Create Tab Items and Tab Content dynamically using Orchestra/Catel - tabs

Question

I am attempting to create a tabbed interface using Orchestra/Catel. I load the tabs definitions into a TabInfo class. Those work fine - a tabbed interface is created with the correct tab descriptions. In the content for each tab, I want to create a list of buttons - again loaded into a ButtonInfo class. When a tab is selected, the SelectedTab property is used to select the correct list of buttons (ShowButtons).
I have traced the program and when I click on a tab, the correct collection of buttons is in ShowButtons, but nothing shows up in the tab content. I did get this to work in a normal MVVM program, but without the tabs. I used a listview to show my tabs and an ItemsControl to show the buttons.
Belows is my XAML code for the tabs and my SelectedTab logic for pulling the buttons.```
<Grid>
<orccontrols:TabControl LoadTabItems="LazyLoading" ItemsSource="{Binding TabInfo}" SelectedItem="{Binding SelectedTab}">
<TabControl.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<TextBlock Text="{Binding TabDesc}"/>
</DataTemplate>
</TabControl.ItemTemplate>
<TabControl.ContentTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<ItemsControl ItemsSource="{Binding ShowButtons}">
<ItemsControl.ItemsPanel>
<ItemsPanelTemplate>
<WrapPanel Orientation="Vertical" IsItemsHost="True"/>
</ItemsPanelTemplate>
</ItemsControl.ItemsPanel>
<ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<Button Content="{Binding ButtonDesc}"
MinWidth="150"
Height="30"
FontSize="12"
FontWeight="Bold"
Margin="0,15,25,10"
Padding="5,1">
<Button.Style>
<Style>
<Style.Triggers>
<DataTrigger Binding="{Binding OracleJob}" Value="0">
<Setter Property="Button.Background" Value="DarkSalmon" />
</DataTrigger>
</Style.Triggers>
</Style>
</Button.Style>
</Button>
</DataTemplate>
</ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
</ItemsControl>
</DataTemplate>
</TabControl.ContentTemplate>
</orccontrols:TabControl>
</Grid>
And the code for populating ShowButtons:
public void OnSelectedTabChanged()
{
int _selectTab = SelectedTab.TabKey;
var _showButtons = ButtonInfo.Where(i => i.ButtonTab == _selectTab);
ObservableCollection<ButtonRecord> _btn = new ObservableCollection<ButtonRecord>(_showButtons);
ShowButtons = _btn;
}
Any help is greatly appreciated. I am a beginner with Orchestra/Catel, so I am probably missing the best way to do this.

Answer 1

I recommend to split up the issue from Orchestra / Catel. Orchestra allows you to provide a view as shell, but this view can live on it's own (the only thing Orchestra does is place it inside the correct location inside the shell). By making this problem unrelated to Orchestra, it makes it a bit easier for us to solve.
Next up, I recommend looking into the Catel docs. There is a full example on how to show a shell with tabs with closable tab buttons, see https://docs.catelproject.com/vnext/tips-tricks/mvvm/using-tabbed-interface-with-mvvm/