DevExpress DevExpress XAF — Editors (Property Editors, List Editors & View Items)
Editors are the building blocks that render individual properties (Property Editors), entire object collections (List Editors), and custom UI elements (View Items) inside XAF Views.
Prerequisites & Installation
Editors are part of the core XAF framework — no additional module registration is required. Platform-specific editor code belongs in the corresponding platform project.
NuGet Packages
| Package | Purpose | Project |
|---|---|---|
DevExpress.ExpressApp |
PropertyEditor base class, ViewItem, ListEditor abstractions |
MySolution.Module |
DevExpress.ExpressApp.Blazor |
BlazorPropertyEditorBase, Blazor editor models |
MySolution.Blazor.Server |
DevExpress.ExpressApp.Blazor.Editors |
BlazorControlViewItem, DxGridListEditor, DxTreeListEditor |
MySolution.Blazor.Server |
DevExpress.ExpressApp.Win |
WinForms DXPropertyEditor, GridListEditor, TreeListEditor |
MySolution.Win |
All packages are included in XAF projects created from the template.
Where to Place Custom Editors
| Type | Platform-agnostic | Blazor | WinForms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Property Editor | — | MySolution.Blazor.Server\Editors\ |
MySolution.Win\Editors\ |
| Custom List Editor | — | MySolution.Blazor.Server\Editors\ |
MySolution.Win\Editors\ |
| Custom View Item | MySolution.Module\ViewItems\ |
MySolution.Blazor.Server\Editors\ |
MySolution.Win\Editors\ |
| Controller customizing editors | MySolution.Module\Controllers\ |
MySolution.Blazor.Server\Controllers\ |
MySolution.Win\Controllers\ |
Custom editors are discovered automatically via [PropertyEditor], [ListEditor], or [ViewItem] attributes — no manual registration in Module.cs is needed.
Key Using Statements
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Editors; // PropertyEditor, ListEditor, ViewItem, ColumnWrapper
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Model; // IModelColumn, IModelMember, IModelListView
// Blazor:
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Blazor.Editors; // BlazorPropertyEditorBase, DxGridListEditor
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Blazor.Editors.Models; // DxGridModel, DxDateEditModel, etc.
// WinForms:
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Win.Editors; // DXPropertyEditor, GridListEditor
Property Editor Class Hierarchy
PropertyEditor (abstract, platform-independent)
├── BlazorPropertyEditorBase — Blazor editors
│ ├── StringPropertyEditor
│ ├── NumericPropertyEditor
│ ├── DateTimePropertyEditor
│ ├── LookupPropertyEditor
│ ├── BooleanPropertyEditor
│ ├── EnumPropertyEditor
│ └── (other built-in Blazor editors)
├── WinPropertyEditor — WinForms editors (custom control)
│ └── DXPropertyEditor — WinForms editors using XtraEditors
│ ├── DatePropertyEditor
│ ├── StringPropertyEditor
│ ├── IntegerPropertyEditor
│ └── (other built-in Win editors)
Built-in Property Editors — Data Type Mapping
| Property Type | Blazor Editor | WinForms Editor |
|---|---|---|
string |
StringPropertyEditor (DxTextBox) |
StringPropertyEditor (TextEdit) |
int, decimal, double |
NumericPropertyEditor (DxSpinEdit) |
IntegerPropertyEditor / DecimalPropertyEditor |
DateTime |
DateTimePropertyEditor (DxDateEdit) |
DatePropertyEditor (DateEdit) |
bool |
BooleanPropertyEditor (DxCheckBox or DxComboBox) |
BooleanPropertyEditor (CheckEdit) |
enum |
EnumPropertyEditor (DxComboBox) |
EnumPropertyEditor (ImageComboBoxEdit) |
| Reference (FK) | LookupPropertyEditor (DxComboBox with lookup) |
LookupPropertyEditor (LookupEdit) |
byte[] image |
ImagePropertyEditor |
ImagePropertyEditor |
| File attachment | DxFileDataPropertyEditor |
FileDataPropertyEditor |
| Collection | ListPropertyEditor (nested ListView) |
ListPropertyEditor (nested ListView) |
CriteriaOperator |
CriteriaPropertyEditor |
PopupCriteriaPropertyEditor |
Color |
ColorPropertyEditor |
ColorPropertyEditor |
Type |
TypePropertyEditor |
TypePropertyEditor |
Customizing Built-in Property Editors
Refer to references/customize-editors.md
When you need to:
- Use
CustomizeViewItemControlin a controller to configure Blazor or WinForms editors without subclassing - Target a specific property by name for customization
- Make a property read-only (
AllowEdit) or hidden (ViewItemVisibility) - Add custom buttons to Blazor editors via
DxEditorButtonModel - Hide New/Edit buttons on Lookup Property Editors
- Implement
IComplexViewItemto accessObjectSpaceandXafApplicationin a custom editor
Implementing Custom Property Editors
Refer to references/custom-property-editors.md
When you need to:
- Build a Blazor Property Editor from scratch using the ComponentModel pattern
- Wrap an existing DevExpress Blazor component as a simplified Property Editor
- Control how a custom editor renders in List View grid cells (
CreateViewComponentCore) - Build a WinForms Property Editor with
CreateControlCoreandIInplaceEditSupport - Inherit from a built-in WinForms editor (
DXPropertyEditor) and customize viaSetupRepositoryItem - Register editors with
PropertyEditorAttributeand understand default vs non-default assignment
Custom Buttons & Lookup Configuration
Refer to references/customize-editors.md
When you need to:
- Add icon buttons to Blazor property editors via
DxEditorButtonModel - Hide or restore New/Edit buttons on
LookupPropertyEditor - Implement
IComplexViewItemso a custom editor can accessObjectSpaceandXafApplication
List Editors
Built-in List Editors
| Platform | Editor | Control | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blazor | DxGridListEditor |
DxGrid |
Default grid |
| Blazor | DxTreeListEditor |
DxTreeList |
Hierarchical data |
| Blazor | DxChartListEditor |
DxChart |
Chart visualization |
| Blazor | SchedulerListEditor |
DxScheduler |
Scheduling |
| WinForms | GridListEditor |
XtraGrid GridControl |
Default grid |
| WinForms | TreeListEditor |
TreeList |
Hierarchical data |
| WinForms | ChartListEditor |
ChartControl |
Chart visualization |
| WinForms | SchedulerListEditor |
SchedulerControl |
Scheduling |
| WinForms | PivotGridListEditor |
PivotGridControl |
Pivot tables |
Accessing & Customizing List Editors
Refer to references/list-editors.md
When you need to:
- Access
DxGridListEditororGridListEditorcontrols inOnViewControlsCreated - Customize columns, group panel, resize mode, or filter buttons on the grid
- Use platform-agnostic
ColumnsListEditorAPI that works on both Blazor and WinForms - Access the
DxGridcomponent instance directly for runtime method calls - Implement a custom List Editor with
IComponentContentHolder(Blazor)
Custom View Items
Refer to references/custom-view-items.md
When you need to:
- Create a custom ViewItem (e.g., a button) using
ViewItemAttributeandIComponentContentHolder - Embed a Razor component in a Dashboard View using
BlazorControlViewItemwithCascadingParameter - Access
ObjectSpacefrom a Razor component embedded in a View
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Custom editor not in Model Editor | Missing PropertyEditorAttribute |
Add [PropertyEditor(typeof(T), false)] |
| Editor shows but value doesn't bind | ReadValueCore/GetControlValueCore not overridden |
Override both methods |
| Grid column not editable | IInplaceEditSupport not implemented (WinForms) |
Implement CreateRepositoryItem() |
Null reference in CustomizeViewItemControl |
Called in wrong lifecycle | Use OnActivated, not constructor |
| List Editor doesn't display | ListEditorAttribute missing or wrong type |
Add [ListEditor(typeof(IMyType))] |
| Blazor ComponentModel not rendering | Missing IComponentContentHolder |
Implement the interface on your editor/ViewItem |
| WinForms custom control not visible | CreateControlCore returns null |
Ensure control is instantiated and returned |
Constraints & Rules
- No XAFML/Model Editor file editing: Register editors via
PropertyEditorAttribute/ListEditorAttributein code; assign via Application Model API in controllers. - Platform-specific code: Blazor editors in
.Blazor.Serverproject, WinForms editors in.Winproject. - Use
OnViewControlsCreated(notOnActivated) to access underlying UI controls of List Editors. - Use
CustomizeViewItemControlinOnActivatedto configure Property Editors — it handles the correct lifecycle automatically. - Version consistency: All DevExpress packages must use the same version.
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