WPF XAML designer showing bound property names instead of property values

Question

One of my XAML files shows a strange behaviour in the XAML designer (but not during runtime):

public class MyDesignTimeViewModel
{

    public MyDesignTimeVi         


        

Answer 1

To echo J.G.'s answer, the fix was to enable project code in the XAML designer which had mysteriously been disabled at some point.

New account so I can't vote or comment, I just didn't like seeing a correct answer downvoted.

Answer 2

I ran into this issue but the cause was actually that I didn't have the Enable Project Code in XAML Designer enabled.

Answer 3

Turns out the missing thing was the IsDesignTimeCreatable attribute:

d:DataContext="{d:DesignInstance vm:MyDesignTimeViewModel, IsDesignTimeCreatable=true}"

With that attribute, everything works as expected.

Answer 4

Thankyou for the last two answers. In my case 'Enable Project Code in XAML' has randomly turned off as well! I didnt have the designer pulling the view model code for a few weeks. So very happy this has been fixed. So in all to get this working you need:

d:DataContext="{d:DesignInstance vm:MyDesignTimeViewModel}"

and the little icon with a blue square and caption 'Enable Project Code in XAML' to be turned on!