How to use Windows Community Toolkit - Version 7.x

This tutorial will walk you through adding and implementing the DataGrid control but the same steps can be followed for other* Uno ported Windows Community Toolkit controls versions 7.x.

* See the non-Windows platform compatibility section for more details.

Note

The complete source code that goes along with this guide is available in the unoplatform/Uno.Samples GitHub repository - DataGrid Sample.

Prerequisites

For a step-by-step guide to installing the prerequisites for your preferred IDE and environment, consult the Get Started guide.

Tip

If you are unsure of the version of the Windows Community Toolkit to use between v7 and v8, make sure to read the details about the migration guide.

NuGet Packages for Uno Platform

Uno Platform has ported the Windows Community Toolkit 7.x for use in Uno Platform applications to allow for use on Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, and WebAssembly.

The following packages are available:

These package IDs are for Uno Platform (non-Windows) projects. For WinUI 3 projects, you should use the equivalent packages published by Microsoft (CommunityToolkit.WinUI, CommunityToolkit.WinUI.UI.Controls, etc).

Referencing the Windows Community Toolkit

When using the Uno Platform solution templates, add the following to your application:

  1. Install the NuGet package(s) reference(s) that you need

    1. Edit your project file PROJECT_NAME.csproj and add the following conditional references:

      <ItemGroup Condition="$([MSBuild]::GetTargetPlatformIdentifier('$(TargetFramework)')) == 'windows'">
  <PackageReference Include="CommunityToolkit.WinUI.UI.Controls" />
  <!-- Add more community toolkit references here -->
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup Condition="$([MSBuild]::GetTargetPlatformIdentifier('$(TargetFramework)')) != 'windows'">
  <PackageReference Include="Uno.CommunityToolkit.WinUI.UI.Controls" />
  <!-- Add more uno community toolkit references here -->
</ItemGroup>

      If you already had a reference to the Community Toolkit, you should remove this line:

      <ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="Uno.CommunityToolkit.WinUI.UI.Controls" />
</ItemGroup>

    2. Edit Directory.Packages.props and add the following conditional references:

      <ItemGroup Condition="$([MSBuild]::GetTargetPlatformIdentifier('$(TargetFramework)')) == 'windows'">
  <PackageVersion Include="CommunityToolkit.WinUI.UI.Controls" Version="7.1.2" />
  <!-- Add more community toolkit references here -->
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup Condition="$([MSBuild]::GetTargetPlatformIdentifier('$(TargetFramework)')) != 'windows'">
  <PackageVersion Include="Uno.CommunityToolkit.WinUI.UI.Controls" Version="7.1.200" />
  <!-- Add more uno community toolkit references here -->
</ItemGroup>

    If you're getting an error like this one :

    Controls\TextBox\Themes\Generic.xaml : Xaml Internal Error error WMC9999: 
Type universe cannot resolve assembly: Uno.UI, Version=255.255.255.255, 
Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null.

    This means that there's an unconditional reference to Uno Platform's packages, and you'll need to make sure to add the conditional references as suggested above.

  2. Add the the related needed namespaces

    In XAML:
    xmlns:controls="using:CommunityToolkit.WinUI.UI.Controls"

    In C#:
    using CommunityToolkit.WinUI.UI.Controls;

Example with the DataGrid Control

This control will create an easily organized grid that will allow you to create flexible columns and rows.

  1. Begin by adding the control using the syntax below. Change the x:Name to the name of your DataGrid.
    <controls:DataGrid x:Name="dataGrid"></controls:DataGrid>

  2. Similar to how you would configure columns for a XAML Grid layout, you can add column definitions within your DataGrid control:

    <controls:DataGrid.Columns>
    <controls:DataGridTextColumn Header="Rank"/>
    <controls:DataGridComboBoxColumn Header="Mountain"/>
</controls:DataGrid.Columns>

    This will create two columns that can be adjusted by the user. datagrid-column-gif

    Alternatively, you can use the AutoGenerateColumns attribute on your DataGrid control if you do not know how many columns your data will require.

    <controls:DataGrid x:Name="dataGrid" AutoGenerateColumns="True" />

  3. Format your rows in the same way as your columns or use a DataTemplate added as an attribute on the DataGrid control:

    <controls:DataGrid x:Name="dataGrid" RowDetailsTemplate="{StaticResource RowDetailsTemplate}">

  4. Data can be added with data binding. First, add your ItemsSource as a property of your DataGrid control.

    <controls:DataGrid x:Name="dataGrid" ItemsSource="{x:Bind MyViewModel.Customers}" />

    Then, set the binding on each column:

    <controls:DataGrid.Columns>
    <controls:DataGridTextColumn Header="Rank" Binding="{Binding Rank}" Tag="Rank" />
    <controls:DataGridTextColumn Header="Mountain" Binding="{Binding Mountain}" Tag="Mountain" />
</controls:DataGrid.Columns>

See a working example with data

datagrid-full-sample

A complete working sample with data is available on GitHub: Uno Windows Community Toolkit DataGrid Sample

Tip

Take a look at our common issues list and health status if you're having any troubles.

If you are experiencing issues with Uno Platform, please visit our GitHub Discussions or Discord Server - where our engineering team and community will be able to help you.