->
<DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type local:MainMenuViewModel}">
    <Menu ItemsSource="{Binding TopLevelMenus}" ItemContainerStyle="{StaticResource TopLevelMenuStyle}" />
</DataTemplate>

<!-- MenuItemView -->
<!--<HierarchicalDataTemplate DataType="{x:Type local:MenuItemViewModel}"
                              ItemsSource="{Binding Path=Children}"
                          >
    <HierarchicalDataTemplate.ItemContainerStyle>
        <Style TargetType="MenuItem">
            <Setter Property="Command"
                        Value="{Binding Command}" />
        </Style>
    </HierarchicalDataTemplate.ItemContainerStyle>
    <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
        <Image Source="{Binding ImageSource}" />
        <TextBlock Text="{Binding Text}" />
    </StackPanel>
</HierarchicalDataTemplate>-->

Please Click the links to see a better picture of what I'm trying to do

Class Diagram

Basic Menu I want to Make

Answer 1

Because this is sort of complicated, I've updated this answer with a downloadable example.

PrismMenuServiceExample

My goal was to allow different modules to register menu commands and group them together with a title and sort the menu items in a proper order. First of all, let's show an example of what the menu looks like.

This is useful, for example a "Tools" menu could have a "Module1" group that has menu items listed for each tool that belongs to Module1 which Module1 can register independently of the other modules.

I have a "menu service" which allows modules to register new menus and menu items. Each node has a Path property which informs the service where to place the menu. This interface is likely in the infrastructure project, so that all modules can resolve it.

public interface IMenuService
{
    void AddTopLevelMenu(MenuItemNode node);
    void RegisterMenu(MenuItemNode node);
}

I can then implement that MenuService wherever is appropriate. (Infrastructure project, Separate Module, maybe the Shell). I go ahead and add some "default" menus that are defined application wide, although any module can add new top level menus.

I could have created these menus in code, but I instead pulled them out of the resources because it was easier to write them out in XAML in a resource file. I'm adding that resource file to my application resources, but you could load it directly.

public class MainMenuService : IMenuService
{
    MainMenuNode menu;
    MenuItemNode fileMenu;
    MenuItemNode toolMenu;
    MenuItemNode windowMenu;
    MenuItemNode helpMenu;

    public MainMenuService(MainMenuNode menu)
    {
        this.menu = menu;

        fileMenu = (MenuItemNode)Application.Current.Resources["FileMenu"];
        toolMenu = (MenuItemNode)Application.Current.Resources["ToolMenu"];
        windowMenu = (MenuItemNode)Application.Current.Resources["WindowMenu"];
        helpMenu = (MenuItemNode)Application.Current.Resources["HelpMenu"];

        menu.Menus.Add(fileMenu);
        menu.Menus.Add(toolMenu);
        menu.Menus.Add(windowMenu);
        menu.Menus.Add(helpMenu);
    }

    #region IMenuService Members

    public void AddTopLevelMenu(MenuItemNode node)
    {
        menu.Menus.Add(node);
    }

    public void RegisterMenu(MenuItemNode node)
    {
        String[] tokens = node.Path.Split('/');
        RegisterMenu(tokens.GetEnumerator(), menu.Menus, node);
    }

    #endregion

    private void RegisterMenu(IEnumerator tokenEnumerator, MenuItemNodeCollection current, MenuItemNode item)
    {
        if (!tokenEnumerator.MoveNext())
        {
            current.Add(item);
        }
        else
        {
            MenuItemNode menuPath = current.FirstOrDefault(x=> x.Text == tokenEnumerator.Current.ToString());

            if (menuPath == null)
            {
                menuPath = new MenuItemNode(String.Empty);
                menuPath.Text = tokenEnumerator.Current.ToString();
                current.Add(menuPath);
            }

            RegisterMenu(tokenEnumerator, menuPath.Children, item);
        }
    }
}

Here's an example of one of those pre-defined menus in my resource file:

<!-- File Menu Groups -->
<menu:MenuGroupDescription x:Key="fileCommands"
                           Name="Files"
                           SortIndex="10" />
<menu:MenuGroupDescription x:Key="printerCommands"
                           Name="Printing"
                           SortIndex="90" />
<menu:MenuGroupDescription x:Key="applicationCommands"
                           Name="Application"
                           SortIndex="100" />

<menu:MenuItemNode x:Key="FileMenu"
                   x:Name="FileMenu"
                   Text="{x:Static inf:DefaultTopLevelMenuNames.File}"
                   SortIndex="10">
    <menu:MenuItemNode Group="{StaticResource fileCommands}"
                       Text="_Open File..."
                       SortIndex="10"
                       Command="{x:Static local:FileCommands.OpenFileCommand}" />
    <menu:MenuItemNode Group="{StaticResource fileCommands}" Text="Recent _Files" SortIndex="20"/>
    <menu:MenuItemNode Group="{StaticResource fileCommands}" Text="Con_vert..."  SortIndex="30"/>
    <menu:MenuItemNode Group="{StaticResource fileCommands}"
                       Text="_Export"
                       SortIndex="40"
                       Command="{x:Static local:FileCommands.ExportCommand}" />
    <menu:MenuItemNode Group="{StaticResource fileCommands}" Text="_Save" SortIndex="50"/>
    <menu:MenuItemNode Group="{StaticResource fileCommands}" Text="Save _All" SortIndex="60"/>
    <menu:MenuItemNode Group="{StaticResource fileCommands}"
                       Text="_Close"
                       SortIndex="70"
                       Command="{x:Static local:FileCommands.CloseCommand}" />
    <menu:MenuItemNode Group="{StaticResource printerCommands}" Text="Page _Setup..." SortIndex="10"/>
    <menu:MenuItemNode Group="{StaticResource printerCommands}" Text="_Print..." SortIndex="10"/>
    <menu:MenuItemNode Group="{StaticResource applicationCommands}"
                       Text="E_xit"
                       SortIndex="10"
                       Command="{x:Static local:FileCommands.ExitApplicationCommand}" />
</menu:MenuItemNode>

OK, here lists the types that define the structure of my menu system... (Not what it looks like)

The MainMenuNode basically exists so that you can easily create a different template for it. You probably what a menu bar or something that represents the menu as a whole.

public class MainMenuNode
{
    public MainMenuNode()
    {
        Menus = new MenuItemNodeCollection();
    }

    public MenuItemNodeCollection Menus { get; private set; }
}

Here's the definition for each MenuItem. They include a Path which tells the service where to put them, a SortIndex which is sort of like TabIndex that allows them to be organized in the proper order, and a GroupDescription which allows you to put them into "groups" which can be styled differently and sorted.

[ContentProperty("Children")]
public class MenuItemNode : NotificationObject
{
    private string text;
    private ICommand command;
    private Uri imageSource;
    private int sortIndex;

    public MenuItemNode()
    {
        Children = new MenuItemNodeCollection();
        SortIndex = 50;
    }

    public MenuItemNode(String path)
    {
        Children = new MenuItemNodeCollection();
        SortIndex = 50;
        Path = path;
    }

    public MenuItemNodeCollection Children { get; private set; }

    public ICommand Command
    {
        get
        {
            return command;
        }
        set
        {
            if (command != value)
            {
                command = value;
                RaisePropertyChanged(() => this.Command);
            }
        }
    }

    public Uri ImageSource
    {
        get
        {
            return imageSource;
        }
        set
        {
            if (imageSource != value)
            {
                imageSource = value;
                RaisePropertyChanged(() => this.ImageSource);
            }
        }
    }

    public string Text
    {
        get
        {
            return text;
        }
        set
        {
            if (text != value)
            {
                text = value;
                RaisePropertyChanged(() => this.Text);
            }
        }
    }

    private MenuGroupDescription group;

    public MenuGroupDescription Group
    {
        get { return group; }
        set
        {
            if (group != value)
            {
                group = value;
                RaisePropertyChanged(() => this.Group);
            }
        }
    }

    public int SortIndex
    {
        get
        {
            return sortIndex;
        }
        set
        {
            if (sortIndex != value)
            {
                sortIndex = value;
                RaisePropertyChanged(() => this.SortIndex);
            }
        }
    }

    public string Path
    {
        get;
        private set;
    }

And a collection of menu items:

public class MenuItemNodeCollection : ObservableCollection<MenuItemNode>
{
    public MenuItemNodeCollection() { }
    public MenuItemNodeCollection(IEnumerable<MenuItemNode> items) : base(items) { }
}

Here's how I ended up grouping MenuItems.. Each one has a GroupDescription

public class MenuGroupDescription : NotificationObject, IComparable<MenuGroupDescription>, IComparable
{
    private int sortIndex;

    public int SortIndex
    {
        get { return sortIndex; }
        set
        {
            if (sortIndex != value)
            {
                sortIndex = value;
                RaisePropertyChanged(() => this.SortIndex);
            }
        }
    }

    private String name;

    public String Name
    {
        get { return name; }
        set
        {
            if (name != value)
            {
                name = value;
                RaisePropertyChanged(() => this.Name);
            }
        }
    }

    public MenuGroupDescription()
    {
        Name = String.Empty;
        SortIndex = 50;

    }

    public override string ToString()
    {
        return Name;
    }

    #region IComparable<MenuGroupDescription> Members

    public int CompareTo(MenuGroupDescription other)
    {
        return SortIndex.CompareTo(other.SortIndex);
    }

    #endregion

    #region IComparable Members

    public int CompareTo(object obj)
    {
        if(obj is MenuGroupDescription)
            return sortIndex.CompareTo((obj as MenuGroupDescription).SortIndex);
        return this.GetHashCode().CompareTo(obj.GetHashCode());
    }

    #endregion
}

I then can design what my menu looks like with the following templates:

<local:MenuCollectionViewConverter x:Key="GroupViewConverter" />

<!-- The style for the header of a group of menu items -->
<DataTemplate x:Key="GroupHeaderTemplate"
              x:Name="GroupHeader">
    <Grid x:Name="gridRoot"
          Background="#d9e4ec">
        <TextBlock Text="{Binding Name}"
                   Margin="4" />
        <Rectangle Stroke="{x:Static SystemColors.MenuBrush}"
                   VerticalAlignment="Top"
                   Height="1" />
        <Rectangle Stroke="#bbb"
                   VerticalAlignment="Bottom"
                   Height="1" />
    </Grid>
    <DataTemplate.Triggers>
        <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding Name}"
                     Value="{x:Null}">
            <Setter TargetName="gridRoot"
                    Property="Visibility"
                    Value="Collapsed" />
        </DataTrigger>
    </DataTemplate.Triggers>
</DataTemplate>

<!-- Binds the MenuItemNode's properties to the generated MenuItem container -->
<Style x:Key="MenuItemStyle"
       TargetType="MenuItem">
    <Setter Property="Header"
            Value="{Binding Text}" />
    <Setter Property="Command"
            Value="{Binding Command}" />
    <Setter Property="GroupStyleSelector"
            Value="{x:Static local:MenuGroupStyleSelectorProxy.MenuGroupStyleSelector}" />
</Style>

<Style x:Key="TopMenuItemStyle"
       TargetType="MenuItem">
    <Setter Property="Header"
            Value="{Binding Text}" />
    <Setter Property="Command"
            Value="{Binding Command}" />
    <Setter Property="GroupStyleSelector"
            Value="{x:Static local:MenuGroupStyleSelectorProxy.MenuGroupStyleSelector}" />
    <Style.Triggers>
        <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding Path=Children.Count}"
                     Value="0">
            <Setter Property="Visibility"
                    Value="Collapsed" />
        </DataTrigger>
        <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding}"
                     Value="{x:Null}">
            <Setter Property="Visibility"
                    Value="Collapsed" />
        </DataTrigger>
    </Style.Triggers>
</Style>

<!-- MainMenuView -->
<DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type menu:MainMenuNode}">
    <Menu ItemsSource="{Binding Menus, Converter={StaticResource GroupViewConverter}}"
          ItemContainerStyle="{StaticResource TopMenuItemStyle}" />
</DataTemplate>

<!-- MenuItemView -->
<HierarchicalDataTemplate DataType="{x:Type menu:MenuItemNode}"
                          ItemsSource="{Binding Children, Converter={StaticResource GroupViewConverter}}"
                          ItemContainerStyle="{StaticResource MenuItemStyle}" />

A key to make this work was figuring out how to inject my CollectionView with proper sorting definitions and grouping definitions into my DataTemplate. This is how I did it:

[ValueConversion(typeof(MenuItemNodeCollection), typeof(IEnumerable))]
public class MenuCollectionViewConverter : IValueConverter
{

    #region IValueConverter Members

    public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
    {
        if (targetType != typeof(IEnumerable))
            throw new NotImplementedException();

        CollectionViewSource src = new CollectionViewSource();
        src.GroupDescriptions.Add(new PropertyGroupDescription("Group"));
        src.SortDescriptions.Add(new SortDescription("Group", ListSortDirection.Ascending));
        src.SortDescriptions.Add(new SortDescription("SortIndex", ListSortDirection.Ascending));
        src.Source = value as IEnumerable;
        return src.View;
    }

    public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
    {
        if (value.GetType() != typeof(CollectionViewSource))
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        return (value as CollectionViewSource).Source;
    }

    #endregion
}

public static class MenuGroupStyleSelectorProxy
{
    public static GroupStyleSelector MenuGroupStyleSelector { get; private set; }

    private static GroupStyle Style { get; set; }

    static MenuGroupStyleSelectorProxy()
    {
        MenuGroupStyleSelector = new GroupStyleSelector(SelectGroupStyle);
        Style = new GroupStyle()
        {
            HeaderTemplate = (DataTemplate)Application.Current.Resources["GroupHeaderTemplate"]
        }; 
    }

    public static GroupStyle SelectGroupStyle(CollectionViewGroup grp, int target)
    {
        return Style;
    }
}