Different DataTemplates for different types

Did you know that you can have WPF automatically select a DataTemplate based on the current bound type?

For example, imagine we have a collection of disparate objects (I'm going to use Xaml here so we can paste the whole thing into xamlpad etc).
<Page
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:sys="clr-namespace:System;assembly=mscorlib"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
    <Page.Resources>
        <x:Array x:Key="array" Type="sys:Object">
            <sys:DateTime>2001-12-01</sys:DateTime>
            <sys:String>Hello</sys:String>
            <sys:DateTime>2006-06-21</sys:DateTime>
            <sys:Int32>98</sys:Int32>
            <sys:String>Goodbye</sys:String>
            <sys:Int32>98</sys:Int32>
        </x:Array>

Then we create some DataTemplates for each specified type (note the DataType property on each template and the absence of a key).

    <DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type sys:String}">
        <Border BorderBrush="Red" BorderThickness="2" Background="Pink">
            <TextBlock Text="{Binding}" Foreground="Red" FontWeight="Bold" Padding="5"/>
        </Border>
    </DataTemplate>
    <DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type sys:DateTime}">
        <Border BorderBrush="Green" BorderThickness="2" CornerRadius="5">
            <TextBlock Text="{Binding}" Foreground="Green" FontWeight="Bold" Padding="5"/>
        </Border>
    </DataTemplate>
    <DataTemplate DataType="{x:Type sys:Int32}">
        <Border BorderBrush="Purple" BorderThickness="2" CornerRadius="30">
            <TextBlock Text="{Binding}" Foreground="Purple" FontWeight="Bold" Padding="5"/>
        </Border>
    </DataTemplate>
</Page.Resources>

Next, we bind a ListBox to the array resource...

<ListBox
    ItemsSource="{Binding Source={StaticResource array}, Path=.}"
    IsSynchronizedWithCurrentItem="true"
    DisplayMemberPath=".">

.. and finally bind a ContentControl to the selected item in the same collection (if this syntax looks a little weird to you check out this post: Binding to the Current Item in WPF).

<ContentControl Content="{Binding Source={StaticResource array}, Path=/}"/>

Et voila!