Paste Functionality for WPF DataGrid with DataGridTemplateColumns

Question

I recently started using the WPF Datagrid with DataGridTemplateColumns containing the WPF AutoCompleteBox, but I'm finding trouble in implementing Clipboard.Paste functionality for these DataGridTemplateColumns.

I've managed to get Clipboard.Paste working with built-in DataGridColumns via Vishal's guide here, but it doesn't work with DataGridTemplateColumns.

Delving into the OnPastingCellClipboardContent method in the DataGridColumn class, it appears that fe.GetBindingExpression(CellValueProperty) is returning null rather than the required BindingExpression.

Can anyone point me to the right direction?

public virtual void OnPastingCellClipboardContent(object item, object cellContent)
    {
        BindingBase binding = ClipboardContentBinding;
        if (binding != null)
        {
            // Raise the event to give a chance for external listeners to modify the cell content
            // before it gets stored into the cell
            if (PastingCellClipboardContent != null)
            {
                DataGridCellClipboardEventArgs args = new DataGridCellClipboardEventArgs(item, this, cellContent);
                PastingCellClipboardContent(this, args);
                cellContent = args.Content;
            }

            // Event handlers can cancel Paste of a cell by setting its content to null
            if (cellContent != null)
            {
                FrameworkElement fe = new FrameworkElement();
                fe.DataContext = item;
                fe.SetBinding(CellValueProperty, binding);
                fe.SetValue(CellValueProperty, cellContent);

                BindingExpression be = fe.GetBindingExpression(CellValueProperty);

        be.UpdateSource();

    }

}

Thanks!

Answer 1

Using ClipboardContentBinding and setting the binding's Mode to TwoWay, seems to works.

GetBindingExpression then returns something not null (the binding on ClipboardContentBinding) and the UpdateSource does not fail.

I imagine this solution is limited to the case where you have a PropertyChanged event triggered on the source, which in turn update the control in the column's DataTemplate.