Getting a DataTemplate from a ResourceDictionary with a DataTemplateSelector

Question

Currently I'm using a DataTemplateSelector to find the DataTemplates in my UserControl.Resources, but I want to move them into a ResourceDictionary. How can I look in a ResourceDictionary from a DataTemplateSelector?

Here's my current DataTemplateSelector:

    public class SettingsDataTemplateSelector : DataTemplateSelector
{
    public override DataTemplate SelectTemplate(object item, DependencyObject container)
    {
        FrameworkElement element = container as FrameworkElement;

        if (element != null && item != null && item is Setting)
        {
            Setting registeritem = item as Setting;

            if (registeritem.EditValueVar.EditType == EditType.Textfield)
                return element.FindResource("TextboxDataTemplate") as DataTemplate;
            else if (registeritem.EditValueVar.EditType == EditType.DropDown)
                return element.FindResource("ComboDataTemplate") as DataTemplate;
            else if (registeritem.EditValueVar.EditType == EditType.Slider)
                return element.FindResource("SliderDataTemplate") as DataTemplate;
            else
                throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(registeritem.EditValueVar.EditType.ToString());
        }

        return null;
    }
}

Answer 1

Define your DataTemplate in a separated ResourceDictionarythen add it to App.xaml:

<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>        
    <ResourceDictionary Source="Resources/MyDataTemplate.xaml" />
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>

In your DataTemplateSelector you can get your template by:

Application.Current.FindResource("myCustomDataTemplate") as DataTemplate;

where myCustomDataTemplate is the key of the datatemplate you've specified in MyDataTemplate.xaml file.