WPF TabControl and DataTemplates

Question

I've got a set of ViewModels that I'm binding to the ItemsSource property of a TabControl. Let's call those ViewModels AViewModel, BViewModel, and CViewModel. Each one of those needs to have a different ItemTemplate (for the header; because they each need to show a different icon) and a different ContentTemplate (because they have very different interaction models).

What I'd like is something like this:

Defined in Resource.xaml files somewhere:

<DataTemplate x:Key="ItemTemplate" DataType="{x:Type AViewModel}">
    ...
</DataTemplate>

<DataTemplate x:Key="ItemTemplate" DataType="{x:Type BViewModel}">
    ...
</DataTemplate>

<DataTemplate x:Key="ItemTemplate" DataType="{x:Type CViewModel}">
    ...
</DataTemplate>

<DataTemplate x:Key="ContentTemplate" DataType="{x:Type AViewModel}">
    ...
</DataTemplate>

<DataTemplate x:Key="ContentTemplate" DataType="{x:Type BViewModel}">
    ...
</DataTemplate>

<DataTemplate x:Key="ContentTemplate" DataType="{x:Type CViewModel}">
    ...
</DataTemplate>

Defined separately:

<TabControl ItemTemplate="[ Some way to select "ItemTemplate" based on the type ]"
            ContentTemplate="[ Some way to select "ContentTemplate" based on the type ]"/>

Now, I know that realistically, each time I define a DataTemplate with the same key the system is just going to complain. But, is there something I can do that's similar to this that will let me put a DataTemplate into a TabControl based on a name and a DataType?

Answer 1

The easiest way would be to use the automatic template system, by including the DataTemplates in the resources of a ContentControl. The scope of the templates are limited to the element they reside within!

<TabControl ItemsSource="{Binding TabViewModels}">
    <TabControl.ItemTemplate>
        <DataTemplate>
            <ContentControl Content="{Binding}">
                <ContentControl.Resources>
                    <DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type AViewModel}">
                        ...
                    </DataTemplate>
                    <DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type BViewModel}">
                        ...
                    </DataTemplate>
                    <DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type CViewModel}">
                        ...
                    </DataTemplate>
                </ContentControl.Resources>
            </ContentControl>
        </DataTemplate>
    </TabControl.ItemTemplate>
    <TabControl.Resources>
        <DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type AViewModel}">
            ...
        </DataTemplate>
         <DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type BViewModel}">
            ...
        </DataTemplate>
        <DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type CViewModel}">
            ...
        </DataTemplate>
    </TabControl.Resources>
</TabControl>