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Converters

Håvard Moås edited this page Mar 15, 2024 · 1 revision

InvertedBoolConverter

A converter that can be used with a Binding to a boolean value. The converter will return a inverted boolean value.

Example usage

<Label Text="Welcome to Xamarin"
    IsVisible="{Binding SomeLogicalProperty, Converter={dui:InvertedBoolConverter}}" />

IsEmptyConverter

A converter that can be used with different input values. It will return a boolean value indicating whether or not the input value is empty. It also has the ability to be inverted.

Example usage

<Label Text="Is visible if list is empty"
    IsVisible="{Binding EmptyListOfStrings, Converter={dui:IsEmptyConverter}}" />

IsEmptyToObjectConverter

Converter that takes different input input types and returns a true/false object to indicate if it is empty or not. It also has the ability to be inverted.

Example usage

<Label Opacity="{Binding MyText, Converter=IsEmptyToObjectConverter TrueObject=0, FalseObject=1}" />

BoolToObjectConverter

Converters a boolean input value to its respective TrueObject/FalseObject. Can be used with any object and has the ability to be inverted.

Example usage

<Label Opacity="{Binding SomeLogicalProperty, Converter={dui:BoolToObjectConverter TrueObject=0.5, FalseObject=1}}"
    Text="My opacity changes" />

ObjectToBoolConverter

Attempts to convert an object into its respective bool value based on its own equality implementation.

Example usage

String

<Label IsVisible="{Binding SomeObjectProperty, Converter={dui:ObjectToBoolConverter TrueObject='Hello'}}"
    Text="I'm visible because SomeObjectProperty is 'Hello'!" />

Float

<Label IsVisible="{Binding SomeObjectProperty, Converter={dui:ObjectToBoolConverter TrueObject=0.5}}"
    Text="I'm visible because SomeObjectProperty is 0.5!" />

DateConverter

Converts an DateTime object with a format and convert it to a readable time string. By default the time will first be converted to the systems local timezone.

Formats

Format English-GB English-US Norwegian Remarks
Default / Short 12th Dec 2019 Dec 12th, 2019 12. des 2019
Text Today Today I dag Will return different texts based on the date based on todays date

To skip converting to local time zone use the IgnoreLocalTime property

Example usage

<Label Text="{Binding Date, Converter={dxui:DateConverter Format=Default}}"

TimeConverter

Converts an DateTime or TimeSpan object with a format and convert it to a readable time string. By default the time will first be converted to the systems local timezone

Formats

Format English-GB English-US Norwegian Remarks
Default 13:00 01:00 PM 13:00

To skip converting to local time zone use the IgnoreLocalTime property

Example Usage

<Label Text="{Binding Time, Converter={dui:TimeConverter Format=Default}}" />

DateAndTimeConverter

Converters a DateTime object with an format and convert it to a readable string. By default the time will first be converted to the systems local timezone.

Formats

Format English-GB English-US Norwegian Remarks
Default / Short 12th Dec 1990 13:00 Dec 12th, 1990 01:00 PM 12. des 1990 13:00
Text Today 13:00 Today 01:00 PM I dag, kl 13:00 Will return different date texts based on the date based on todays date

To skip converting to local time zone use the IgnoreLocalTime property

Example usage

<Label Text="{Binding Date, Converter={dui:DateAndTimeConverter Format=Default}}" />

MultiplicationConverter

Multiplies the input value with a provided factor.

Example usage

<Label  Text="{Binding Value, Converter={dui:MultiplicationConverter Factor=2}}" />

AdditionConverter

Adds the provided value (a term) with a Addend to create a sum

Example usage

<Label  Text="{Binding Value, Converter={dui:AdditionConverter Addend=2}}" />

StringCaseConverter

Converters a input string to a desired string case

Example usage

<Label Text="{Binding MyString, Converter={dui:StringCaseConverter StringCase=Upper}}"/>

TypeToObjectConverter

Checks the type of the binding against a Type and returns a True / False object accordingly to the type check.

Example usage

<Frame BackgroundColor="{Binding CurrentTypeClass, Converter={dui:TypeToObjectConverter Type={x:Type valueconverters:OneTypeClass}, TrueObject=Red, FalseObject=Green}}" />

LogicalExpressionConverter

Converter that takes multiple boolean inputs, runs it through a LogicalGate and returns a True/FalseObject.

👉 If True/FalseObject is not set, it will return boolean true / false

Example usage

<Label Text="MyText">
    <Label.IsVisible>
        <MultiBinding Converter="{dui:LogicalExpressionConverter
                                    LogicalGate=Or}">
            <Binding Path="SomeBoolProperty" />
            <Binding Path="SomeOtherBoolProperty" />
        </MultiBinding>
    </Label.IsVisible>
</Label>

LogicalGate

These are the different options for logical gates:

And (default)

A B Output
0 0 0
1 0 0
0 1 0
1 1 1

Nand

A B Output
0 0 1
1 0 1
0 1 1
1 1 0

Or

A B Output
0 0 0
1 0 1
0 1 1
1 1 1

Nor

A B Output
0 0 1
1 0 0
0 1 0
1 1 0

Xor

A B Output
0 0 0
1 0 1
0 1 1
1 1 0

Xand

A B Output
0 0 1
1 0 0
0 1 0
1 1 1

PositionInListConverter

A converter that takes a item and a list as bindings and compare the index of the item with a Position and return a True/FalseObject

👉 If True/FalseObject is not set, it will return boolean true / false

Example usage

You are displaying a list of items and you want all of the items to have a bottom separator except the last item in the list. This can be achieved by using this converter to set a separator for each item but not the last item by doing so:

<StackLayout x:Name="ItemsStackLayout"
            BindableLayout.ItemsSource="{Binding Items}"
            Orientation="Vertical">
    <BindableLayout.ItemTemplate>
        <DataTemplate x:DataType="{x:Type x:String}">
            <StackLayout Margin="15,0,0,0">
                <Label Text="{Binding .}"/>
                <BoxView HeightRequest="1"
                        Color="Black">
                    <BoxView.IsVisible>
                        <MultiBinding Converter="{dui:PositionInListConverter Position=Last, Inverted=True}">
                            <Binding /> <!-- The item -->
                            <Binding Path="BindingContext.Items"
                                    Source="{x:Reference ItemsStackLayout}"/> <!-- The list -->
                        </MultiBinding>
                    </BoxView.IsVisible>
                </BoxView>
            </StackLayout>
        </DataTemplate>
    </BindableLayout.ItemTemplate>
</StackLayout>

In this example we are using the Inverted property to make sure it returns true for all items except the Last item.

Position

This is a string and it accepts both First / Last and indexes that are inside of the bounds of the list. This means that you can write Position=1 to have it return true for the item at position = 1 and false for the rest.

If you do not set the Position property it will default to Last.

ObservableCollection

When dealing with an ObservableCollection managing items with the Add() / Remove() method, you will have to force the layout to redraw all items to get the effect. This is because converters does not fire again magically by a ObservableCollection.CollectionChanged.

The workaround is to set the entire list with a new modified list and raise property changed to make the UI redraw:

Add (example)

private void AddItem()
{
    var newList = new ObservableCollection<string>(Items);
    newList.Add(<item>);
    Items = newList; //Raises property changed in the `Items.Set`
    ...

Remove (example)

private void RemoveItem()
{
    var newList = new ObservableCollection<string>(Items);
    newList.Remove(<item>);
    Items = newList; //Raises property changed in the `Items.Set`
...

ValueConverterGroup

Takes a list of converters and pipes the value through all of them, from first to last.

                    <Label.Opacity>
                        <Binding Path="Digits">
                            <Binding.Converter>
                                <essentials:ValueConverterGroup>
                                    <dui:IsEmptyConverter />
                                    <dui:BoolToObjectConverter TrueObject="0.5" FalseObject="1" />
                                </essentials:ValueConverterGroup>
                            </Binding.Converter>
                        </Binding>
                    </Label.Opacity>