WPF: databinding to an array example in vb.net

[Megalith]

Hi all,

Well as many users here will no doubt have discovered, getting a tutorial in vb.net explaining how to bind an array to say a datagrid is nigh on impossible, many examples abound that explain the process in c# but on translation all kinds of issues arise and the end is result is a page full of errors and no working code. So I am building a testbed example to come to terms with this process and hopefully get advice from vb members with wpf experiance.

For my Example i have decided to go for an app that constructs an array of cards and binds the card values and colours to a datagrid. This i will break down into 4 classes:-
1/ A Card object consisting of 3 properties:- CardName, Colour and a bool IsDealt which is false unless the card has been dealt (which will show on the final datagrid greyed out if it is true)
2/ A Deck array which contains the 52 cards that make up a deck.
3/ A convertor which will take a card object and create a Text field in the correct colour (grey if selected already
4/ a view which will contain a datagrid which is to be dynamically populated via the array contents for Deck

step 1 is easy and i have chosen to do this in a structure

Public Structure Card
Public CardName as String ' example 4S is four of spades, TH is ten of hearts
Public Colour As Color ' Red or Black for now
Public IsDealt as Boolean
End Structure

Step 2 is easy enough i wont include all the routine for simplicity but this class would look like this.

Public Class Cards
Public Deck(12,3) as Card ' our array of cards
Sub New()
InitializeComponent
FillDeck()
End Sub
 
Private Sub FillDeck()
' Nested loop to populate the deck with 52 card objects
End Sub
End Class

So far so good, the Deck array is filled with the correct Data

From this point on the info for vb.net is as rare as Rocking Horse Doodah
Choices abound as to what to do, should i create an observableView bound to the Deck and bind the array to this or is there a way i can simply bind direct to the array? Example threads i have read suggest implementing Window, trying this creates an error that window is not implementable. Perhaps using a Data Template is better than a grid but again examples are rare if at all.

Say we forget about the colour and IsSelected Fields in the structure and just display the text from the array on the datagrid, how would this be done in VB.Net? what if i want all features? will it be best to use a convertor as initialy invisaged?

This whole wpf binding examples examples in C# looks increasiingly like an effort to sideline the abilities of vb.net. I am presuming that the data binding functionality of vb.net is identical to C# but it may be syntatically different...

Maybe someone here knows of a good tutorial that explains databinding to an array of objects using VB.Net?

P.S. if there is one could it be placed on a sticky for future wpf vb.net developers who use our site.

[Megalith]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315784 looks promising...

ah ok thats windows forms...