How can I avoid whole application shutdown on XamlParseException

Question

My application is multi-window. If a XamlParseException occur the whole application is shut down.

What I'd like to do, at the maximum, is closing the window 'responsible' of this error.

Do you know a way to achieve this ?

An Exception example :

System.Windows.Markup.XamlParseException: Provide value on 'System.Windows.Markup.StaticResourceHolder' threw an exception. ---> System.Exception: Cannot find resource named 'PasteCommandRef'. Resource names are case sensitive.
   at System.Windows.StaticResourceExtension.ProvideValueInternal(IServiceProvider serviceProvider, Boolean allowDeferredReference)
   at System.Windows.StaticResourceExtension.ProvideValue(IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
   at MS.Internal.Xaml.Runtime.ClrObjectRuntime.CallProvideValue(MarkupExtension me, IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Windows.Markup.XamlReader.RewrapException(Exception e, Uri baseUri)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.LoadTemplateXaml(XamlReader templateReader, XamlObjectWriter currentWriter)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.LoadTemplateXaml(XamlObjectWriter objectWriter)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.LoadOptimizedTemplateContent(DependencyObject container, IComponentConnector componentConnector, IStyleConnector styleConnector, List`1 affectedChildren, UncommonField`1 templatedNonFeChildrenField)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.LoadContent(DependencyObject container, List`1 affectedChildren)
   at System.Windows.StyleHelper.ApplyTemplateContent(UncommonField`1 dataField, DependencyObject container, FrameworkElementFactory templateRoot, Int32 lastChildIndex, HybridDictionary childIndexFromChildID, FrameworkTemplate frameworkTemplate)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.ApplyTemplateContent(UncommonField`1 templateDataField, FrameworkElement container)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.ApplyTemplate()
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(Size availableSize)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(Size availableSize)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Primitives.UniformGrid.MeasureOverride(Size constraint)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(Size availableSize)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(Size availableSize)
   at MS.Internal.Helper.MeasureElementWithSingleChild(UIElement element, Size constraint)
   at System.Windows.Controls.ItemsPresenter.MeasureOverride(Size constraint)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(Size availableSize)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(Size availableSize)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Border.MeasureOverride(Size constraint)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(Size availableSize)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(Size availableSize)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Control.MeasureOverride(Size constraint)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(Size availableSize)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(Size availableSize)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Grid.MeasureCell(Int32 cell, Boolean forceInfinityV)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Grid.MeasureCellsGroup(Int32 cellsHead, Size referenceSize, Boolean ignoreDesiredSizeU, Boolean forceInfinityV)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Grid.MeasureOverride(Size constraint)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(Size availableSize)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(Size availableSize)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Grid.MeasureCell(Int32 cell, Boolean forceInfinityV)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Grid.MeasureCellsGroup(Int32 cellsHead, Size referenceSize, Boolean ignoreDesiredSizeU, Boolean forceInfinityV)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Grid.MeasureOverride(Size constraint)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(Size availableSize)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(Size availableSize)
   at System.Windows.ContextLayoutManager.UpdateLayout()
   at System.Windows.ContextLayoutManager.UpdateLayoutCallback(Object arg)
   at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.InvokeOnRenderCallback.DoWork()
   at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.FireInvokeOnRenderCallbacks()
   at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.RenderMessageHandlerCore(Object resizedCompositionTarget)
   at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.RenderMessageHandler(Object resizedCompositionTarget)
   at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs)
   at MS.Internal.Threading.ExceptionFilterHelper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate method, Object args, Int32 numArgs, Delegate catchHandler)

Answer 1

In your example the app is crashing because it cannot find a resource that you statically referenced via the StaticResource markup extension. You are telling WPF that this resource better exist when you go look for it. So of course it will have a problem with that.

To fix your specific example (avoiding the exception when the resource isn't found) you could change to using the DynamicResource markup extension. This will tell WPF that the resource might exist when it goes to look for it and WPF will be more relaxed in throwing exceptions for this example.

In general, you should always provide a root level exception handler for your WPF application as Wesley pointed out using the App_HandledExcpetion method.

But just blindly swallowing XAMLParseException is going to lead to A LOT more problems in your app that will be hard to debug with the exceptions getting swallowed.