Bind List to DataSource

Question

I want to be able to bind a list to a listbox datasource and when the list is modified, the listbox's UI automatically updated. (Winforms not ASP). Here is a sample :

private List<Foo> fooList = new List<Foo>();

    private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        //Add first Foo in fooList
        Foo foo1 = new Foo("bar1");
        fooList.Add(foo1);

        //Bind fooList to the listBox
        listBox1.DataSource = fooList;
        //I can see bar1 in the listbox as expected
    }

    private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        //Add anthoter Foo in fooList
        Foo foo2 = new Foo("bar2");
        fooList.Add(foo2);
        //I expect the listBox UI to be updated thanks to INotifyPropertyChanged, but it's not
    }

class Foo : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
    private string bar_ ;
    public string Bar
    {
        get { return bar_; }
        set 
        { 
            bar_ = value;
            NotifyPropertyChanged("Bar");
        }
    }

    public Foo(string bar)
    {
        this.Bar = bar;
    }

    public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;

    private void NotifyPropertyChanged(string info)
    {
        if (PropertyChanged != null)
        {
            PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(info));
        }
    }

    public override string ToString()
    {
        return bar_;
    }
}

If I replace List<Foo> fooList = new List<Foo>(); by BindingList<Foo> fooList = new BindingList<Foo>(); then it works. But I don't want to change the original type of foolist. I would like something like this to work : listBox1.DataSource = new BindingList<Foo>(fooList);

EDIT : Also I just read here List<T> vs BindingList<T> Advantages/DisAdvantages from Ilia Jerebtsov : "When you set a BindingSource's DataSource to a List<>, it internally creates a BindingList to wrap your list". I think my sample just demonstrates that this is not true : my List<> doesn't seem to be internally wrapped into a BindingList<>.

Answer 1

You don't have a BindingSource in you example.

you need to modify it like this to use a BindingSource

   var bs = new BindingSource();
   Foo foo1 = new Foo("bar1");
   fooList.Add(foo1);

     bs.DataSource = fooList; //<-- point of interrest

    //Bind fooList to the listBox
    listBox1.DataSource = bs; //<-- notes it takes the entire bindingSource

Edit

Be aware that (as was pointed out in comments) - the bindingsource does not work with INotifyPropertyChanged