What is the proper way to handle multiple datagrids in a tab control so that cells leave edit mode when the tabs are changed?

Question

In wpf I setup a tab control that binds to a collection of objects each object has a data template with a data grid presenting the data. If I select a particular cell and p

Answer 1

I implemented a behavior for the DataGrid based on code I found in this thread.

Usage:

Code:

using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Controls.Primitives;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;

/// 

///   Provides an ugly hack to prevent a bug in the data grid.
///   https://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/532494/wpf-datagrid-and-tabcontrol-deferrefresh-exception
/// 
public class DataGridCommitEditBehavior
{
    public static readonly DependencyProperty CommitOnLostFocusProperty =
        DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached(
            "CommitOnLostFocus", 
            typeof(bool), 
            typeof(DataGridCommitEditBehavior), 
            new UIPropertyMetadata(false, OnCommitOnLostFocusChanged));

    /// 

    ///   A hack to find the data grid in the event handler of the tab control.
    /// 
    private static readonly Dictionary ControlMap = new Dictionary();

    public static bool GetCommitOnLostFocus(DataGrid datagrid)
    {
        return (bool)datagrid.GetValue(CommitOnLostFocusProperty);
    }

    public static void SetCommitOnLostFocus(DataGrid datagrid, bool value)
    {
        datagrid.SetValue(CommitOnLostFocusProperty, value);
    }

    private static void CommitEdit(DataGrid dataGrid)
    {
        dataGrid.CommitEdit(DataGridEditingUnit.Cell, true);
        dataGrid.CommitEdit(DataGridEditingUnit.Row, true);
    }

    private static DataGrid GetParentDatagrid(UIElement element)
    {
        UIElement childElement; // element from which to start the tree navigation, looking for a Datagrid parent

        if (element is ComboBoxItem)
        {
            // Since ComboBoxItem.Parent is null, we must pass through ItemsPresenter in order to get the parent ComboBox
            var parentItemsPresenter = VisualTreeFinder.FindParentControl(element as ComboBoxItem);
            var combobox = parentItemsPresenter.TemplatedParent as ComboBox;
            childElement = combobox;
        }
        else
        {
            childElement = element;
        }

        var parentDatagrid = VisualTreeFinder.FindParentControl(childElement);
        return parentDatagrid;
    }

    private static TabPanel GetTabPanel(TabControl tabControl)
    {
        return
            (TabPanel)
                tabControl.GetType().InvokeMember(
                    "ItemsHost", 
                    BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.GetProperty | BindingFlags.Instance, 
                    null, 
                    tabControl, 
                    null);
    }

    private static void OnCommitOnLostFocusChanged(DependencyObject depObj, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        var dataGrid = depObj as DataGrid;
        if (dataGrid == null)
        {
            return;
        }

        if (e.NewValue is bool == false)
        {
            return;
        }

        var parentTabControl = VisualTreeFinder.FindParentControl(dataGrid);
        var tabPanel = GetTabPanel(parentTabControl);
        if (tabPanel != null)
        {
            ControlMap[tabPanel] = dataGrid;
        }

        if ((bool)e.NewValue)
        {
            // Attach event handlers
            if (parentTabControl != null)
            {
                tabPanel.PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown += OnParentTabControlPreviewMouseLeftButtonDown;
            }

            dataGrid.LostKeyboardFocus += OnDataGridLostFocus;
            dataGrid.DataContextChanged += OnDataGridDataContextChanged;
            dataGrid.IsVisibleChanged += OnDataGridIsVisibleChanged;
        }
        else
        {
            // Detach event handlers
            if (parentTabControl != null)
            {
                tabPanel.PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown -= OnParentTabControlPreviewMouseLeftButtonDown;
            }

            dataGrid.LostKeyboardFocus -= OnDataGridLostFocus;
            dataGrid.DataContextChanged -= OnDataGridDataContextChanged;
            dataGrid.IsVisibleChanged -= OnDataGridIsVisibleChanged;
        }
    }

    private static void OnDataGridDataContextChanged(object sender, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        var dataGrid = (DataGrid)sender;
        CommitEdit(dataGrid);
    }

    private static void OnDataGridIsVisibleChanged(object sender, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        var senderDatagrid = (DataGrid)sender;

        if ((bool)e.NewValue == false)
        {
            CommitEdit(senderDatagrid);
        }
    }

    private static void OnDataGridLostFocus(object sender, KeyboardFocusChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        var dataGrid = (DataGrid)sender;

        var focusedElement = Keyboard.FocusedElement as UIElement;
        if (focusedElement == null)
        {
            return;
        }

        var focusedDatagrid = GetParentDatagrid(focusedElement);

        // Let's see if the new focused element is inside a datagrid
        if (focusedDatagrid == dataGrid)
        {
            // If the new focused element is inside the same datagrid, then we don't need to do anything;
            // this happens, for instance, when we enter in edit-mode: the DataGrid element loses keyboard-focus, 
            // which passes to the selected DataGridCell child
            return;
        }

        CommitEdit(dataGrid);
    }

    private static void OnParentTabControlPreviewMouseLeftButtonDown(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
    {
        var dataGrid = ControlMap[(TabPanel)sender];
        CommitEdit(dataGrid);
    }
}

public static class VisualTreeFinder
{
    /// 

    ///   Find a specific parent object type in the visual tree
    /// 
    public static T FindParentControl(DependencyObject outerDepObj) where T : DependencyObject
    {
        var dObj = VisualTreeHelper.GetParent(outerDepObj);
        if (dObj == null)
        {
            return null;
        }

        if (dObj is T)
        {
            return dObj as T;
        }

        while ((dObj = VisualTreeHelper.GetParent(dObj)) != null)
        {
            if (dObj is T)
            {
                return dObj as T;
            }
        }

        return null;
    }
}