值得注意的是，对于那些无意中发现Silverlight的想法的人:

Silverlight只提供了这些命令的一个简化子集

Binding RelativeSource={
    RelativeSource Mode=FindAncestor, AncestorType={x:Type ItemType}
}
...

RelativeSource的默认属性是Mode属性。这里给出了一组完整的有效值(来自MSDN):

PreviousData Allows you to bind the previous data item (not that control that contains the data item) in the list of data items being displayed. TemplatedParent Refers to the element to which the template (in which the data-bound element exists) is applied. This is similar to setting a TemplateBindingExtension and is only applicable if the Binding is within a template. Self Refers to the element on which you are setting the binding and allows you to bind one property of that element to another property on the same element. FindAncestor Refers to the ancestor in the parent chain of the data-bound element. You can use this to bind to an ancestor of a specific type or its subclasses. This is the mode you use if you want to specify AncestorType and/or AncestorLevel.

值得注意的是，对于那些无意中发现Silverlight的想法的人:

Silverlight只提供了这些命令的一个简化子集

这是我在空数据网格上使用该模式的一个示例。

<Style.Triggers>
    <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding Items.Count, RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}}" Value="0">
        <Setter Property="Background">
            <Setter.Value>
                <VisualBrush Stretch="None">
                    <VisualBrush.Visual>
                        <TextBlock Text="We did't find any matching records for your search..." FontSize="16" FontWeight="SemiBold" Foreground="LightCoral"/>
                    </VisualBrush.Visual>
                </VisualBrush>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
    </DataTrigger>
</Style.Triggers>

Bechir Bejaoui在他的文章中揭露了WPF中RelativeSources的用例:

The RelativeSource is a markup extension that is used in particular binding cases when we try to bind a property of a given object to another property of the object itself, when we try to bind a property of a object to another one of its relative parents, when binding a dependency property value to a piece of XAML in case of custom control development and finally in case of using a differential of a series of a bound data. All of those situations are expressed as relative source modes. I will expose all of those cases one by one. Mode Self: Imagine this case, a rectangle that we want that its height is always equal to its width, a square let's say. We can do this using the element name <Rectangle Fill="Red" Name="rectangle" Height="100" Stroke="Black" Canvas.Top="100" Canvas.Left="100" Width="{Binding ElementName=rectangle, Path=Height}"/> But in this above case we are obliged to indicate the name of the binding object, namely the rectangle. We can reach the same purpose differently using the RelativeSource <Rectangle Fill="Red" Height="100" Stroke="Black" Width="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}, Path=Height}"/> For that case we are not obliged to mention the name of the binding object and the Width will be always equal to the Height whenever the height is changed. If you want to parameter the Width to be the half of the height then you can do this by adding a converter to the Binding markup extension. Let's imagine another case now: <TextBlock Width="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}, Path=Parent.ActualWidth}"/> The above case is used to tie a given property of a given element to one of its direct parent ones as this element holds a property that is called Parent. This leads us to another relative source mode which is the FindAncestor one. Mode FindAncestor In this case, a property of a given element will be tied to one of its parents, Of Corse. The main difference with the above case is the fact that, it's up to you to determine the ancestor type and the ancestor rank in the hierarchy to tie the property. By the way try to play with this piece of XAML <Canvas Name="Parent0"> <Border Name="Parent1" Width="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}, Path=Parent.ActualWidth}" Height="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}, Path=Parent.ActualHeight}"> <Canvas Name="Parent2"> <Border Name="Parent3" Width="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}, Path=Parent.ActualWidth}" Height="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Self}, Path=Parent.ActualHeight}"> <Canvas Name="Parent4"> <TextBlock FontSize="16" Margin="5" Text="Display the name of the ancestor"/> <TextBlock FontSize="16" Margin="50" Text="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource FindAncestor, AncestorType={x:Type Border}, AncestorLevel=2},Path=Name}" Width="200"/> </Canvas> </Border> </Canvas> </Border> </Canvas> The above situation is of two TextBlock elements those are embedded within a series of borders and canvas elements those represent their hierarchical parents. The second TextBlock will display the name of the given parent at the relative source level. So try to change AncestorLevel=2 to AncestorLevel=1 and see what happens. Then try to change the type of the ancestor from AncestorType=Border to AncestorType=Canvas and see what's happens. The displayed text will change according to the Ancestor type and level. Then what's happen if the ancestor level is not suitable to the ancestor type? This is a good question, I know that you're about to ask it. The response is no exceptions will be thrown and nothings will be displayed at the TextBlock level. TemplatedParent This mode enables tie a given ControlTemplate property to a property of the control that the ControlTemplate is applied to. To well understand the issue here is an example bellow <Window.Resources> <ControlTemplate x:Key="template"> <Canvas> <Canvas.RenderTransform> <RotateTransform Angle="20"/> </Canvas.RenderTransform> <Ellipse Height="100" Width="150" Fill="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}, Path=Background}"> </Ellipse> <ContentPresenter Margin="35" Content="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent},Path=Content}"/> </Canvas> </ControlTemplate> </Window.Resources> <Canvas Name="Parent0"> <Button Margin="50" Template="{StaticResource template}" Height="0" Canvas.Left="0" Canvas.Top="0" Width="0"> <TextBlock FontSize="22">Click me</TextBlock> </Button> </Canvas> If I want to apply the properties of a given control to its control template then I can use the TemplatedParent mode. There is also a similar one to this markup extension which is the TemplateBinding which is a kind of short hand of the first one, but the TemplateBinding is evaluated at compile time at the contrast of the TemplatedParent which is evaluated just after the first run time. As you can remark in the bellow figure, the background and the content are applied from within the button to the control template.

下面是MVVM架构的一个更直观的解释: