Add an Action that Displays a Pop-Up Window

• May 07, 2025
• 4 minutes to read

This lesson explains how to create an Action that shows a pop-up window. This type of Action is useful when users want to input multiple parameters in a pop-up dialog before they execute an Action.

Note

Before you proceed, take a moment to review the previous lessons:

• Configure a Many-to-Many Relationship
• Add a Simple Action

In this tutorial, you will implement the ability to add notes from a predefined list to task descriptions.

Implement a New Entity

1. Expand the MySolution.Module project and right-click the Business Objects folder. Choose Add | Class…. Specify Note.cs as the new class name and click Add.

2. Replace the generated class declaration with the following code snippet:

   using DevExpress.ExpressApp.DC;
   using DevExpress.Persistent.Base;
   using System.ComponentModel;
   using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations;
   
   namespace MySolution.Module.BusinessObjects;
   
   [DefaultProperty(nameof(Text))]
   [ImageName("BO_Note")]
   public class Note {
   
       [Key, Browsable(false)]
       [DevExpress.ExpressApp.Data.Key]
       [HideInUI(HideInUI.All)]
       public virtual Guid ID { get; set; }
       public virtual String Author { get; set; }
       public virtual DateTime? DateTime { get; set; }
   
       [FieldSize(FieldSizeAttribute.Unlimited)]
       public virtual String Text { get; set; }
   }
   

3. Register the Note type in DbContext. Edit the BusinessObjects\MySolutionDbContext.cs file as shown below:

   public class MySolutionEFCoreDbContext : DbContext {
       // ...
       public DbSet<Note> Notes { get; set; }
   }
   

Create a View Controller

1. Add a new View Controller to the MySolution.Module project. Name it PopupNotesController.

2. In the PopupNotesController.cs file, specify the controller properties:

   using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
   using MySolution.Module.BusinessObjects;
   // ...
   public partial class PopupNotesController : ViewController {
       // ...
       public PopupNotesController() {
           InitializeComponent();
           //Target the required Views and create their Actions
           TargetObjectType = typeof(DemoTask);
           TargetViewType = ViewType.DetailView;
       }
       // ...
   }
   

3. Add the ShowNotesAction action and handle its CustomizePopupWindowParams event:

   public partial class PopupNotesController : ViewController {
       public PopupNotesController() {
           InitializeComponent();
           TargetObjectType = typeof(DemoTask);
           TargetViewType = ViewType.DetailView;
           /*Invoke a pop-up window with a specified View and execute custom code
             when a user clicks the OK or Cancel button.*/
           PopupWindowShowAction showNotesAction = new PopupWindowShowAction(this, "ShowNotesAction", PredefinedCategory.Edit) {
               Caption = "Show Notes"
           };
   
           showNotesAction.CustomizePopupWindowParams += ShowNotesAction_CustomizePopupWindowParams;
       }
   
       private void ShowNotesAction_CustomizePopupWindowParams(object sender, CustomizePopupWindowParamsEventArgs e) {
           //Create a List View for Note objects in the pop-up window.
           e.View = Application.CreateListView(typeof(Note), true);
       }
       // ...
   }
   

4. Add and handle the ShowNotesAction‘s Execute event. It occurs when a user clicks OK in the pop-up window. The event handler code appends the Note.Text property value to the Task.Description property value.

   // ...
   public PopupNotesController() {
       // ...
       showNotesAction.Execute += ShowNotesAction_Execute;
   }
   
   private void ShowNotesAction_Execute(object sender, PopupWindowShowActionExecuteEventArgs e) {
       DemoTask task = (DemoTask)View.CurrentObject;
       foreach(Note note in e.PopupWindowViewSelectedObjects) {
           if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(task.Description)) {
               task.Description += Environment.NewLine;
           }
           // Add selected note texts to a Task's description
           task.Description += note.Text;
       }
       View.ObjectSpace.CommitChanges();
   }
   

   The event handler’s e.PopupWindowViewSelectedObjects parameter provides an object that a user selects in the pop-up window.

5. Run the application.

   Open a Task item’s Detail View. The Detail View toolbar displays the Show Notes button. This is the action implemented in this lesson.

   Click the button to open the pop-up window. The pop-up window displays a list view for the Note objects. Create a Note object.

   Click this Note object in the list. The Task.Description property value should change.

   ASP.NET Core Blazor

   

   Windows Forms

   

For an example of how to create and show a Detail View, refer to the following topic: How to: Create and Show a Detail View of the Selected Object in a Popup Window.

Note

CodeRush allows you to add Actions and Controllers with a few keystrokes. To learn about the Code Templates for XAF, refer to the following help topic: XAF Templates.

Next Lesson

Add an Action with Option Selection