WPF (dependency) property code generator

If you want to create exactly same kind of property e.g. TextBox.Text to your class, you need to sweat blood and tears for it. It basically is just:

TextBox.Text is dependency property
TextBox.TextChanged is depdendency property changed event.

Following generator can create those publics to your object instance, even though it might sound a little, but those two still consist a lot of code in WPF.

Inputs

Snippet for common properties:

You must fill the Owner type in order to use following...

Owner type: e.g. TextBox Property name: e.g. Text Property type: e.g. string Default value: e.g. "My value" This is not always required, but highly recommended. Determine if the value of the property is changed from default you check the value with ReadLocalValue(MyProperty) == DependencyProperty.UnsetValue, to set value to default you use ClearValue(MyProperty). Changed event: MyPropertyChanged(). Properties having changed like TextChanged, IsEnabledChanged, IsHitTestVisibleChanged but not in FontFamily, FontStyle... Read only: MyPropertyKey. Only the getter is available as public, type of the dependency property in this case is DependencyPropertyKey.

Advanced Attached property: SetMyPropertyValue(), GetMyPropertyValue(). Attached property can be set by any other object, this allows your class to interact with objects that sets this attached property. As a general rule: Ask yourself what data do you need from your childs / other elements? E.g. DockPanel.Dock (As the DockPanel iterates its childs it looks whether this attached property is set to which value.) Inheritable value: Properties that needs to be inheritable (using Logical Tree). E.g. FontFamily, FontStyle...

Coerce value:For example if you want to ensure that the value is coerced to "jack", "jones" or "smith". Or you want to coerce the value being between 1 and 140... If you find yourself implementing value conversion you should consider using IValueConverter instead. I define MyPropertyCoerce(). public static MyPropertyIsValid() function which takes value and returns boolean if the value is valid. Predefined CoerceValueCallback.

Validate value:If you like to validate the value before it gets set. For example you want to validate that the value is between 1 and 140. I define MyPropertyValidate(). private static MyPropertyIsValid() function which takes new value and returns true if the value is valid.Private modifier is because the validator can be accessed using MyProperty.IsValidValue(). Predefined ValidateValueCallback. For example TextElement.FontFamilyProperty.IsValidValue, TextElement.FontStyleProperty.IsValidValue...

Output

References

Large portion of code is based on MSDN example of DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs.
MSDN page about CoerceValueCallback.
MSDN page about ValidateValueCallback.
MSDN page about Making a Custom Property Inheritable.
MSDN page about Attached properties.
MSDN page about visual tree, and logical tree.
MSDN page about Property Value Inheritance.
MSDN page about read only properties.
Motivation came from Kirupa dep. property generator, as I found it lacking features that I constantly need.
jQuery - JavaScript library
$.scrollTo() - jQuery extension to scroll in page.
$.populate() - jQuery extension to populate form.

Todo

Refactor the snippet form to use $.validate() - jQuery form validation extension.
List some common properties that have ValueChanged event.
Suggest some options by guessing from values the user gave. E.g. FontFamily should have validator as TextElement.FontFamilyProperty.IsValidValue, ...
Attached property changed event also.
Visual Studio code snippets to do same thing.

Made with JavaScript, so that you can save this by just copying the page.

Created by Jari Pennanen, "Ciantic" in 2009.

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