Update DataContext from DatePicker whitout leaving input field

[Softec]

Hi

When entering a date by hand and NOT tabbing/clicking somewhere outside of the RadDatePicker the SelectedDate is not written down to de DataContext. I know this is a usual behavior in WPF and I have a workaround for the TextBox in form of checking the focused element, getting the bindingexpression and updating it before saving my object. 

But this doesn't work for the picker as the focused item is a TextBox and not the picker itself and therefore the bindingexpression doesn't exists on this control. How can I achieve the same result?

My code so far:

   BindingExpression BindingExpr = null;
            if (Keyboard.FocusedElement is TextBox)
            {
                BindingExpr = (Keyboard.FocusedElement as TextBox).GetBindingExpression(TextBox.TextProperty);

                if (BindingExpr != null)
                {
                    BindingExpr.UpdateSource();
                }
            }

Thanks for response/advice!

[Boyan]

Hi Studach,

Unfortunately, this cannot be accomplished at the moment. RadDatePicker does not support this functionality as the properties that can be used are private. There is no way to update the Datepicker and thus DataContext by using the Textbox. 

Sincerely yours,
Boyan
the Telerik team

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[Rachel]

I am having this same problem, and it is a big issue for my application.

Please tell me there is a way to manually update the DatePicker without losing focus?

Thanks,
Rachel

[Kaloyan]

Hi Rachel,

I am recommending you to use the SelectedValue property instead SelectedDate. This was one of the major changes since the Q2 2010 release as we shipped the new RadDateTimePicker control. As about the problem you are facing - the value entered in the TexBox is being parsed after the control looses its focus. That is why it is not updating the DataContext when on property changed.

Sincerely yours,
Kaloyan
the Telerik team

[Christoph]

Hello,

Have you done any modifications since?

I would like to now if there is a function to force the parsing of the date so that SelectedValue gets updated, even if the field didn't lose the focus.

Thank You

[Yana]

Hi Christoph,

I suggest you check ParseDateTimeValue event of RadDateTimePicker -  it is fired when you type a character in the control's input box and allows to implement custom parsing of the date.
More information about the event can be found here.

Best regards,
Yana
the Telerik team

[Christoph]

Hello Yana,

Thank you for your reply.

I do not want to implement my own parsing method.
I would just like to tell the datePicker, please parse the text, like DatePicker.ParseDate()

Currently this is only done automatically when the control loses its focus or when the user hits the enter key.

[Yana]

Hi Christoph,

This is not supported by RadDatePicker - you cannot force parsing the text. In my previous post I suggested to use ParseDateTimeValue event, because in its handler you can get the characters right after they're entered in the input.

Regards,
Yana
the Telerik team