WPF - Cannot bind to a DataTemplate from within a DataTemplate

Question

I cannot bind to a DataTemplate from within another DataTemplate, is this due to the data source not being present at runtime?

<Page xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation" xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
 <UserControl.Resources>
  <DataTemplate x:Key="Employees">
     <StackPanel>
        <ListView ItemsSource="{Binding Path=Employees}">
           <ListView.View>
              <GridView>
                 <GridViewColumn Header="FirstName">
                    <GridViewColumn.CellTemplate>
                       <DataTemplate>
                          <DockPanel>
                             <TextBlock Text="{Binding FirstName}"/>
                          </DockPanel>
                       </DataTemplate>
                    </GridViewColumn.CellTemplate>
                 </GridViewColumn>
                 <GridViewColumn Header="LastName">
                    <GridViewColumn.CellTemplate>
                       <DataTemplate>
                          <DockPanel>
                             <TextBlock Text="{Binding LastName}"/>
                          </DockPanel>
                       </DataTemplate>
                    </GridViewColumn.CellTemplate>
                 </GridViewColumn>
              </GridView>
           </ListView.View>
        </ListView>
     </StackPanel>
  </DataTemplate>
   <DataTemplate x:Key="Company">
     <StackPanel>
        <TextBlock>Company data</TextBlock>
        <ListView 
        <!-- Bind current data source -->
        ItemsSource="{Binding}" 
        <!-- Static resource (nested template) -->
        ItemTemplate="{StaticResource Employees}" />
     </StackPanel>
  </DataTemplate>
</UserControl.Resources>
<StackPanel>
  <TextBlock>Companies:</TextBlock>
  <ListView ItemsSource="{Binding Companies}" ItemTemplate="{StaticResource Company}" />
</StackPanel>
</Page>

I am trying to make the employees DataTemplate reusable as it will be useful to reference in other data DataTemplates. Is there something wrong with the binding in the Company DataTemplate: <ListView ItemsSource="{Binding}" ItemTeplate="{StaticResource Employees}" />

Why won't Employees bind?

Answer 1

Worked for me. Has the DataContext been set ? That tripped me up while I was trying this out.

Xaml

<StackPanel>
        <StackPanel.Resources>
            <DataTemplate x:Key="_Chest">
                <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding WeightInKgs, StringFormat=Contains \{0\} kgs of : }"/>
                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding Contents}"/>
                </StackPanel>
            </DataTemplate>
            <DataTemplate x:Key="_Gallery">
                <ListBox ItemsSource="{Binding}" ItemTemplate="{StaticResource _Chest}" Background="Aqua"/>
            </DataTemplate>
        </StackPanel.Resources>

        <ContentControl Content="{Binding Treasures}" ContentTemplate="{StaticResource _Gallery}" Background="Coral"/>

    </StackPanel>

Code Behind

public MainWindow()
        {
            InitializeComponent();

            Treasures = new List<Chest>{new Chest{Contents = "Gems", WeightInKgs=10},
                                        new Chest{Contents = "Gold", WeightInKgs= 25}};
            this.DataContext = this;
        }
public List<Chest> Treasures { get; set; }