How to: Raise Change Notifications Using a BindingSource and the INotifyPropertyChanged Interface
The BindingSource component will automatically detect changes in a data source when the type contained in the data source implements the INotifyPropertyChanged interface and raises PropertyChanged events when a property value is changed. This is useful because controls bound to the BindingSource will then automatically update as the data source values change.
Note
If your data source implements INotifyPropertyChanged and you are performing asynchronous operations, you should not make changes to the data source on a background thread. Instead, you should read the data on a background thread and merge the data into a list on the UI thread.
Example
The following code example demonstrates a simple implementation of the INotifyPropertyChanged interface. It also shows how the BindingSource automatically passes a data source change to a bound control when the BindingSource is bound to a list of the INotifyPropertyChanged type.
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Data.Common
Imports System.Diagnostics
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Data.SqlClient
Imports System.Windows.Forms
' This form demonstrates using a BindingSource to bind
' a list to a DataGridView control. The list does not
' raise change notifications, however the DemoCustomer type
' in the list does.
Public Class Form1
Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
' This button causes the value of a list element to be changed.
Private changeItemBtn As New Button()
' This DataGridView control displays the contents of the list.
Private customersDataGridView As New DataGridView()
' This BindingSource binds the list to the DataGridView control.
Private customersBindingSource As New BindingSource()
Public Sub New()
' Set up the "Change Item" button.
Me.changeItemBtn.Text = "Change Item"
Me.changeItemBtn.Dock = DockStyle.Bottom
AddHandler Me.changeItemBtn.Click, AddressOf changeItemBtn_Click
Me.Controls.Add(Me.changeItemBtn)
' Set up the DataGridView.
customersDataGridView.Dock = DockStyle.Top
Me.Controls.Add(customersDataGridView)
Me.Size = New Size(800, 200)
AddHandler Me.Load, AddressOf Form1_Load
End Sub 'New
Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
' Create and populate the list of DemoCustomer objects
' which will supply data to the DataGridView.
Dim customerList As New BindingList(Of DemoCustomer)
customerList.Add(DemoCustomer.CreateNewCustomer())
customerList.Add(DemoCustomer.CreateNewCustomer())
customerList.Add(DemoCustomer.CreateNewCustomer())
' Bind the list to the BindingSource.
Me.customersBindingSource.DataSource = customerList
' Attach the BindingSource to the DataGridView.
Me.customersDataGridView.DataSource = Me.customersBindingSource
End Sub 'Form1_Load
' This event handler changes the value of the CompanyName
' property for the first item in the list.
Private Sub changeItemBtn_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
' Get a reference to the list from the BindingSource.
Dim customerList As BindingList(Of DemoCustomer) = _
CType(customersBindingSource.DataSource, BindingList(Of DemoCustomer))
' Change the value of the CompanyName property for the
' first item in the list.
customerList(0).CustomerName = "Tailspin Toys"
End Sub
<STAThread()> _
Shared Sub Main()
Application.EnableVisualStyles()
Application.Run(New Form1())
End Sub
End Class
' This class implements a simple customer type
' that implements the IPropertyChange interface.
Public Class DemoCustomer
Implements INotifyPropertyChanged
' These fields hold the values for the public properties.
Private idValue As Guid = Guid.NewGuid()
Private customerNameValue As String = String.Empty
Private phoneNumberValue As String = String.Empty
Public Event PropertyChanged As PropertyChangedEventHandler _
Implements INotifyPropertyChanged.PropertyChanged
Private Sub NotifyPropertyChanged(ByVal info As String)
RaiseEvent PropertyChanged(Me, New PropertyChangedEventArgs(info))
End Sub
' The constructor is private to enforce the factory pattern.
Private Sub New()
customerNameValue = "Customer"
phoneNumberValue = "(555)555-5555"
End Sub
' This is the public factory method.
Public Shared Function CreateNewCustomer() As DemoCustomer
Return New DemoCustomer()
End Function
' This property represents an ID, suitable
' for use as a primary key in a database.
Public ReadOnly Property ID() As Guid
Get
Return Me.idValue
End Get
End Property
Public Property CustomerName() As String
Get
Return Me.customerNameValue
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
If Not (value = customerNameValue) Then
Me.customerNameValue = value
NotifyPropertyChanged("CustomerName")
End If
End Set
End Property
Public Property PhoneNumber() As String
Get
Return Me.phoneNumberValue
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
If Not (value = phoneNumberValue) Then
Me.phoneNumberValue = value
NotifyPropertyChanged("PhoneNumber")
End If
End Set
End Property
End Class
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.Common;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Data.SqlClient;
using System.Windows.Forms;
// This form demonstrates using a BindingSource to bind
// a list to a DataGridView control. The list does not
// raise change notifications, however the DemoCustomer type
// in the list does.
public class Form1 : System.Windows.Forms.Form
{
// This button causes the value of a list element to be changed.
private Button changeItemBtn = new Button();
// This DataGridView control displays the contents of the list.
private DataGridView customersDataGridView = new DataGridView();
// This BindingSource binds the list to the DataGridView control.
private BindingSource customersBindingSource = new BindingSource();
public Form1()
{
// Set up the "Change Item" button.
this.changeItemBtn.Text = "Change Item";
this.changeItemBtn.Dock = DockStyle.Bottom;
this.changeItemBtn.Click +=
new EventHandler(changeItemBtn_Click);
this.Controls.Add(this.changeItemBtn);
// Set up the DataGridView.
customersDataGridView.Dock = DockStyle.Top;
this.Controls.Add(customersDataGridView);
this.Size = new Size(800, 200);
this.Load += new EventHandler(Form1_Load);
}
private void Form1_Load(System.Object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
// Create and populate the list of DemoCustomer objects
// which will supply data to the DataGridView.
BindingList<DemoCustomer> customerList = new BindingList<DemoCustomer>();
customerList.Add(DemoCustomer.CreateNewCustomer());
customerList.Add(DemoCustomer.CreateNewCustomer());
customerList.Add(DemoCustomer.CreateNewCustomer());
// Bind the list to the BindingSource.
this.customersBindingSource.DataSource = customerList;
// Attach the BindingSource to the DataGridView.
this.customersDataGridView.DataSource =
this.customersBindingSource;
}
// Change the value of the CompanyName property for the first
// item in the list when the "Change Item" button is clicked.
void changeItemBtn_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
// Get a reference to the list from the BindingSource.
BindingList<DemoCustomer> customerList =
this.customersBindingSource.DataSource as BindingList<DemoCustomer>;
// Change the value of the CompanyName property for the
// first item in the list.
customerList[0].CustomerName = "Tailspin Toys";
customersBindingSource.ResetItem(0);
}
[STAThread]
static void Main()
{
Application.EnableVisualStyles();
Application.Run(new Form1());
}
}
// This is a simple customer class that
// implements the IPropertyChange interface.
public class DemoCustomer : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
// These fields hold the values for the public properties.
private Guid idValue = Guid.NewGuid();
private string customerNameValue = String.Empty;
private string phoneNumberValue = String.Empty;
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
private void NotifyPropertyChanged(String info)
{
if (PropertyChanged != null)
{
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(info));
}
}
// The constructor is private to enforce the factory pattern.
private DemoCustomer()
{
customerNameValue = "Customer";
phoneNumberValue = "(555)555-5555";
}
// This is the public factory method.
public static DemoCustomer CreateNewCustomer()
{
return new DemoCustomer();
}
// This property represents an ID, suitable
// for use as a primary key in a database.
public Guid ID
{
get
{
return this.idValue;
}
}
public string CustomerName
{
get
{
return this.customerNameValue;
}
set
{
if (value != this.customerNameValue)
{
this.customerNameValue = value;
NotifyPropertyChanged("CustomerName");
}
}
}
public string PhoneNumber
{
get
{
return this.phoneNumberValue;
}
set
{
if (value != this.phoneNumberValue)
{
this.phoneNumberValue = value;
NotifyPropertyChanged("PhoneNumber");
}
}
}
}
Compiling the Code
This example requires:
- References to the System, System.Data, System.Drawing and System.Windows.Forms assemblies.
For information about building this example from the command line for Visual Basic or Visual C#, see Building from the Command Line (Visual Basic) or Command-line Building With csc.exe. You can also build this example in Visual Studio by pasting the code into a new project. How to: Compile and Run a Complete Windows Forms Code Example Using Visual Studio
How to: Compile and Run a Complete Windows Forms Code Example Using Visual Studio
How to: Compile and Run a Complete Windows Forms Code Example Using Visual Studio
How to: Compile and Run a Complete Windows Forms Code Example Using Visual Studio
See Also
Tasks
How to: Raise Change Notifications Using the BindingSource ResetItem Method