[c#] Setting DataContext in XAML in WPF

I have following code:

MainWindow.xaml

<Window x:Class="SampleApplication.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"
        DataContext="{Binding Employee}">
    <Grid>       
        <Grid.RowDefinitions>
            <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
            <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
        </Grid.RowDefinitions>
        <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
            <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
            <ColumnDefinition Width="200" />
        </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>

        <Label Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="0" Content="ID:"/>
        <Label Grid.Row="1" Grid.Column="0" Content="Name:"/>
        <TextBox Grid.Column="1" Grid.Row="0" Margin="3" Text="{Binding EmpID}" />
        <TextBox Grid.Column="1" Grid.Row="1" Margin="3" Text="{Binding EmpName}" /> 
    </Grid>
</Window>

Employee.cs

namespace SampleApplication
{
    public class Employee
    {
        public Employee()
        {
            EmployeeDetails employeeDetails = new EmployeeDetails();
            employeeDetails.EmpID = 123;
            employeeDetails.EmpName = "ABC";
        }
    }

    public class EmployeeDetails
    {
        private int empID;
        public int EmpID
        {
            get
            {
                return empID;
            }
            set
            {
                empID = value;
            }
        }

        private string empName;
        public string EmpName
        {
            get
            {
                return empName;
            }
            set
            {
                empName = value;
            }
        }
    }
}

This is very simple code and I just want to bind the EmpID and EmpName properties in my Employee.cs class to Text properties of Textboxes in MainWindow.xaml but nothing is appearing in my these textboxes when I am running the code. Is the binding right?

There are several issues here.

1. You can't assign DataContext as DataContext="{Binding Employee}" because it's a complex object which can't be assigned as string. So you have to use <Window.DataContext></Window.DataContext> syntax.
2. You assign the class that represents the data context object to the view, not an individual property so {Binding Employee} is invalid here, you just have to specify an object.
3. Now when you assign data context using valid syntax like below

   <Window.DataContext>
      <local:Employee/>
   </Window.DataContext>

know that you are creating a new instance of the Employee class and assigning it as the data context object. You may well have nothing in default constructor so nothing will show up. But then how do you manage it in code behind file? You have typecast the DataContext.

    private void my_button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        Employee e = (Employee) DataContext;
    }

4. A second way is to assign the data context in the code behind file itself. The advantage then is your code behind file already knows it and can work with it.

   public partial class MainWindow : Window
   {
      Employee employee = new Employee();
   
      public MainWindow()
      {
          InitializeComponent();
   
          DataContext = employee;
      }
   }
   

First of all you should create property with employee details in the Employee class:

public class Employee
{
    public Employee()
    {
        EmployeeDetails = new EmployeeDetails();
        EmployeeDetails.EmpID = 123;
        EmployeeDetails.EmpName = "ABC";
    }

    public EmployeeDetails EmployeeDetails { get; set; }
}

If you don't do that, you will create instance of object in Employee constructor and you lose reference to it.

In the XAML you should create instance of Employee class, and after that you can assign it to DataContext.

Your XAML should look like this:

<Window x:Class="SampleApplication.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"
    xmlns:local="clr-namespace:SampleApplication"
   >
    <Window.Resources>
        <local:Employee x:Key="Employee" />
    </Window.Resources>
    <Grid DataContext="{StaticResource Employee}">
        <Grid.RowDefinitions>
            <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
            <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
        </Grid.RowDefinitions>
        <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
            <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
            <ColumnDefinition Width="200" />
        </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>

        <Label Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="0" Content="ID:"/>
        <Label Grid.Row="1" Grid.Column="0" Content="Name:"/>
        <TextBox Grid.Column="1" Grid.Row="0" Margin="3" Text="{Binding EmployeeDetails.EmpID}" />
        <TextBox Grid.Column="1" Grid.Row="1" Margin="3" Text="{Binding EmployeeDetails.EmpName}" />
    </Grid>
</Window>

Now, after you created property with employee details you should binding by using this property:

Text="{Binding EmployeeDetails.EmpID}"