PropertyGrid/Examples/README.md

PropertyGrid Examples

This directory contains example applications demonstrating the Avalonia PropertyGrid control.

Available Examples

1. QuickStartExample

Difficulty: Beginner
Focus: Basic PropertyGrid usage

A simple example showing fundamental PropertyGrid features:

• Basic property types (string, int, decimal, bool, enum)
• Property categories
• Display names and descriptions
• Read-only properties
• DateTime properties

Perfect for getting started with PropertyGrid.

➡️ View QuickStartExample

To run:

dotnet run --project Examples/QuickStartExample/QuickStartExample.csproj

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2. AdvancedExample ⭐ NEW

Difficulty: Advanced
Focus: Complex scenarios and enterprise features

A comprehensive example demonstrating advanced PropertyGrid capabilities:

• Nested Objects - DatabaseSettings and NetworkSettings
• Data Validation - Required, Range, StringLength attributes
• INotifyPropertyChanged - Real-time property updates
• Computed Properties - Dynamic read-only properties
• 7 Categories - Organized configuration sections
• 25+ Properties - Complex data model
• Multiple Data Types - TimeSpan, Guid, Lists, and more
• Enum Descriptions - User-friendly enum values
• Password Fields - Secure property display

Ideal for understanding production-level usage.

➡️ View AdvancedExample

To run:

dotnet run --project Examples/AdvancedExample/AdvancedExample.csproj

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Feature Comparison

Feature	QuickStartExample	AdvancedExample
Properties	~10	25+
Categories	5	7
Nested Objects	❌	✅ (2 levels)
Validation	❌	✅ (Required, Range, Length)
Change Notifications	❌	✅ (INotifyPropertyChanged)
Computed Properties	❌	✅
Password Fields	❌	✅
Collections	❌	✅ (List)
Metadata	❌	✅ (Guid, DateTime tracking)
Data Types	Basic	Extended (TimeSpan, Guid, etc.)
Read-Only Properties	✅ (1)	✅ (4)
Descriptions	✅	✅ (Detailed)

Building All Examples

Build all examples at once:

dotnet build

Or build individually:

dotnet build Examples/QuickStartExample/QuickStartExample.csproj
dotnet build Examples/AdvancedExample/AdvancedExample.csproj

Learning Path

1. Start with QuickStartExample - Learn the basics

   • Property binding
   • Categories and descriptions
   • Basic data types

2. Move to AdvancedExample - Master advanced features

   • Nested objects
   • Validation
   • Change notifications
   • Complex data models

Common Use Cases

QuickStartExample is great for:

• Learning PropertyGrid basics
• Simple configuration editors
• Prototyping
• Single-level property editing

AdvancedExample is great for:

• Enterprise applications
• Complex configuration management
• Settings dialogs with validation
• Hierarchical data editing
• Production-ready implementations

Key PropertyGrid Features

Both examples demonstrate PropertyGrid's core capabilities:

🎨 Visual Features

• Category grouping with collapsible sections
• Property descriptions
• Search/filter functionality
• Modern Fluent UI design

🔧 Data Binding

• Two-way binding
• Multiple data types support
• Enum support with descriptions
• DateTime pickers

📋 Metadata Support

• [Display] - Names, descriptions, ordering
• [Category] - Logical grouping
• [ReadOnly] - Immutable properties
• [Required], [Range], [StringLength] - Validation
• [PasswordPropertyText] - Secure input
• [EditorBrowsable] - Advanced property grouping

🔄 Dynamic Features

• INotifyPropertyChanged support
• Real-time updates
• Computed properties
• Conditional property display

Troubleshooting

Build Issues

If you encounter build errors, ensure:

1. You're targeting .NET 10
2. Avalonia packages are version 12.1.0 or compatible
3. The solution includes the PropertyGrid project reference

Runtime Issues

• Ensure x:DataType is set on the Window element for compiled bindings
• Verify all namespaces are correctly imported
• Check that model classes are public

Contributing

Want to add more examples? Consider these ideas:

• Multi-object editing example
• Custom property editor example
• Dynamic property generation example
• Settings persistence example
• Theme customization example

Support

For issues or questions about PropertyGrid:

1. Check the examples documentation
2. Review the PropertyGrid source code
3. Open an issue in the repository

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Happy coding with PropertyGrid! 🚀