WPF C#: Rearrange items in listbox via drag and drop

i've tried create one using observablecollection, have a look

    ObservableCollection<Emp> _empList = new ObservableCollection<Emp>();    public Window1()    {        InitializeComponent();        _empList .Add(new Emp("1", 22));        _empList .Add(new Emp("2", 18));        _empList .Add(new Emp("3", 29));        _empList .Add(new Emp("4", 9));        _empList .Add(new Emp("5", 29));        _empList .Add(new Emp("6", 9));        listbox1.DisplayMemberPath = "Name";        listbox1.ItemsSource = _empList;        Style itemContainerStyle = new Style(typeof(ListBoxItem));        itemContainerStyle.Setters.Add(new Setter(ListBoxItem.AllowDropProperty, true));        itemContainerStyle.Setters.Add(new EventSetter(ListBoxItem.PreviewMouseLeftButtonDownEvent, new MouseButtonEventHandler(s_PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown)));        itemContainerStyle.Setters.Add(new EventSetter(ListBoxItem.DropEvent, new DragEventHandler(listbox1_Drop)));        listbox1.ItemContainerStyle = itemContainerStyle;    }

Drag and drop process

    void s_PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)    {        if (sender is ListBoxItem)        {            ListBoxItem draggedItem = sender as ListBoxItem;            DragDrop.DoDragDrop(draggedItem, draggedItem.DataContext, DragDropEffects.Move);            draggedItem.IsSelected = true;        }    }    void listbox1_Drop(object sender, DragEventArgs e)    {        Emp droppedData = e.Data.GetData(typeof(Emp)) as Emp;        Emp target = ((ListBoxItem)(sender)).DataContext as Emp;        int removedIdx = listbox1.Items.IndexOf(droppedData);        int targetIdx = listbox1.Items.IndexOf(target);        if (removedIdx < targetIdx)        {            _empList.Insert(targetIdx + 1, droppedData);            _empList.RemoveAt(removedIdx);        }        else        {            int remIdx = removedIdx+1;            if (_empList.Count + 1 > remIdx)            {                _empList.Insert(targetIdx, droppedData);                _empList.RemoveAt(remIdx);            }        }    }

Note:

• one thing sucks in the implementation is since it use the PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown event, the dragged item looks like not selected
• and also for an easier implementation the drop target is the list box items and not the listbox itself - might need a better solution for this

Using dnr3's answers I have created version with fixed selection issues.

Window1.xaml

<Window x:Class="ListBoxReorderDemo.Window1"        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"        Title="ListBoxReorderDemo" Height="300" Width="300"        WindowStartupLocation="CenterScreen">    <Grid>        <ListBox x:Name="listBox"/>    </Grid></Window>

Window1.xaml.cs

using System;using System.Collections.Generic;using System.Collections.ObjectModel;using System.Text;using System.Windows;using System.Windows.Controls;using System.Windows.Data;using System.Windows.Documents;using System.Windows.Input;using System.Windows.Media;namespace ListBoxReorderDemo{    public class Item    {        public string Name { get; set; }        public Item(string name)        {            this.Name = name;        }    }    public partial class Window1 : Window    {        private Point _dragStartPoint;        private T FindVisualParent<T>(DependencyObject child)            where T : DependencyObject        {            var parentObject = VisualTreeHelper.GetParent(child);            if (parentObject == null)                return null;            T parent = parentObject as T;            if (parent != null)                return parent;            return FindVisualParent<T>(parentObject);        }        private IList<Item> _items = new ObservableCollection<Item>();        public Window1()        {            InitializeComponent();            _items.Add(new Item("1"));            _items.Add(new Item("2"));            _items.Add(new Item("3"));            _items.Add(new Item("4"));            _items.Add(new Item("5"));            _items.Add(new Item("6"));            listBox.DisplayMemberPath = "Name";            listBox.ItemsSource = _items;            listBox.PreviewMouseMove += ListBox_PreviewMouseMove;            var style = new Style(typeof(ListBoxItem));            style.Setters.Add(new Setter(ListBoxItem.AllowDropProperty, true));            style.Setters.Add(                new EventSetter(                    ListBoxItem.PreviewMouseLeftButtonDownEvent,                    new MouseButtonEventHandler(ListBoxItem_PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown)));            style.Setters.Add(                    new EventSetter(                        ListBoxItem.DropEvent,                         new DragEventHandler(ListBoxItem_Drop)));            listBox.ItemContainerStyle = style;        }        private void ListBox_PreviewMouseMove(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)        {            Point point = e.GetPosition(null);            Vector diff = _dragStartPoint - point;            if (e.LeftButton == MouseButtonState.Pressed &&                (Math.Abs(diff.X) > SystemParameters.MinimumHorizontalDragDistance ||                    Math.Abs(diff.Y) > SystemParameters.MinimumVerticalDragDistance))            {                var lb = sender as ListBox;                var lbi = FindVisualParent<ListBoxItem>(((DependencyObject)e.OriginalSource));                if (lbi != null)                {                    DragDrop.DoDragDrop(lbi, lbi.DataContext, DragDropEffects.Move);                }            }        }        private void ListBoxItem_PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)        {            _dragStartPoint = e.GetPosition(null);        }        private void ListBoxItem_Drop(object sender, DragEventArgs e)        {            if (sender is ListBoxItem)            {                var source = e.Data.GetData(typeof(Item)) as Item;                var target = ((ListBoxItem)(sender)).DataContext as Item;                int sourceIndex = listBox.Items.IndexOf(source);                int targetIndex = listBox.Items.IndexOf(target);                Move(source, sourceIndex, targetIndex);            }        }        private void Move(Item source, int sourceIndex, int targetIndex)        {            if (sourceIndex < targetIndex)            {                _items.Insert(targetIndex + 1, source);                _items.RemoveAt(sourceIndex);            }            else            {                int removeIndex = sourceIndex + 1;                if (_items.Count + 1 > removeIndex)                {                    _items.Insert(targetIndex, source);                    _items.RemoveAt(removeIndex);                }            }        }    }}

Version with support for generics and data binding.

Window1.xaml

<Window x:Class="ListBoxReorderDemo.Window1"        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"        xmlns:local="clr-namespace:ListBoxReorderDemo"        Title="ListBoxReorderDemo" Height="300" Width="300"        WindowStartupLocation="CenterScreen">    <Grid>        <local:ItemDragAndDropListBox x:Name="listBox" ItemsSource="{Binding}">            <ListBox.ItemTemplate>                <DataTemplate>                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding Name}"/>                </DataTemplate>            </ListBox.ItemTemplate>        </local:ItemDragAndDropListBox>    </Grid></Window>

Window1.xaml.cs

using System;using System.Collections.Generic;using System.Collections.ObjectModel;using System.Text;using System.Windows;using System.Windows.Controls;using System.Windows.Data;using System.Windows.Documents;using System.Windows.Input;using System.Windows.Media;namespace ListBoxReorderDemo{    public class DragAndDropListBox<T> : ListBox         where T : class    {        private Point _dragStartPoint;        private P FindVisualParent<P>(DependencyObject child)             where P : DependencyObject        {            var parentObject = VisualTreeHelper.GetParent(child);            if (parentObject == null)                return null;            P parent = parentObject as P;            if (parent != null)                return parent;            return FindVisualParent<P>(parentObject);        }        public DragAndDropListBox()        {            this.PreviewMouseMove += ListBox_PreviewMouseMove;            var style = new Style(typeof(ListBoxItem));            style.Setters.Add(new Setter(ListBoxItem.AllowDropProperty, true));            style.Setters.Add(                new EventSetter(                    ListBoxItem.PreviewMouseLeftButtonDownEvent,                    new MouseButtonEventHandler(ListBoxItem_PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown)));            style.Setters.Add(                    new EventSetter(                        ListBoxItem.DropEvent,                         new DragEventHandler(ListBoxItem_Drop)));            this.ItemContainerStyle = style;        }        private void ListBox_PreviewMouseMove(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)        {            Point point = e.GetPosition(null);            Vector diff = _dragStartPoint - point;            if (e.LeftButton == MouseButtonState.Pressed &&                (Math.Abs(diff.X) > SystemParameters.MinimumHorizontalDragDistance ||                    Math.Abs(diff.Y) > SystemParameters.MinimumVerticalDragDistance))            {                var lb = sender as ListBox;                var lbi = FindVisualParent<ListBoxItem>(((DependencyObject)e.OriginalSource));                if (lbi != null)                {                    DragDrop.DoDragDrop(lbi, lbi.DataContext, DragDropEffects.Move);                }            }        }        private void ListBoxItem_PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)        {            _dragStartPoint = e.GetPosition(null);        }        private void ListBoxItem_Drop(object sender, DragEventArgs e)        {            if (sender is ListBoxItem)            {                var source = e.Data.GetData(typeof(T)) as T;                var target = ((ListBoxItem)(sender)).DataContext as T;                int sourceIndex = this.Items.IndexOf(source);                int targetIndex = this.Items.IndexOf(target);                Move(source, sourceIndex, targetIndex);            }        }        private void Move(T source, int sourceIndex, int targetIndex)        {            if (sourceIndex < targetIndex)            {                var items = this.DataContext as IList<T>;                if (items != null)                {                    items.Insert(targetIndex + 1, source);                    items.RemoveAt(sourceIndex);                }            }            else            {                var items = this.DataContext as IList<T>;                if (items != null)                {                    int removeIndex = sourceIndex + 1;                    if (items.Count + 1 > removeIndex)                    {                        items.Insert(targetIndex, source);                        items.RemoveAt(removeIndex);                    }                }            }        }    }    public class Item    {        public string Name { get; set; }        public Item(string name)        {            this.Name = name;        }    }    public class ItemDragAndDropListBox : DragAndDropListBox<Item> { }    public partial class Window1 : Window    {        private IList<Item> _items = new ObservableCollection<Item>();        public Window1()        {            InitializeComponent();            _items.Add(new Item("1"));            _items.Add(new Item("2"));            _items.Add(new Item("3"));            _items.Add(new Item("4"));            _items.Add(new Item("5"));            _items.Add(new Item("6"));            listBox.DataContext = _items;        }    }}

I would suggest using the drag and drop behavior called GongSolutions.WPF.DragDrop. It allows MVVM style use cases using attached property setters to enable it, no need for code behind in your views. You should check out the link for a simple example.