Fix common binding errors with MVVM Light on Xamarin

There isn’t much documentation available for MVVM Light when it comes to Xamarin.Android and Xamarin.iOS. There are several overloads for the SetBinding method and using the wrong overload causes TargetInvocationException or TargetException like this one . It’s also possible that your bindings don’t update anymore after you set one binding using an incorrect syntax.

Correct binding

You can only bind on properties, not on fields. You can use the new C# 6 syntax if you like (public TextView TextView => ...). They don’t always have to be public but it sure helps making them public either way. The easiest way to create a new view property on Android is with the mvvmdroidelement snippet provided by this extension .

You should put your bindings in your views and make sure to respect the lifecycle of the platform you’re using. Also, always keep a reference to your binding so it doesn’t get garbage collected. I usually Store a list with all my bindings in my view.

Android activities

First create your layout in the OnCreate method, create and store the bindings and activate/update the view model if necessary. Call Detach() on every binding in the OnDestroy method.

Android fragments

The layout can be set up in OnCreateView. Use the OnViewCreated method to set and store the bindings and activate/update the view model if necessary. Call Detach() on every binding in the OnDestroy method.

iOS ViewControllers

Initialize everything in the ViewDidLoad method. Then use the ViewWillAppear method to set and store the bindings. In some rare cases it helps calling ForceUpdateValueFromSourceToTarget in ViewDidAppear. Bindings should be detached using Detach() on the binding in ViewWillDisappear. You can use DidReceiveMemoryWarning to clean up or dispose some references.

Static view models

To avoid the mentioned TargetException, I’d recommend setting up a static view model locator as Laurent Bugnion explained and using the view models on that locator. Injecting a view model in your view to bind on, usually causes the TargetException, so try to use the view models defined in the locator.

Is the source of your binding a property in your view?

Then use this one:

1this.SetBinding(() => Path.To.Property.On.Your.View, App.Locator.MyViewModel, () => App.Locator.MyViewModel.Path.To.Property.On.Your.ViewModel, BindingMode.OneWay)

Is the source of your binding a property in your view model?

Then use the following overload:

1App.Locator.MyViewModel.SetBinding(() => App.Locator.MyViewModel.Path.To.Property.On.Your.ViewModel, this, () => Path.To.Property.On.Your.View, BindingMode.OneWay);

Two-way binding

1this.SetBinding(() => Path.To.Property.On.Your.View, App.Locator.MyViewModel, () => App.Locator.MyViewModel.Path.To.Property.On.Your.ViewModel, BindingMode.TwoWay);

Binding to a target type different from the source type

1App.Locator.MyViewModel.SetBinding(() => App.Locator.MyViewModel.Path.To.Property.On.Your.ViewModel, this, () => Path.To.Property.On.Your.View, BindingMode.OneWay).ConvertSourceToTarget(ConversionMethod);

You can also use a lambda, but that’s harder to debug.

Just binding to a source and updating the view yourself

1App.Locator.MyViewModel.SetBinding(() => App.Locator.MyViewModel.Path.To.Property.On.Your.ViewModel).WhenSourceChanges(MyUpdateMethod);

I guess this should cover all cases. I wrote this post using MVVM Light v5.2, but v5.3 or v6 is in the works (probably to be released at Xamarin Evolve 2016), so your mileage may vary with these newer versions.

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