---
title: "How to: Create a Binding in Code"
description: Learn how to create a binding in code in a Windows Presentation Foundation application by calling the SetBinding method directly.
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
dev_langs: 
  - "csharp"
  - "vb"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "binding data [WPF], creating"
  - "data binding [WPF], creating"
ms.assetid: 1a606db9-cf5f-42ed-a1c5-9e4722ec77a0
---
# How to: Create a Binding in Code

This example shows how to create and set a <xref:System.Windows.Data.Binding> in code.  
  
## Example  

 The <xref:System.Windows.FrameworkElement> class and the <xref:System.Windows.FrameworkContentElement> class both expose a `SetBinding` method. If you are binding an element that inherits either of these classes, you can call the <xref:System.Windows.FrameworkElement.SetBinding%2A> method directly.  
  
 The following example creates a class named, `MyData`, which contains a property named `MyDataProperty`.  
  
 [!code-csharp[CodeOnlyBinding#DataObject](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Wpf/CodeOnlyBinding/CSharp/MyData.cs#dataobject)]
 [!code-vb[CodeOnlyBinding#DataObject](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Wpf/CodeOnlyBinding/VisualBasic/MyData.vb#dataobject)]  
  
 The following example shows how to create a binding object to set the source of the binding.  The example uses <xref:System.Windows.FrameworkElement.SetBinding%2A> to bind the <xref:System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock.Text%2A> property of `myText`, which is a <xref:System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock> control, to `MyDataProperty`.  
  
 [!code-csharp[CodeOnlyBinding#1](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Wpf/CodeOnlyBinding/CSharp/binding.cs#1)]
 [!code-vb[CodeOnlyBinding#1](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Wpf/CodeOnlyBinding/VisualBasic/App.vb#1)]  
  
 For the complete code sample, see [Code-only Binding Sample](/previous-versions/dotnet/netframework-3.5/ms771500(v=vs.90)).  
  
 Instead of calling <xref:System.Windows.FrameworkElement.SetBinding%2A>, you can use the <xref:System.Windows.Data.BindingOperations.SetBinding%2A> static method of the <xref:System.Windows.Data.BindingOperations> class. The following example, calls <xref:System.Windows.Data.BindingOperations.SetBinding%2A?displayProperty=nameWithType> instead of <xref:System.Windows.FrameworkElement.SetBinding%2A?displayProperty=nameWithType> to bind `myText` to `myDataProperty`.  
  
 [!code-csharp[CodeOnlyBinding#BOSetBinding](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Wpf/CodeOnlyBinding/CSharp/binding.cs#bosetbinding)]
 [!code-vb[CodeOnlyBinding#BOSetBinding](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Wpf/CodeOnlyBinding/VisualBasic/App.vb#bosetbinding)]  
  
## See also

- [Data Binding Overview](/dotnet/desktop-wpf/data/data-binding-overview)
- [How-to Topics](data-binding-how-to-topics.md)