ImageResourceConverter

The ImageResourceConverter is a converter that converts embedded image resource ID to its ImageSource. An embedded image resource is when an image has been added to a project with the Build Action set to Embedded Resource. It's ID is it's fully qualified name; so the namespace of the project + the resource name. In the example of a project named CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample, a set of nested folders of Resources/Embedded and an image named dotnetbot.png the ID would be generated with:

CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample + Resources.Embedded + dotnetbot.png

which results in:

CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample.Resources.Embedded.dotnetbot.png

BaseConverter Properties

The following properties are implemented in the base class, public abstract class BaseConverter:

Property	Description
DefaultConvertReturnValue	Default value to return when IValueConverter.Convert(object?, Type, object?, CultureInfo?) throws an Exception. This value is used when CommunityToolkit.Maui.Options.ShouldSuppressExceptionsInConverters is set to true.
DefaultConvertBackReturnValue	Default value to return when IValueConverter.ConvertBack(object?, Type, object?, CultureInfo?) throws an Exception. This value is used when CommunityToolkit.Maui.Options.ShouldSuppressExceptionsInConverters is set to true.

ICommunityToolkitValueConverter Properties

The following properties are implemented in the public interface ICommunityToolkitValueConverter:

Property	Type	Description
DefaultConvertReturnValue	object?	Default value to return when IValueConverter.Convert(object?, Type, object?, CultureInfo?) throws an Exception. This value is used when CommunityToolkit.Maui.Options.ShouldSuppressExceptionsInConverters is set to true.
DefaultConvertBackReturnValue	object?	Default value to return when IValueConverter.ConvertBack(object?, Type, object?, CultureInfo?) throws an Exception. This value is used when CommunityToolkit.Maui.Options.ShouldSuppressExceptionsInConverters is set to true.

Syntax

XAML

Including the XAML namespace

In order to use the toolkit in XAML the following xmlns needs to be added into your page or view:

xmlns:toolkit="http://schemas.microsoft.com/dotnet/2022/maui/toolkit"

Therefore the following:

<ContentPage
    x:Class="CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample.Pages.MyPage"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/dotnet/2021/maui"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml">

</ContentPage>

Would be modified to include the xmlns as follows:

<ContentPage
    x:Class="CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample.Pages.MyPage"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/dotnet/2021/maui"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
    xmlns:toolkit="http://schemas.microsoft.com/dotnet/2022/maui/toolkit">

</ContentPage>

Using the ImageResourceConverter

The ImageResourceConverter can be used as follows in XAML:

<ContentPage xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/dotnet/2021/maui"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
             xmlns:toolkit="http://schemas.microsoft.com/dotnet/2022/maui/toolkit"
             x:Class="CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample.Pages.Converters.ImageResourceConverterPage">

    <ContentPage.Resources>
        <ResourceDictionary>
            <toolkit:ImageResourceConverter x:Key="ImageResourceConverter" />
        </ResourceDictionary>
    </ContentPage.Resources>

    <Image Source="{Binding MyImageResource, Converter={StaticResource ImageResourceConverter}}" />

</ContentPage>

C#

The ImageResourceConverter can be used as follows in C#:

class ImageResourceConverterPage : ContentPage
{
    public ImageResourceConverterPage()
    {
        var image = new Image();

        image.SetBinding(
            Image.SourceProperty, 
            new Binding(
                nameof(ViewModel.MyImageResource), 
                converter: new ImageResourceConverter())); 

        Content = label;        
    }
}

C# Markup

Our CommunityToolkit.Maui.Markup package provides a much more concise way to use this converter in C#.

using CommunityToolkit.Maui.Markup;

class ImageResourceConverterPage : ContentPage
{
    public ImageResourceConverterPage()
    {
        Content = new Image()
            .Bind(
                Label.SourceProperty, 
                static (ViewModel vm) => vm.MyImageResource,
                converter: new ImageResourceConverter()); 
    }
}

Examples

You can find an example of this converter in action in the .NET MAUI Community Toolkit Sample Application.

API

You can find the source code for ImageResourceConverter over on the .NET MAUI Community Toolkit GitHub repository.