Here you go; a mock up, just showing a possible setup... actually I
switched to TypeDescriptor for the properties here for brevity, but in a
real system I'd probably use ICustomTypeDesc riptor /
TypeDescription Provider...
using System;
using System.Collecti ons.Generic;
using System.Componen tModel;
using System.Windows. Forms;
[TypeConverter(t ypeof(FlexiObje ctConverter))]
class FlexiObject
{
private readonly Dictionary<stri ng, objectvalues
= new Dictionary<stri ng, object>(StringC omparer.Ordinal IgnoreCase);
internal IEnumerable<Key ValuePair<strin g, object>Values
{
get { return values; }
}
public object this[string key]
{
get
{
object value;
values.TryGetVa lue(key, out value);
return value;
}
set
{
if (value == null)
{
values.Remove(k ey);
}
else
{
values[key] = value;
}
}
}
}
class FlexiObjectConv erter : TypeConverter
{
public override bool GetPropertiesSu pported(ITypeDe scriptorContext
context)
{
return true;
}
public override PropertyDescrip torCollection
GetProperties(I TypeDescriptorC ontext context, object value, Attribute[]
attributes)
{
FlexiObject obj = (FlexiObject)va lue;
List<PropertyDe scriptorprops = new List<PropertyDe scriptor>();
foreach (KeyValuePair<s tring, objectpair in obj.Values)
{
if (pair.Value != null)
{
props.Add(new
FlexiPropertyDe scriptor(pair.V alue.GetType(), pair.Key));
}
}
return new PropertyDescrip torCollection(p rops.ToArray(), true);
}
}
class FlexiPropertyDe scriptor : PropertyDescrip tor
{
private readonly Type propertyType;
public FlexiPropertyDe scriptor(Type propertyType, string name)
: base(name, new Attribute[0])
{
this.propertyTy pe = propertyType;
}
public override bool IsReadOnly
{
get { return false; }
}
private FlexiObject GetFlexi(object component)
{
return (FlexiObject)co mponent;
}
public override object GetValue(object component)
{
return GetFlexi(compon ent)[Name];
}
public override void SetValue(object component, object value)
{
GetFlexi(compon ent)[Name] = value;
}
public override Type ComponentType
{
get { return typeof(FlexiObj ect); }
}
public override bool CanResetValue(o bject component)
{
return true;
}
public override void ResetValue(obje ct component)
{
GetFlexi(compon ent)[Name] = GetDefaultValue ();
}
public override Type PropertyType
{
get { return propertyType; }
}
public override bool ShouldSerialize Value(object component)
{
return !object.Equals( GetValue(compon ent), GetDefaultValue ());
}
private object GetDefaultValue () {
Type type = PropertyType;
if (type == typeof(string)) return "";
if (type.IsValueTy pe) return Activator.Creat eInstance(type) ;
return null;
}
}
static class Program
{
[STAThread]
static void Main()
{
FlexiObject obj = new FlexiObject();
obj["Name"] = "Marc";
obj["DOB"] = DateTime.Today;
obj["ShoeSize"] = 9;
obj["Icon"] = System.Drawing. SystemIcons.Shi eld;
obj["FavColour"] = System.Drawing. Color.Red;
obj["UriKind"] = System.UriKind. Relative;
Application.Ena bleVisualStyles ();
using (Form form = new Form())
using (PropertyGrid grid = new PropertyGrid())
{
grid.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
form.Controls.A dd(grid);
grid.SelectedOb ject = obj;
Application.Run (form);
}
}
}
