How to: Sort properties using the CustomPropertyDescriptors event

• Nov 13, 2018
• 3 minutes to read

This example shows how to display an object's properties in a PropertyGridControl in a custom order. Properties are sorted via the CustomPropertyDescriptors event.By default, properties are sorted according to their display names. To display properties in a custom order, the properties are sorted, and then the sorted collection is assigned to the event's Properties parameter.

Note

A complete sample project is available at https://github.com/DevExpress-Examples/how-to-sort-properties-using-the-custompropertydescriptors-event-e2263

Form1.cs

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using DevExpress.XtraVerticalGrid.Events;
using System.Collections;
using System.Globalization;

namespace PropertySorting {
    public partial class Form1 : Form {
        bool allowCustomSorting = false;

        public Form1() {
            InitializeComponent();
            this.propertyGridControl1.SelectedObject = new CustomClass() { Property1 = "one", Property2 = "two", Property3 = "three", Property4 = "four", Property5 = "five" };
        }

        void propertyGridControl1_CustomPropertyDescriptors(object sender, CustomPropertyDescriptorsEventArgs e) {
            if(allowCustomSorting && e.Context.PropertyDescriptor == null) {
                e.Properties = e.Properties.Sort(new string[] { "Property5", "Property4", "Property3", "Property2", "Property1" });
            }
        }
        void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) {
            allowCustomSorting = !allowCustomSorting;
            propertyGridControl1.OptionsBehavior.PropertySort = allowCustomSorting ? DevExpress.XtraVerticalGrid.PropertySort.NoSort : DevExpress.XtraVerticalGrid.PropertySort.Alphabetical;
            propertyGridControl1.Refresh();
            propertyGridControl1.RetrieveFields();
        }
    }
    class CustomClass {
        [DisplayName("C")]
        public string Property1 { get; set; }
        [DisplayName("B")]
        public string Property2 { get; set; }
        [DisplayName("A")]
        public string Property3 { get; set; }
        [DisplayName("D")]
        public string Property4 { get; set; }
        [DisplayName("E")]
        public string Property5 { get; set; }
    }
}

Program.cs

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace PropertySorting {
    static class Program {
        /// <summary>
        /// The main entry point for the application.
        /// </summary>
        [STAThread]
        static void Main() {
            Application.EnableVisualStyles();
            Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
            Application.Run(new Form1());
        }
    }
}

Form1.vb

Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Linq
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports DevExpress.XtraVerticalGrid.Events
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.Globalization

Namespace PropertySorting
    Partial Public Class Form1
        Inherits Form
        Private allowCustomSorting As Boolean = False

        Public Sub New()
            InitializeComponent()
            Me.propertyGridControl1.SelectedObject = New CustomClass() With {.Property1 = "one", .Property2 = "two", .Property3 = "three", .Property4 = "four", .Property5 = "five"}
        End Sub

        Private Sub propertyGridControl1_CustomPropertyDescriptors(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As CustomPropertyDescriptorsEventArgs) Handles propertyGridControl1.CustomPropertyDescriptors
            If allowCustomSorting AndAlso e.Context.PropertyDescriptor Is Nothing Then
                e.Properties = e.Properties.Sort(New String() { "Property5", "Property4", "Property3", "Property2", "Property1" })
            End If
        End Sub
        Private Sub button1_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles button1.Click
            allowCustomSorting = Not allowCustomSorting
            propertyGridControl1.OptionsBehavior.PropertySort = If(allowCustomSorting, DevExpress.XtraVerticalGrid.PropertySort.NoSort, DevExpress.XtraVerticalGrid.PropertySort.Alphabetical)
            propertyGridControl1.Refresh()
            propertyGridControl1.RetrieveFields()
        End Sub
    End Class
    Friend Class CustomClass
        Private privateProperty1 As String
        <DisplayName("C")> _
        Public Property Property1() As String
            Get
                Return privateProperty1
            End Get
            Set(ByVal value As String)
                privateProperty1 = value
            End Set
        End Property
        Private privateProperty2 As String
        <DisplayName("B")> _
        Public Property Property2() As String
            Get
                Return privateProperty2
            End Get
            Set(ByVal value As String)
                privateProperty2 = value
            End Set
        End Property
        Private privateProperty3 As String
        <DisplayName("A")> _
        Public Property Property3() As String
            Get
                Return privateProperty3
            End Get
            Set(ByVal value As String)
                privateProperty3 = value
            End Set
        End Property
        Private privateProperty4 As String
        <DisplayName("D")> _
        Public Property Property4() As String
            Get
                Return privateProperty4
            End Get
            Set(ByVal value As String)
                privateProperty4 = value
            End Set
        End Property
        Private privateProperty5 As String
        <DisplayName("E")> _
        Public Property Property5() As String
            Get
                Return privateProperty5
            End Get
            Set(ByVal value As String)
                privateProperty5 = value
            End Set
        End Property
    End Class
End Namespace

Program.vb

Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Linq
Imports System.Windows.Forms

Namespace PropertySorting
    Friend NotInheritable Class Program
        ''' <summary>
        ''' The main entry point for the application.
        ''' </summary>
        Private Sub New()
        End Sub
        <STAThread> _
        Shared Sub Main()
            Application.EnableVisualStyles()
            Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(False)
            Application.Run(New Form1())
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace