wpf-rule-prohibitions

name	wpf-rule-prohibitions
description	Banned wpf-dev-pack patterns (P-001..P-004): ViewModelLocator, code-behind DataContext, Stateless ViewModel, mixing composition paths.
user-invocable	false

Prohibitions

Items explicitly banned from wpf-dev-pack. Do NOT introduce any of these during code generation, review, or refactoring.

For terminology used below (View First / ViewModel First Composition, Stateful / Stateless ViewModel), see docs/TERMINOLOGY.md.

Adopted combinations (per chosen MVVM framework):

• CommunityToolkit.Mvvm path — ViewModel First Composition + Stateful ViewModel (Mappings.xaml + implicit DataTemplate)
• Prism 9 path — View First Composition + Stateful ViewModel (RegisterForNavigation + IRegionManager.RequestNavigate)

---

P-001: Mixing alternate composition mechanisms in the same project

P-001-a: Prism ViewModelLocator.AutoWireViewModel is prohibited

Prohibited:

<Window prism:ViewModelLocator.AutoWireViewModel="True" />

Classification: View First Composition (an alternate mechanism inside Prism)

Reason: The Prism path's single matching mechanism is RegisterForNavigation + IRegionManager.RequestNavigate. ViewModelLocator locates and attaches the ViewModel by naming convention after the View is instantiated; using both mechanisms in the same Prism project produces two parallel matching paths, increasing maintenance and cognitive cost.

P-001-b: DataContext = new XxxViewModel() in View code-behind is prohibited

Prohibited:

public XxxView()
{
    InitializeComponent();
    DataContext = new XxxViewModel();   // Prohibited
}

Classification: View First Composition (imperative variant)

Reason: In the CommunityToolkit.Mvvm path the single matching mechanism is Mappings.xaml + implicit DataTemplate (ViewModel First). A View directly choosing its own VM breaks that single-path policy. In the Prism path the single mechanism is RegisterForNavigation; manual DataContext assignment likewise breaks single-path.

P-001-c: Inline XAML DataContext declaration is prohibited

Prohibited:

<UserControl.DataContext>
    <vm:XxxViewModel />   <!-- Prohibited -->
</UserControl.DataContext>

Classification: View First Composition (declarative variant)

Reason: Same as P-001-b. Declarative specification of the VM type by the View is still the View choosing its own VM.

P-001-d: Introducing any other matching mechanism is prohibited

Prohibited: Adding any View-VM matching mechanism beyond the one selected for the chosen framework (e.g., naming-convention auto-matching, custom locators, reflection-based wiring).

Reason: Guarantees a single matching path per project. Co-existence of multiple mechanisms increases maintenance cost and cognitive load.

---

P-002: System.Windows.* UI types in ViewModel classes (except ICommand)

Prohibited: References to System.Windows.* UI types (Visibility, Brush, ImageSource, Thickness, Window, etc.) from inside ViewModel classes.

Allowed exception: System.Windows.Input.ICommand (used by both RelayCommand and DelegateCommand).

Reason: Guarantees ViewModel testability and isolates the WPF framework dependency. Complies with the "view model is unaware of the view" principle from Microsoft's MVVM guidance. UI-type conversion belongs in the View layer (converters, triggers, value converters).

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P-003: Stateless ViewModel + transient IoC registration pattern

Prohibited: Registering all ViewModels as transient lifetime in the IoC container and delegating ViewModel state to an external Service/Manager.

Classification: Stateless ViewModel composition style (common in Stylet, Caliburn.Micro recommended patterns)

Reason: wpf-dev-pack adopts Stateful ViewModel as the standard state management style across both framework paths. Stateless-VM patterns belong to separate MVVM framework ecosystems and are outside this plugin's scope.

---

P-004: Mixing the two adopted paths in a single project

Prohibited: Within a single project, using both Mappings.xaml (CommunityToolkit path) and RegisterForNavigation + IRegionManager (Prism path) for View-VM wiring.

Reason: Each project picks one MVVM framework. The chosen framework selects exactly one matching mechanism. Mixing the two produces ambiguous View resolution and defeats the single-matching-path guarantee.

---

Quick reference

Pattern	Classification	Policy
Mappings.xaml implicit DataTemplate	ViewModel First (Stateful)	✅ Adopted (CommunityToolkit path)
Prism RegisterForNavigation + RequestNavigate("View")	View First (Stateful)	✅ Adopted (Prism path)
Prism ViewModelLocator.AutoWireViewModel	View First (Stateful)	❌ Prohibited (P-001-a)
code-behind DataContext = new VM()	View First (imperative)	❌ Prohibited (P-001-b)
Inline XAML <UserControl.DataContext>	View First (declarative)	❌ Prohibited (P-001-c)
Naming-convention / reflection-based wiring	(any)	❌ Prohibited (P-001-d)
System.Windows.* in ViewModel (except ICommand)	—	❌ Prohibited (P-002)
Stateless VM + transient IoC	Stateless VM	❌ Prohibited (P-003)
Mixing Mappings.xaml and Prism RegionManager	—	❌ Prohibited (P-004)