Access Editor Settings

• Nov 20, 2020
• 4 minutes to read

This topic demonstrates how to access editors in a Detail View using a View Controller. This Controller searches the Contact Detail View for a Birthday Property Editor that binds data to a control, and specifies that the control should display touch-UI calendar in its drop down.

Note

We recommend reviewing the following topics before proceeding:

• Inherit from the Business Class Library Class (XPO/EF)
• Add a Simple Action

Access Editor Settings in a WinForms Application

• Add a View Controller called “WinDateEditCalendarController” to the MySolution.Module.Win project as described in the Add a Simple Action lesson (steps 1-3). Switch to code view. Derive the new controller from the ObjectViewController<ViewType, ObjectType>:

  C#

  using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
  using MainDemo.Module.BusinessObjects;
  
  namespace MainDemo.Module.Win.Controllers {
      public partial class WinDateEditCalendarController : ObjectViewController<DetailView, Contact> {
          public WinDateEditCalendarController() {
              InitializeComponent();
          }
          // ...
      }
  }
  

  VB.NET

  Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
  Imports MainDemo.Module.BusinessObjects
  
  Namespace MainDemo.Module.Win.Controllers
      Public Partial Class WinDateEditCalendarController
          Inherits ObjectViewController(Of DetailView, Contact)
  
          Public Sub New()
              InitializeComponent()
          End Sub
          ' ...
      End Class
  End Namespace
  

• Override the OnActivated method. Use the DetailViewExtensions.CustomizeViewItemControl(DetailView, Controller, Action<ViewItem>, String[]) method to customize the Birthday View Item‘s control.

The following code demonstrates the WinDateEditCalendarController:

C#

using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Editors;
using DevExpress.XtraEditors;
using MainDemo.Module.BusinessObjects;

namespace MainDemo.Module.Win.Controllers {
    public partial class WinDateEditCalendarController : ObjectViewController<DetailView, Contact> {
        public WinDateEditCalendarController() {
            InitializeComponent();
        }
        protected override void OnActivated() {
            base.OnActivated();
            View.CustomizeViewItemControl(this, SetCalendarView, nameof(Contact.Birthday));
        }
        private void SetCalendarView(ViewItem viewItem) {
            DateEdit dateEdit = (DateEdit)viewItem.Control;
            dateEdit.Properties.CalendarView = DevExpress.XtraEditors.Repository.CalendarView.TouchUI;
        }
    }
}

VB.NET

Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.Editors
Imports DevExpress.XtraEditors
Imports MainDemo.Module.BusinessObjects

Namespace MainDemo.Module.Win.Controllers
    Public Partial Class WinDateEditCalendarController
        Inherits ObjectViewController(Of DetailView, Contact)

        Public Sub New()
            InitializeComponent()
        End Sub

        Protected Overrides Sub OnActivated()
            MyBase.OnActivated()
            View.CustomizeViewItemControl(Me, AddressOf SetCalendarView, NameOf(Contact.Birthday))
        End Sub

        Private Sub SetCalendarView(ByVal viewItem As ViewItem)
            Dim dateEdit As DateEdit = CType(viewItem.Control, DateEdit)
            dateEdit.Properties.CalendarView = DevExpress.XtraEditors.Repository.CalendarView.TouchUI
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

Run the WinForms application and open the Contact Detail View. The Birthday editor shows a touch-UI calendar drop down.

Tip

This approach is not applicable to List View’s in-place editors. To customize these editors, do one of the following:

• Use a custom property editor as shown in the How to: Customize a Built-in Property Editor (WinForms) topic.
• Access the List Editor control’s events and properties as described in the Access Grid Control Properties article.

Access Editor Settings in an ASP.NET Application

• Add a View Controller called “WebDateEditCalendarController“ to the MySolution.Module.Web project as described in the Add a Simple Action topic (steps 1-3). Switch to code view. Derive the new controller from the ObjectViewController<ViewType, ObjectType>:

  C#

  using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
  using MainDemo.Module.BusinessObjects;
  
  namespace MainDemo.Module.Web.Controllers {
      public partial class WebDateEditCalendarController : ObjectViewController<DetailView, Contact> {
          public WebDateEditCalendarController() {
              InitializeComponent();
          }
          // ...
      }
  }
  

  VB.NET

  Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
  Imports MainDemo.Module.BusinessObjects
  
  Namespace MainDemo.Module.Web.Controllers
      Public Partial Class WebDateEditCalendarController
          Inherits ObjectViewController(Of DetailView, Contact)
  
          Public Sub New()
              InitializeComponent()
          End Sub
          ' ...
      End Class
  End Namespace
  

• Override the OnActivated method. Use the DetailViewExtensions.CustomizeViewItemControl(DetailView, Controller, Action<ViewItem>, String[]) method to customize the Birthday View Item‘s control.

The following code demonstrates the WebDateEditCalendarController:

C#

using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Editors;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Web.Editors.ASPx;
using DevExpress.Web;
using MainDemo.Module.BusinessObjects;

namespace MainDemo.Module.Web.Controllers {
    public partial class WebDateEditCalendarController : ObjectViewController<DetailView, Contact> {
        public WebDateEditCalendarController() {
            InitializeComponent();
        }
        protected override void OnActivated() {
            base.OnActivated();
            View.CustomizeViewItemControl(this, SetCalendarView, nameof(Contact.Birthday));
        }
        private void SetCalendarView(ViewItem viewItem) {
            var propertyEditor = viewItem as ASPxDateTimePropertyEditor;

            if(propertyEditor != null && propertyEditor.ViewEditMode == ViewEditMode.Edit) {
                ASPxDateEdit dateEdit = propertyEditor.Editor;
                dateEdit.PickerDisplayMode = DatePickerDisplayMode.ScrollPicker;
            }
        }
    }
}

VB.NET

Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.Editors
Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.Web.Editors.ASPx
Imports DevExpress.Web
Imports MainDemo.Module.BusinessObjects

Namespace MainDemo.Module.Web.Controllers
    Public Partial Class WebDateEditCalendarController
        Inherits ObjectViewController(Of DetailView, Contact)

        Public Sub New()
            InitializeComponent()
        End Sub

        Protected Overrides Sub OnActivated()
            MyBase.OnActivated()
            View.CustomizeViewItemControl(Me, AddressOf SetCalendarView, NameOf(Contact.Birthday))
        End Sub

        Private Sub SetCalendarView(ByVal viewItem As ViewItem)
            Dim propertyEditor = TryCast(viewItem, ASPxDateTimePropertyEditor)

            If propertyEditor IsNot Nothing AndAlso propertyEditor.ViewEditMode Is ViewEditMode.Edit Then
                Dim dateEdit As ASPxDateEdit = propertyEditor.Editor
                dateEdit.PickerDisplayMode = DatePickerDisplayMode.ScrollPicker
            End If
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

Run the ASP.NET application and open the Contact Detail View. The Birthday editor shows a touch-UI calendar drop down.

Tip

This approach does not affect List View’s in-place editors. To customize these editors as well, use the solution described in the How to: Customize a Built-in Property Editor (ASP.NET) topic. Alternatively, access the required in-place Web List Editor as directed in the ComplexWebListEditor.FindPropertyEditor method description. To apply custom settings to an ASPxGridListEditor‘s column, handle the ASPxGridListEditor.CreateCustomGridViewDataColumn and ASPxGridListEditor.CustomizeGridViewDataColumn events. If you need to access a template for displaying cells within the current column, use the ASPxGridListEditor.CreateCustomDataItemTemplate and ASPxGridListEditor.CreateCustomEditItemTemplate events.

 

Next Lesson: Access Grid Control Properties