PropertyChanged event null after setting DataContext

Question

I am setting the DataContext for my View in the View's Constructor to an instance of my ViewModel, just standard stuff. Shortly thereafter, an UPDATE_RECENT_DOCUMENTS_LIST Event fires from the Event Aggregator which my ViewModel catches correctly. A property is changed and the onPropertyChanged method is called, but it fails as the PropertyChanged event is null.

The very next thing I do is an action to the UI which raises a CREATE_PROJECT Event and the same ViewModel is receiving events, except now, the PropertyChanged event is no longer null and everything works as expected.

Is there a specific amount of time that has to pass after setting the DataContext before it registers to the PropertyChanged Event? Is there an event I can wait for that ensures the PropertyChanged event is not null?

Also, I did not run into this problem using standard .NET events, just after integrating Prism and using the very convenient EventAggregator.

I am showing my code behind of the View and the ViewModel, omitting the View XAML for brevity.

ToolBarView.xaml.cs:

namespace ToolBarModule
{   

public partial class ToolBarView : UserControl
    {                           
        public ToolBarView(ToolBarViewModel toolBarViewModel)
        {
            InitializeComponent();             
            this.DataContext = toolBarViewModel;                                
        }        
    }
}

ToolBarViewModel.cs

namespace ToolBarModule
{

public class ToolBarViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
    public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
    private ToolBarCommands baseCommands;
    private IEventAggregator eventAggregator;

    private KickStartEvent kickStartEvent;
    private SubscriptionToken subscriptionToken;

    private ObservableCollection<IDocumentReference> recentDocuments = new ObservableCollection<IDocumentReference>();

    private ActionCommand newTest;
    private ActionCommand openTest;
    private ActionCommand saveTest;        
    private ActionCommand exitApplication;

    public ToolBarViewModel(){}

    public ToolBarViewModel(IEventAggregator eventAggregator)
    {
        this.eventAggregator = eventAggregator;
        baseCommands = new ToolBarCommands(eventAggregator);
        kickStartEvent = eventAggregator.GetEvent<KickStartEvent>();
        subscriptionToken = kickStartEvent.Subscribe(kickStartEventHandler, ThreadOption.UIThread, true, toolBarEventHandlerFilter);            
    }

    public ICommand NewTest
    {
        get
        {
            if (newTest == null)
            {
                newTest = new ActionCommand(baseCommands.NewTestAction);
            }
            return newTest;
        }
    }

    public ICommand OpenTest
    {
        get
        {
            if (openTest == null)
            {
                openTest = new ActionCommand(baseCommands.OpenTestAction);
            }
            return openTest;
        }
    }

    public ICommand SaveTest
    {
        get
        {
            if (saveTest == null)
            {
                saveTest = new ActionCommand(baseCommands.SaveTestAction);
            }
            return saveTest;
        }
    }


    public ICommand ExitApplication
    {
        get
        {
            if (exitApplication == null)
            {
                exitApplication = new ActionCommand(baseCommands.ExitApplicationAction);
            }
            return exitApplication;
        }
    }

    public ObservableCollection<IDocumentReference> RecentDocuments
    {
        get
        {
            return recentDocuments;
        }

        set
        {
            recentDocuments = value;
            onPropertyChanged("RecentDocuments");
        }
    }

    private void onPropertyChanged(string propertyChanged)
    {
        if (PropertyChanged != null)
        {
            PropertyChanged(this,new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyChanged));
        }

    }

    private void kickStartEventHandler(KickStartEventsArgs e)
    {
        switch (e.EventType)
        {
            case KickStartEventsArgs.KickStartEventType.CREATE_PROJECT:
                onPropertyChanged("RecentDocuments");
            break;                


            case KickStartEventsArgs.KickStartEventType.UPDATE_RECENT_DOCUMENTS_LIST:
            RecentDocuments.Clear();

            foreach (IDocumentReference recentDocs in e.KickStartTestList)
            {
                RecentDocuments.Add(recentDocs);
            }
            onPropertyChanged("RecentDocuments");
            break;
        }
    }
}

}

Answer 1

You can also try to set the DataContext of a Grid or an Element below the UserControl. For me it worked.

Example (Doesn't work if you use DependencyProperty):

Code Behind:

public MyUserControl()
{
     InitializeComponent();
     this.DataContext = new { LabelText = "Hello World!" };
}

XAML

<UserControl x:Class="CoolProject.ViewModel.MyUserControl"
         xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
         xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
         xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006" 
         xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008" 
         mc:Ignorable="d" 
         d:DesignHeight="450" d:DesignWidth="800">
<Label x:Name="myLabel" Content="{Binding LabelText}"/>

Example 2 (My working code):

Code Behind:

public MyUserControl()
{
     InitializeComponent();
     this.myGrid.DataContext = new { LabelText = "Hello World!" };
}

XAML

<UserControl x:Class="CoolProject.ViewModel.MyUserControl"
         xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
         xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
         xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006" 
         xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008" 
         mc:Ignorable="d" 
         d:DesignHeight="450" d:DesignWidth="800">

<Grid x:Name="myGrid">
    <Label x:Name="myLabel" Content="{Binding LabelText}"/>
</Grid>

Answer 2

You have to name your UserControl in XAML and use it in binding. Something like following code:

<UserControl x:Name="uc" >
.
.
.
<TextBox Text="{Binding UserName, Mode=TwoWay, ElementName=uc}"/>

Where uc is a name of your UserControl, and Also try to set DataContext when UserControl loaded.

Hope this help.