Walkthrough: Exposing Properties to the Properties Window
This walkthrough exposes the public properties of an object to the Properties window. The changes you make to these properties are reflected in the Properties window.
Prerequisites
To complete this walkthrough, you must install the Visual Studio 2010 SDK.
Note
For more information about the Visual Studio SDK, see Extending Visual Studio Overview. To find out how to download the Visual Studio SDK, see Visual Studio Extensibility Developer Center on the MSDN Web site.
Locations for the Visual Studio Package Project Template
The Visual Studio Package project template can be found in three different locations in the New Project dialog:
Under Visual Basic Extensibility. The default language of the project is Visual Basic.
Under C# Extensibility. The default language of the project is C#.
Under Other Project Types Extensibility. The default language of the project is C++.
Exposing Properties to the Properties Window
In this section, you create a basic tool window package and display the public properties of the associated window pane object in the Properties window.
To expose properties to the Properties window
Create a Visual Studio Package project named MyObjectProps.
For more information about how to create a managed VSPackage, see Walkthrough: Creating a Menu Command By Using the Visual Studio Package Template.
On the Select a Programming Language page, select Visual C#. You can use Visual Basic to create a package, but this walkthrough uses Visual C#.
On the Select VSPackage Options page, select Tool Window.
On the Tool Window Options page, change the Window Name to My Object Properties, and then click Finish.
The template creates the managed project, MyObjectProps.
Open the file, MyToolWindow.cs, and add the following fields to the MyToolWindow class.
private ITrackSelection trackSel; private SelectionContainer selContainer;
Add the following code to the MyToolWindow class.
Private ReadOnly Property TrackSelection() As ITrackSelection Get If trackSel Is Nothing Then trackSel = TryCast(GetService(GetType(STrackSelection)), ITrackSelection) End If Return trackSel End Get End Property Public Sub UpdateSelection() Dim track As ITrackSelection = TrackSelection If track IsNot Nothing Then track.OnSelectChange(DirectCast(selContainer, ISelectionContainer)) End If End Sub Public Sub SelectList(ByVal list As ArrayList) selContainer = New SelectionContainer(True, False) selContainer.SelectableObjects = list selContainer.SelectedObjects = list UpdateSelection() End Sub Public Overloads Overrides Sub OnToolWindowCreated() Dim listObjects As New ArrayList() listObjects.Add(Me) SelectList(listObjects) End Sub Private checked As Boolean = False <Category("My Properties")> _ <Description("MyControl properties")> _ Public Property IsChecked() As Boolean Get Return IsChecked End Get Set(ByVal value As Boolean) checked = value control.checkBox1.Checked = value End Set End Property Private sObject As Simple = Nothing Public ReadOnly Property SimpleObject() As Simple Get If sObject Is Nothing Then SimpleObject = New Simple() End If Return sObject End Get End Property Public Sub SelectSimpleList() Dim listObjects As New ArrayList() listObjects.Add(SimpleObject) SelectList(listObjects) End Sub Public Sub SelectThisList() Dim listObjects As New ArrayList() listObjects.Add(Me) SelectList(listObjects) End Sub
private ITrackSelection TrackSelection { get { if (trackSel == null) trackSel = GetService(typeof(STrackSelection)) as ITrackSelection; return trackSel; } } public void UpdateSelection() { ITrackSelection track = TrackSelection; if (track != null) track.OnSelectChange((ISelectionContainer)selContainer); } public void SelectList(ArrayList list) { selContainer = new SelectionContainer(true, false); selContainer.SelectableObjects = list; selContainer.SelectedObjects = list; UpdateSelection(); } public override void OnToolWindowCreated() { ArrayList listObjects = new ArrayList(); listObjects.Add(this); SelectList(listObjects); }
The TrackSelection property uses GetService to obtain an STrackSelection service, which provides an ITrackSelection interface. The OnToolWindowCreated event handler and SelectList method together create a list of selected objects that contains only the tool window pane object itself. The UpdateSelection method tells the Properties window to display the public properties of the tool window pane.
Build and start the project in debug mode by pressing F5. This starts Visual Studio Exp.
Note
Two versions of Visual Studio are open now.
If the Properties window is not visible, open it by pressing F4.
In Visual Studio Exp, on the View menu, point to Other Windows, and then click My Object Properties.
The window opens and the public properties of the window pane appear in the Properties window.
Click in Solution Explorer. The properties in the Properties window disappear. Click the My Object Properties window. The properties reappear.
Change the Caption property in the Properties window to Something Else.
The My Object Properties window caption changes accordingly.
Exposing Tool Window Properties
In this section, you add a tool window and expose its properties. The changes you make to properties are reflected in the Properties window.
To expose tool window properties
Close Visual Studio Exp.
Open MyToolWindow.cs, and add the public boolean property IsChecked to the MyToolWindow class.
Private checked As Boolean = False <Category("My Properties")> _ <Description("MyControl properties")> _ Public Property IsChecked() As Boolean Get Return IsChecked End Get Set(ByVal value As Boolean) checked = value control.checkBox1.Checked = value End Set End Property
[Category("My Properties")] [Description("MyControl properties")] public bool IsChecked { get { if (base.Content == null) return false; return (bool)((MyControl) base.Content).checkBox1.IsChecked; } set { ((MyControl) base.Content).checkBox1.IsChecked = value; } }
This property reads and writes its state directly from the WPF checkbox you create in a later step.
In the MyToolWindow constructor, add a this keyword to the MyControl constructor:
control = New MyControl(Me)
base.Content = new MyControl(this);
Open the file, MyControl.xaml.cs, and replace the constructor by using the following code.
Private pane As MyToolWindow Public Sub New(ByVal pane As MyToolWindow) InitializeComponent() Me.pane = pane checkBox1.Checked = pane.IsChecked End Sub
private MyToolWindow pane; public MyControl(MyToolWindow pane) { InitializeComponent(); this.pane = pane; checkBox1.IsChecked = false; }
This gives MyControl access to the MyToolWindow pane.
Change to Design view.
Delete the button control. Add a check box from the Toolbox to the upper, left corner.
Double-click the check box.
This creates the checkBox1_Checked event handler and opens it in the code editor.
In the Properties window, double-click the checkBox1Unchecked event handler.
This creates the checkBox1_Unchecked event handler and opens it in the code editor.
Replace the check box event handlers by using the following code.
Private Sub checkBox1_CheckedChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles checkBox1.CheckedChanged pane.IsChecked = checkBox1.Checked pane.UpdateSelection() If pane.IsChecked Then pane.SelectSimpleList() Else pane.SelectThisList() End If End Sub
private void checkBox1_Checked(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) { pane.IsChecked = true; pane.UpdateSelection(); } private void checkBox1_Unchecked(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) { pane.IsChecked = false; pane.UpdateSelection(); }
Build and start the project in debug mode by pressing F5. This starts Visual Studio Exp.
In Visual Studio Exp, on the View menu, point to Other Windows, and then click My Object Properties.
The public properties of the window pane appear in the Properties window. The IsChecked property appears under the category, My Properties.
Click the IsChecked property.
The description MyControl Properties appears at the bottom of the Properties window.
Select the check box in the My Object Properties window. IsChecked changes to True. Clear the check box. IsChecked changes to False. Change the value of IsChecked in the Properties window. The check box in the My Object Properties window changes to match the new value.
Note
If you must dispose of a property or object displayed in the Properties window, call OnSelectChange with a null selection container first. After disposing the property or object, you can change to a selection container that has updated SelectableObjects and SelectedObjects lists.
Changing Selection Lists
In this section, you add a selection list for a basic property class and use the tool window interface to choose which selection list to display.
To change selection lists
Close Visual Studio Exp.
Open MyToolWindow.cs or MyToolWindow.vb, and add the public class, Simple, to the beginning of the file, just after the namespace statement and opening curlique bracket.
Public Class Simple Private m_someText As String = "" <Category("My Properties")> _ <Description("Simple Properties")> _ <DisplayName("MyText")> _ Public Property SomeText() As String Get Return m_someText End Get Set(ByVal value As String) m_someText = value End Set End Property <Category("My Properties")> _ <Description("Read-only property")> _ Public ReadOnly Property [ReadOnly]() As String Get Return "Hello" End Get End Property End Class
public class Simple { private string someText = ""; [Category("My Properties")] [Description("Simple Properties")] [DisplayName("MyText")] public string SomeText { get { return someText; } set { someText = value; } } [Category("My Properties")] [Description("Read-only property")] public string ReadOnly { get { return "Hello"; } } }
An object of type Simple has the public string properties, SomeText, and ReadOnly.
Add this code to the end of the MyToolWindow class, just after the IsChecked property.
Private sObject As Simple = Nothing Public ReadOnly Property SimpleObject() As Simple Get If sObject Is Nothing Then SimpleObject = New Simple() End If Return sObject End Get End Property Public Sub SelectSimpleList() Dim listObjects As New ArrayList() listObjects.Add(SimpleObject) SelectList(listObjects) End Sub Public Sub SelectThisList() Dim listObjects As New ArrayList() listObjects.Add(Me) SelectList(listObjects) End Sub
public void SelectSimpleList() { ArrayList listObjects = new ArrayList(); listObjects.Add(SimpleObject); SelectList(listObjects); } public void SelectThisList() { ArrayList listObjects = new ArrayList(); listObjects.Add(this); SelectList(listObjects); }
This creates the singleton property, SimpleObject, and two methods to switch the Properties window selection between the window pane and the Simple object.
Open MyControl.cs or MyControl.vb in Code view. Replace the check box handlers with these lines of code:
If pane.IsChecked Then pane.SelectSimpleList() Else pane.SelectThisList() End If
private void checkBox1_Checked(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) { pane.IsChecked = true; pane.SelectSimpleList(); pane.UpdateSelection(); } private void checkBox1_Unchecked(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) { pane.IsChecked = false; pane.SelectThisList(); pane.UpdateSelection(); }
Build and start the project in debug mode by pressing F5.
This starts Visual Studio Exp.
In Visual Studio Exp, on the View menu, point to Other Windows, and then click My Object Properties.
The window opens and the public properties of the window pane appear in the Properties window.
Select the check box in the My Object Properties window. The Properties window displays the Simple object properties, SomeText and ReadOnly. Clear the check box. The public properties of the window pane appear in the Properties window.
Note
The display name of Some Text is My Text.
Best Practice
In this walkthrough, ISelectionContainer is implemented so that the selectable object collection and the selected object collection are the same collection. Only the selected object appears in the Property Browser list. For a more complete ISelectionContainer implementation, see the Reference.ToolWindow samples.
Visual Studio tool windows persist between Visual Studio sessions. For more information on persisting the tool window state, see ProvideProfileAttribute.
See Also
Concepts
Support for the Property Browser