Converter between boolean and visibility. Get bool value on input and returns Visibility value.

NOTE: This converter have already exists in System.Windows.Controls namespace.

public sealed class BooleanToVisibilityConverter : IValueConverter
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Convert bool or Nullable bool to Visibility
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="value">bool or Nullable bool</param>
    /// <param name="targetType">Visibility</param>
    /// <param name="parameter">null</param>
    /// <param name="culture">null</param>
    /// <returns>Visible or Collapsed</returns>
    public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        bool bValue = false;
        if (value is bool)
        {
            bValue = (bool)value;
        }
        else if (value is Nullable<bool>)
        {
            Nullable<bool> tmp = (Nullable<bool>)value;
            bValue = tmp.HasValue ? tmp.Value : false;
        }
        return (bValue) ? Visibility.Visible : Visibility.Collapsed;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Convert Visibility to boolean
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="value"></param>
    /// <param name="targetType"></param>
    /// <param name="parameter"></param>
    /// <param name="culture"></param>
    /// <returns></returns>
    public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        if (value is Visibility)
        {
            return (Visibility)value == Visibility.Visible;
        }
        else
        {
            return false;
        }
    }
}

Using the converter

1. Define Resource

<BooleanToVisibilityConverter x:Key="BooleanToVisibilityConverter"/>

3. Use it in binding

<Button Visibility="{Binding AllowEditing, 
                             Converter={StaticResource BooleanToVisibilityConverter}}"/>

Show how to create simple converter with parameter via property and then pass it in declaration. Convert bool value to Visibility. Allow invert result value by setting Inverted property to True.

public class BooleanToVisibilityConverter : IValueConverter
{
    public bool Inverted { get; set; }

    /// <summary>
    /// Convert bool or Nullable bool to Visibility
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="value">bool or Nullable bool</param>
    /// <param name="targetType">Visibility</param>
    /// <param name="parameter">null</param>
    /// <param name="culture">null</param>
    /// <returns>Visible or Collapsed</returns>
    public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        bool bValue = false;
        if (value is bool)
        {
            bValue = (bool)value;
        }
        else if (value is Nullable<bool>)
        {
            Nullable<bool> tmp = (Nullable<bool>)value;
            bValue = tmp ?? false;
        }

        if (Inverted)
            bValue = !bValue;
        return (bValue) ? Visibility.Visible : Visibility.Collapsed;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Convert Visibility to boolean
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="value"></param>
    /// <param name="targetType"></param>
    /// <param name="parameter"></param>
    /// <param name="culture"></param>
    /// <returns>True or False</returns>
    public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        if (value is Visibility)
        {
            return ((Visibility) value == Visibility.Visible) && !Inverted;
        }

        return false;
    }
}

Using the converter

1. Define namespace

xmlns:converters="clr-namespace:MyProject.Converters;assembly=MyProject"

2. Define Resource

<converters:BooleanToVisibilityConverter x:Key="BoolToVisibilityInvertedConverter"
                                         Inverted="False"/>

3. Use it in binding

<Button Visibility="{Binding AllowEditing, Converter={StaticResource BoolToVisibilityConverter}}"/>

Show how to create simple IMultiValueConverter converter and use MultiBinding in xaml. Get summ of all values passed by values array.

public class AddConverter : IMultiValueConverter
{
    public object Convert(object[] values, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        decimal sum = 0M;

        foreach (string value in values)
        {
            decimal parseResult;
            if (decimal.TryParse(value, out parseResult))
            {
                sum += parseResult;
            }
        }

        return sum.ToString(culture);
    }

    public object[] ConvertBack(object value, Type[] targetTypes, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        throw new NotSupportedException();
    }
}

Using the converter

1. Define namespace

xmlns:converters="clr-namespace:MyProject.Converters;assembly=MyProject"

2. Define Resource

<converters:AddConverter x:Key="AddConverter"/>

3. Use it in binding

<StackPanel Orientation="Vertical">
    <TextBox x:Name="TextBox" />
    <TextBox x:Name="TextBox1" />
    <TextBlock >
        <TextBlock.Text>
            <MultiBinding Converter="{StaticResource AddConverter}">
                <Binding Path="Text" ElementName="TextBox"/>
                <Binding Path="Text" ElementName="TextBox1"/>
            </MultiBinding>
         </TextBlock.Text>
    </TextBlock>
</StackPanel>

Show how to create simple converter and use ConverterParameter to pass parameter to converter. Multiply value by coefficient passed in ConverterParameter.

public class MultiplyConverter : IValueConverter
{
    public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        if (value == null)
            return 0;

        if (parameter == null)
            parameter = 1;

        double number;
        double coefficient;

        if (double.TryParse(value.ToString(), out number) && double.TryParse(parameter.ToString(), out coefficient))
        {
            return number * coefficient;
        }

        return 0;
    }

    public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        throw new NotSupportedException();
    }
}

Using the converter

1. Define namespace

xmlns:converters="clr-namespace:MyProject.Converters;assembly=MyProject"

2. Define Resource

<converters:MultiplyConverter x:Key="MultiplyConverter"/>

3. Use it in binding

<StackPanel Orientation="Vertical">
    <TextBox x:Name="TextBox" />
    <TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=Text, 
                              ElementName=TextBox, 
                              Converter={StaticResource MultiplyConverter},
                              ConverterParameter=10}"/>
</StackPanel>

This converter will chain multiple converters together.

public class ValueConverterGroup : List<IValueConverter>, IValueConverter
{
    public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        return this.Aggregate(value, (current, converter) => converter.Convert(current, targetType, parameter, culture));
    }

    public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        throw new NotSupportedException();
    }
}

In this example, the boolean result from EnumToBooleanConverter is used as input in BooleanToVisibilityConverter.

<local:ValueConverterGroup x:Key="EnumToVisibilityConverter">
    <local:EnumToBooleanConverter/>
    <local:BooleanToVisibilityConverter/>
</local:ValueConverterGroup>

The button will only be visible when the CurrentMode property is set to Ready.

<Button Content="Ok" Visibility="{Binding Path=CurrentMode, Converter={StaticResource EnumToVisibilityConverter}, ConverterParameter={x:Static local:Mode.Ready}"/>

Usually to use the converter, we have to define it as resource in the following way:

<converters:SomeConverter x:Key="SomeConverter"/>

It is possible to skip this step by defining a converter as MarkupExtension and implementing the method ProvideValue. The following example converts a value to its negative:

namespace MyProject.Converters
{
public class Converter_Negative : MarkupExtension, IValueConverter
{
    public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        return this.ReturnNegative(value);
    }

    public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        return this.ReturnNegative(value);
    }

    private object ReturnNegative(object value)
    {
        object result = null;
        var @switch = new Dictionary<Type, Action> {
            { typeof(bool), () => result=!(bool)value },
            { typeof(byte), () => result=-1*(byte)value },
            { typeof(short), () => result=-1*(short)value },
            { typeof(int), () => result=-1*(int)value },
            { typeof(long), () => result=-1*(long)value },
            { typeof(float), () => result=-1f*(float)value },
            { typeof(double), () => result=-1d*(double)value },
            { typeof(decimal), () => result=-1m*(decimal)value }
        };

        @switch[value.GetType()]();
        if (result == null) throw new NotImplementedException();
        return result;
    }

    public Converter_Negative()
        : base()
    {
    }

    private static Converter_Negative _converter = null;

    public override object ProvideValue(IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
    {
        if (_converter == null) _converter = new Converter_Negative();
        return _converter;
    }
}
}

Using the converter:

1. Define namespace

   xmlns:converters="clr-namespace:MyProject.Converters;assembly=MyProject"

2. Example use of this converter in binding

   <RichTextBox IsReadOnly="{Binding Path=IsChecked, ElementName=toggleIsEnabled, Converter={converters:Converter_Negative}}"/>
   

It is possible to pass multiple bound values as a CommandParameter using MultiBinding with a very simple IMultiValueConverter:

namespace MyProject.Converters
{
    public class Converter_MultipleCommandParameters : MarkupExtension, IMultiValueConverter
    {
        public object Convert(object[] values, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
        {
            return values.ToArray();
        }
        public object[] ConvertBack(object value, Type[] targetTypes, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
        {
            throw new NotSupportedException();
        }

        private static Converter_MultipleCommandParameters _converter = null;

        public override object ProvideValue(IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
        {
            if (_converter == null) _converter = new Converter_MultipleCommandParameters();
            return _converter;
        }

        public Converter_MultipleCommandParameters()
            : base()
        {
        }
    }
}

Using the converter:

1. Example implementation - method called when SomeCommand is executed (note: DelegateCommand is an implementation of ICommand that is not provided in this example):

    private ICommand _SomeCommand;
    public ICommand SomeCommand
    {
        get { return _SomeCommand ?? (_SomeCommand = new DelegateCommand(a => OnSomeCommand(a))); }
    }
   
    private void OnSomeCommand(object item)
    {
        object[] parameters = item as object[];
   
        MessageBox.Show(
            string.Format("Execute command: {0}\nParameter 1: {1}\nParamter 2: {2}\nParamter 3: {3}",
            "SomeCommand", parameters[0], parameters[1], parameters[2]));
    }
   

2. Define namespace

xmlns:converters="clr-namespace:MyProject.Converters;assembly=MyProject"

3. Example use of this converter in binding

   <Button Width="150" Height="23" Content="Execute some command" Name="btnTestSomeCommand"
        Command="{Binding Path=SomeCommand}" >
        <Button.CommandParameter>
            <MultiBinding Converter="{converters:Converter_MultipleCommandParameters}">
                <Binding RelativeSource="{RelativeSource Self}" Path="IsFocused"/>
                <Binding RelativeSource="{RelativeSource Self}" Path="Name"/>
                <Binding RelativeSource="{RelativeSource Self}" Path="ActualWidth"/>
            </MultiBinding>
        </Button.CommandParameter>
    </Button>