Get ListBox DataContext from UserControl - xaml

Question

I have a UserControl with a button inside it. The UserControl its DataContext is one of my models so I can bind to it. However, for the button I want to be able to call a method from my viewmodel. The DataContext of the ListBox is this ViewModel.
Because my ContextMenu also needs the same DataContext I've bound them like this:
Command="{Binding Path=DataContext.AttendEventCommand, ElementName=EventListBox}"
Calling the EventListBox element and using its DataContext to call the AttendEventCommand. However I would like to call the AttendEventCommand from a button on the UserControl. I tried doing it the same way but sadly it doesn't work.
My data context is set like this:
DataContext="{Binding Path=EventList, Source={StaticResource Locator}}
My listbox code:
<ListBox x:Name="EventListBox" ItemsSource="{Binding Occurrences}" Margin="0,50,0,0" >
<ListBox.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<Grid>
<uctl:EventListItem HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" VerticalAlignment="Stretch" Width="auto" Height="auto">
<toolkit:ContextMenuService.ContextMenu>
<toolkit:ContextMenu IsZoomEnabled="True" x:Name="ContextMenu">
<toolkit:MenuItem x:Name="Going" Header="{Binding AttendingText}" Command="{Binding Path=DataContext.AttendEventCommand, ElementName=EventListBox}" CommandParameter="{Binding}"/>
</toolkit:ContextMenu>
</toolkit:ContextMenuService.ContextMenu>
</uctl:EventListItem>
</Grid>
</DataTemplate>
</ListBox.ItemTemplate>
</ListBox>
And my UserControl's button:
<Button Grid.RowSpan="3" Grid.Column="5" Opacity="0" Command="{Binding Path=DataContext.AttendEventCommand, ElementName=EventListBox}" CommandParameter="{Binding}"/>

Answer 1

I believe your problem is not that what you want to do is not working; instead, your design appears to be wrong.
What you have now is like this:
You have a Window that has a DataContext and a ListBox. The ListBox has an ItemsSource, which we'll assume is some IEnumerable<Occurrence>.
The appearance of each item in your ListBox is an EventListItem, which is a UserControl that contains at least one Button.
You want this Button's Command to call a method on your Window's DataContext.
This last sentence is wrong. The fact that the item has the button implies that it does something that is related to the item, not the window contents. If this is not true, then the visual design of the window and listbox items should probably be reconsidered.
If the button is in fact affecting the item, then you should not call a method on your Window's DataContext, but instead call a method on your item's DataContext.
The solution is to wrap your model object Occurrence in a view model class of its own. Let's call it OccurrenceViewModel. Your ListBox's ItemsSource would be some form of IEnumerable<OccurrenceViewModel>. Because it's a view model, it's allowed to implement Command methods, which can then in one way or another manipulate the Occurrence, either directly or preferably by passing it to some class that implements the use case.

Answer 2

The DataContext of your EventListItem will be a Model of your ItemsSource because it is part of the DataTemplate. So you have to set it explicitly.
Refer to How to implement a navigation button for some of the code I'll be using as a solution.
Lets assume your custom UserControlis very basic like so:
<UserControl>
<Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot" Background="{StaticResource PhoneChromeBrush}">
<Button Command="{Binding DataContext.SimpleCommand}" CommandParameter="1"></Button>
</Grid>
</UserControl>
Where SimpleCommand is the Command you want to call in the Top View Model.
Then you have to change your DataTemplate to
<DataTemplate>
<Grid>
<uctl:EventListItem
DataContext="{Binding ElementName=myListBox}"/>
<!-- more xaml -->
</Grid>
</DataTemplate>
Your <toolkit:ContextMenu> should work as is.
Put a break point at the Execute function of the ICommand and you will see it will get
hit there everytime.
public void Execute(object parameter)
{
// logic to execute when user hits the command
int debug_var = 0; // put a break point here
}