How to cancel a ComboBox SelectionChanged event?

Question

Is there an easy method to prompt the user to confirm a combo box selection change and not process the change if the user selected no?

We have a combo box where changing the selection will cause loss of data. Basically the user selects a type, then they are able to enter attributes of that type. If they change the type we clear all of the attributes as they may no longer apply. The problem is that to under the selection you raise the SelectionChanged event again.

Here is a snippet:

if (e.RemovedItems.Count > 0)
{
    result = MessageBox.Show("Do you wish to continue?", 
        "Warning", MessageBoxButton.YesNo, MessageBoxImage.Warning);

    if (result == MessageBoxResult.No)
    {
        if (e.RemovedItems.Count > 0)
            ((ComboBox)sender).SelectedItem = e.RemovedItems[0];
        else
            ((ComboBox)sender).SelectedItem = null;
    }
}

I have two solutions, neither of which I like.

1. After the user selects 'No', remove the SelectionChanged event handler, change the selected item and then register the SelectionChanged event handler again. This means you have to hold onto a reference of the event handler in the class so that you can add and remove it.

2. Create a ProcessSelectionChanged boolean as part of the class. Always check it at the start of the event handler. Set it to false before we change the selection back and then reset it to true afterwards. This will work, but I don't like using flags to basically nullify an event handler.

Anyone have an alternative solution or an improvement on the ones I mention?

Answer 1

In WPF dynamically set the object with

    if (sender.IsMouseCaptured)
    {
      //perform operation
    }

Answer 2

I found this good implementation.

 private bool handleSelection=true;

private void ComboBox_SelectionChanged(object sender,
                                        SelectionChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            if (handleSelection)
            {
                MessageBoxResult result = MessageBox.Show
                        ("Continue change?", MessageBoxButton.YesNo);
                if (result == MessageBoxResult.No)
                {
                    ComboBox combo = (ComboBox)sender;
                    handleSelection = false;
                    combo.SelectedItem = e.RemovedItems[0];
                    return;
                }
            }
            handleSelection = true;
        }

source: http://www.amazedsaint.com/2008/06/wpf-combo-box-cancelling-selection.html

Answer 3

I remember needing to do this a while back. It took me about a week of research and attempts before I found a good solution. I posted it here:

WPF: Cancel a user selection in a databound ListBox?

FYI, it's an M-V-VM based solution (if you aren't using the M-V-VM pattern, you should be!)

Answer 4

Maybe create a class deriving from ComboBox, and override the OnSelectedItemChanged (Or OnSelectionChangeCommitted.)

Answer 5

Validating within the SelectionChanged event handler allows you to cancel your logic if the selection is invalid, but I don't know of an easy way to cancel the event or item selection.

My solution was to sub-class the WPF combo-box and add an internal handler for the SelectionChanged event. Whenever the event fires, my private internal handler raises a custom SelectionChanging event instead.

If the Cancel property is set on the corresponding SelectionChangingEventArgs, the event isn't raised and the SelectedIndex is reverted to its previous value. Otherwise a new SelectionChanged is raised that shadows the base event. Hopefully this helps!

---

EventArgs and handler delegate for SelectionChanging event:

public class SelectionChangingEventArgs : RoutedEventArgs
{
    public bool Cancel { get; set; }
}

public delegate void 
SelectionChangingEventHandler(Object sender, SelectionChangingEventArgs e);

ChangingComboBox class implementation:

public class ChangingComboBox : ComboBox
{
    private int _index;
    private int _lastIndex;
    private bool _suppress;

    public event SelectionChangingEventHandler SelectionChanging;
    public new event SelectionChangedEventHandler SelectionChanged;

    public ChangingComboBox()
    {
        _index = -1;
        _lastIndex = 0;
        _suppress = false;
        base.SelectionChanged += InternalSelectionChanged;
    }

    private void InternalSelectionChanged(Object s, SelectionChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        var args = new SelectionChangingEventArgs();
        OnSelectionChanging(args);
        if(args.Cancel)
        {
            return;
        }
        OnSelectionChanged(e);
    }

    public new void OnSelectionChanged(SelectionChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        if (_suppress) return;

        // The selection has changed, so _index must be updated
        _index = SelectedIndex;
        if (SelectionChanged != null)
        {
            SelectionChanged(this, e);
        }
    }

    public void OnSelectionChanging(SelectionChangingEventArgs e)
    {
        if (_suppress) return;

        // Recall the last SelectedIndex before raising SelectionChanging
        _lastIndex = (_index >= 0) ? _index : SelectedIndex;
        if(SelectionChanging == null) return;

        // Invoke user event handler and revert to last 
        // selected index if user cancels the change
        SelectionChanging(this, e);
        if (e.Cancel)
        {
            _suppress = true;
            SelectedIndex = _lastIndex;
            _suppress = false;
        }
    }
}

Answer 6

I do not believe using the dispatcher to post (or delay) a property update is a good solution, it is more of a workaround that is not really needed. The following solution i fully mvvm and it does not require a dispatcher.

• First Bind the SelectedItem with an Explicit binding Mode. //this enables us to decide whether to Commit using the UpdateSource() method the changes to the VM or to Revert using the UpdateTarget() method in the UI.
• Next, add a method to the VM that confirms if the change is allowed (This method can contain a service that prompts for user confirmation and returns a bool).

In the view code behind hook to the SelectionChanged event and update the Source (i.e., the VM) or the Target (i.e. the V) in accordance to whether the VM.ConfirmChange(...) method returned value as follows:

    private void ComboBox_SelectionChanged(object sender, SelectionChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        if(e.AddedItems.Count != 0)
        {
            var selectedItem = e.AddedItems[0];
            if (e.AddedItems[0] != _ViewModel.SelectedFormatType)
            {
                var comboBoxSelectedItemBinder = _TypesComboBox.GetBindingExpression(Selector.SelectedItemProperty); //_TypesComboBox is the name of the ComboBox control
                if (_ViewModel.ConfirmChange(selectedItem))
                {
                    // Update the VM.SelectedItem property if the user confirms the change.
                    comboBoxSelectedItemBinder.UpdateSource();
                }
                else
                {
                    //otherwise update the view in accordance to the VM.SelectedItem property 
                    comboBoxSelectedItemBinder.UpdateTarget();
                }
            }
        }
    }