WiredPrairie: BitmapImage.UriSource binding doesn't work ...

For whatever reason, WPF/XAML doesn't support direct binding of a Uri object to the UriSource of a BitmapImage object. When run, the application fails with an error, "Property 'UriSource' or property 'StreamSource' must be set." (Here's a complaint about this on MSDN Forums).

This makes easy displays of image items with a source or Uri property more challenging than it should be. I've found one work-around for now (it's not as snappy as I'd like though if the images are large). As with any binding of images, binding to large images may have a negative impact on application performance as Bitmap's must be created on the UI thread.

Here's how to use my new UriToImageConverter value converter:

First, create, in the appropriate Resources, an instance of the new ValueConverter.

<local:UriToImageConverter x:Key="LocalUriToImageConverter"/>

Of course, you'll need to declare the new xml namespace (usually in the root element in XAML, such as the Window or Page):

xmlns:local="clr-namespace:MyApplicationNamespace"

Then, in the DataTemplate (which is likely where you'd use this), you'll need to use the converter, not as a converter to a Uri, but to the ImageSource itself:

Finally, add the C# code below to your project.

The Path in this instance can be either a string or a Uri. The trick is that this converter returns a new ImageSource:

   1:      public class UriToImageConverter : IValueConverter

   2:      {

3:

   4:          public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter,
 System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)

   5:          {

   6:              if (value == null)

   7:              {

   8:                  return null;

   9:              }

10:

  11:              if (value is string)

  12:              {

  13:                  value = new Uri((string)value);

  14:              }

15:

  16:              if (value is Uri)

  17:              {

  18:                  BitmapImage bi = new BitmapImage();

  19:                  bi.BeginInit();

  20:                  bi.DecodePixelWidth = 80;

  21:                  //bi.DecodePixelHeight = 60;

  22:                  bi.UriSource = (Uri)value;

  23:                  bi.EndInit();

  24:                  return bi;

  25:              }

26:

  27:              return null;

  28:          }

29:

  30:          public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, 
System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)

  31:          {

  32:              throw new Exception("The method or operation is not implemented.");

  33:          }

34:

  35:      }

Note that once the value is converted to a Uri (if necessary), a new BitmapImage object is created [line 18]. Then, within the appropriate Begin/End Init block [lines 19-23], the UriSource (and an example DecodePixelWidth is set). The new ImageSource (BitmapImage) is returned to the converter. So, the Uri is converted directly to the BitmapImage, with WPF being none-the-wiser!

BitmapImage.UriSource binding doesn't work ...

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