Using the EventToCommandBehavior

The EventToCommandBehavior class provide a convenient way to, in XAML, "bind" events to ICommand according to MVVM paradigm to avoid code behind.

Usage

The EventToCommandBehavior expose the following properties

  • EventName The name of the event to listen to. For example ItemTapped
  • Command The ICommand that will be executed when the event is raised
  • CommandParameter The parameter that will be sent to the ICommand.Execute(object) method
  • EventArgsConverter Instance of IValueConverter that allows operating on the EventArgs type for the EventName
  • EventArgsConverterParameter The parameter that will be sent as the parameter argument to IValueConverter.Convert method
  • EventArgsParameterPath Parameter path to extract property from EventArgs that will be passed to ICommand.Execute(object)

First declare the namespace and assembly in where EventToCommandBehavior is declared and declare a XML-namespace.

xmlns:b="clr-namespace:Prism.Behaviors;assembly=Prism.Forms"

CommandParameter

Bind or declare a parameter that will be sent to the ICommand.Execute(object) method.

<ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms" 
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml" 
             x:Class="MyNamespace.ContentPage"
             xmlns:b="clr-namespace:Prism.Behaviors;assembly=Prism.Forms">
    <ListView>
        <ListView.Behaviors>
            <b:EventToCommandBehavior EventName="ItemTapped" 
                                      Command="{Binding ItemTappedCommand}"
                                      CommandParameter="MyParameter" />
        </ListView.Behaviors>
    </ListView>
</ContentPage>

EventArgsConverter

Using the EventArgsConverter to retrieve the ItemTappedEventArgs.Item property.

using System;
using System.Globalization;
using Xamarin.Forms;

namespace Prism.Converters
{
    public class ItemTappedEventArgsConverter : IValueConverter
    {
        public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
        {
            var itemTappedEventArgs = value as ItemTappedEventArgs;
            if (itemTappedEventArgs == null)
            {
                throw new ArgumentException("Expected value to be of type ItemTappedEventArgs", nameof(value));
            }
            return itemTappedEventArgs.Item;
        }

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

The XAML need a reference to the converter and the converter resource need to be defined

<ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
             x:Class="MyNamespace.ContentPage"
             xmlns:b="clr-namespace:Prism.Behaviors;assembly=Prism.Forms"
             xmlns:c="clr-namespace:Prism.Converters;assembly=Prism.Forms">
    <ContentPage.Resources>
        <ResourceDictionary>
            <c:ItemTappedEventArgsConverter x:Key="itemTappedEventArgsConverter" />
        </ResourceDictionary>
    </ContentPage.Resources>
    <ListView>
        <ListView.Behaviors>
            <b:EventToCommandBehavior EventName="ItemTapped" 
                                      Command="{Binding ItemTappedCommand}"
                                      EventArgsConverter="{StaticResource itemTappedEventArgsConverter}" />
        </ListView.Behaviors>
    </ListView>
</ContentPage>

EventArgsParameterPath

Attach the command to ItemTapped event will raise the itemTappedEventArgs event.

public class ItemTappedEventArgs : EventArgs
{
    public object Item { get; }
    public object Group { get; }
}

Setting EventArgsParameterPath to Item will extract the property value and pass it to the ICommand.Execute(object) method

<ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms" 
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml" 
             x:Class="MyNamespace.ContentPage"
             xmlns:b="clr-namespace:Prism.Behaviors;assembly=Prism.Forms">
    <ListView>
        <ListView.Behaviors>
            <b:EventToCommandBehavior EventName="ItemTapped" 
                                      Command="{Binding ItemTappedCommand}"
                                      EventArgsParameterPath="Item" />
        </ListView.Behaviors>
    </ListView>
</ContentPage>