Linked Content doesn't work for resource Dictionary

Question

So in our Styles.xaml doc we use an external xml to provide the colors for the styles. We thought this would provide a good level of abstractions to allow people who weren't coders to modify the look of our app.

It works something this:

<ResourceDictionary
 xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation" 
 xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" 
    xmlns:local="clr-namespace:CalManv4UI"
    xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008" 
    xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
    xmlns:Microsoft_Windows_Themes="clr-namespace:Microsoft.Windows.Themes;assembly=PresentationFramework.Aero"
    xmlns:toolkit="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wpf/2008/toolkit"
 mc:Ignorable="d"
 >

  <XmlDataProvider x:Key="BrandInfo" Source="/Config/BrandInfo.xml" XPath="BrandRoot" />

    <Style TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
  <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{Binding Source={StaticResource BrandInfo}, XPath=//Colors/@TextBoxForeground}"/>
        <Setter Property="Background" Value="{Binding Source={StaticResource BrandInfo}, XPath=//Colors/@TextBoxBackground}"/>
  <Setter Property="FontSize" Value="11"/>
  <Setter Property="FontFamily" Value="Verdana"/>
 </Style>
</ResourceDictionary>

And this works and all is well, but we needed to add a couple of helper apps that would reuse the style of the main app.

So I was referencing the main app so that I can get to all the code goo, and then also reuse the styles. But when I do this I get an IOException "Cannot locate resource 'config/brandinfo.xml'.". I double checked that the brandinfo.xml is being copied over since the mainApp is refrenced, so I was puzzled.

The next thing I thought I'd try is using it as a linked file, so I created a config folder and added as link, set it to content copy always. Which creates this code in my csproj file

<ItemGroup>
 <Content Include="..\MainAppUI\Config\BrandInfo.xml">
  <Link>Config\BrandInfo.xml</Link>
  <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
 </Content>
</ItemGroup>

Still doesn't work, so finially I added it as a file. Which creates this code in my csproj file.

<ItemGroup>
 <Content Include="Config\BrandInfo.xml">
  <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
 </Content>
</ItemGroup>

So this works, but now I have two copies of my BrandInfo file, which could be a problem for matienance going forward.

Answer 1

I had the same problem. Luckily, this had a clue in it - the linked file is in the root.

So, lets say I have the following structure: MyAssembly -> MyFolder -> MyDictionary.xaml

To load the dictionary form App.xaml do:

1. if MyDictionary.xaml is a "real" file -

   <ResourceDictionary>
   <ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
   <ReosurceDictionary Source="pack://application:,,,/MyAssembly;component/MyFolder/MyDictionary.xaml" />
   </ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
   </ResourceDictionary>
   

2. if MyDictionary.xaml is a linked file -

   <ResourceDictionary>
   <ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
   <ReosurceDictionary Source="pack://application:,,,/MyAssembly;component/MyDictionary.xaml" />
   </ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
   </ResourceDictionary>
   

(NOTE: MyFolder is ommited)

Warning: I tested the code on a machine not connected to the internet and the snippets are written in Notepad++ so spelling or syntax may be off.