Question

I would like to synchronize two object headers with pointers.
For example: I know I can’t do this with the current syntax, but I would like something like:

Node node = new Node();
node.Label = "header1";

TabItem tabItem = new TabItem;
*(tabItem.Header) = &(node.Label);

So whenever I change node.Label, tabItem.Header changes as well.

Answer 1

Edit: added an example

You should be able to accomplish this using databinding. If Node is a custom object, you will want to either suport INotifyPropertyChange, or implement the Label property as a dependency property. (I’m not sure what the convention is, I would guess that if Node is intrinsically a UI object, then use a dependency property, and if it’s not then implement INotifyPropertyChanged.

Example:
The Node object:

    public class Node: System.ComponentModel.INotifyPropertyChanged
    {
        public event System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
        public string Label
        {
            get { return this._Label; }
            set
            {
                this._Label = value;
                this.OnPropertyChanged(new System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventArgs("Label"));
            }
        }
        private string _Label;

        protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged(System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventArgs propertyChangedEventArgs)
        {
            System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventHandler propertyChanged = this.PropertyChanged;
            if (propertyChanged != null)
                propertyChanged(this, propertyChangedEventArgs);
        }
    }

The code behind your form (this method sets up your databinding in code, you could also set up the databinding in the XAML):

    public partial class MainWindow : Window
    {
        public Node TheNode { get; set; }
        public MainWindow()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            this.TheNode = new Node();
            this.DataContext = this;
            this.Tab1.SetBinding(System.Windows.Controls.TabItem.HeaderProperty, "TheNode.Label");
            this.TheNode.Label = "Test";
        }
    }

The XAML for your form

<Window x:Class="WpfApplication1.MainWindow"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
<Grid>
    <TabControl>
        <TabItem Name="Tab1"/>
    </TabControl>
</Grid>

When you databind, WPF will detect that your Node object implements INotifyPropertyChanged, and it will subscribe the PropertyChanged event automatically.
(notice that in the MainWindow code, I set the binding and then I set the value of the Node.Label — the tab header detects it and updates).