//A base class that can be used to create derived classes which use friendly names

  //The methods and properties normally return data from the standard TypeDescriptor

  //except the methods that return a PropertyDescriptorCollection.

  public class FriendlyNameBase : ICustomTypeDescriptor

  {

 

    /// <summary>

    /// Creates a collection of FriendlyPropertyDescriptors

    /// </summary>

    /// <param name="attributes">An array of attributes used to select the properties required.

    /// Normally contains a BrowsableAttribute used to select only the browsable properties from the class</param>

    /// <returns>A collection of modified property descriptors</returns>

    protected PropertyDescriptorCollection GetFriendlyProperties(Attribute[] attributes)

    {

      PropertyDescriptorCollection pdc = TypeDescriptor.GetProperties(this,attributes,true);

      PropertyDescriptorCollection finalProps=new PropertyDescriptorCollection(new PropertyDescriptor[0]);

      foreach(PropertyDescriptor pd in pdc)

        finalProps.Add(new FriendlyNamePropertyDescriptor(pd));

      return finalProps;

    }

 

    #region ICustomTypeDescriptor Members

 

    public TypeConverter GetConverter()

    {

      return TypeDescriptor.GetConverter(this,true);

    }

 

    public EventDescriptorCollection GetEvents(Attribute[] attributes)

    {

      return TypeDescriptor.GetEvents(this,attributes,true);

    }

 

    EventDescriptorCollection System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetEvents()

    {

      return TypeDescriptor.GetEvents(this,true);

    }

 

    public string GetComponentName()

    {

      return TypeDescriptor.GetComponentName(this,true);

    }

 

    public object GetPropertyOwner(PropertyDescriptor pd)

    {

      return this;

    }

 

    public AttributeCollection GetAttributes()

    {

      return TypeDescriptor.GetAttributes(this,true);

    }

 

    public PropertyDescriptorCollection GetProperties(Attribute[] attributes)

    {

      return this.GetFriendlyProperties(attributes);

    }

 

    PropertyDescriptorCollection System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetProperties()

    {

      return this.GetFriendlyProperties(new Attribute[0]);

    }

 

    public object GetEditor(Type editorBaseType)

    {

      return TypeDescriptor.GetEditor(this,editorBaseType,true);

    }

 

    public PropertyDescriptor GetDefaultProperty()

    {

      return TypeDescriptor.GetDefaultProperty(this,true);

    }

 

    public EventDescriptor GetDefaultEvent()

    {

      return TypeDescriptor.GetDefaultEvent(this,true);

    }

 

    public string GetClassName()

    {

      return TypeDescriptor.GetClassName(this,true);

    }

 

    #endregion

 

  }

 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 

  //A class based on the FriendlyNameBase which is used

  //to populate the property grid and display friendly named properties

 

  public class DemoClass : FriendlyNameBase

  {

    string _notAVeryFriendlyName;

    public string NotAVeryFriendlyName

    {

      get{return _notAVeryFriendlyName;}

      set{_notAVeryFriendlyName=value;}

    }

 

    string _aVeryFriendlyNameIndeed;

    [FriendlyName("A Friendly Name")] //Note the use of this attribute

    public string AVeryFriendlyNameIndeed

    {

      get{return _aVeryFriendlyNameIndeed;}

      set{_aVeryFriendlyNameIndeed=value;}

    }

  }

 

 

Public Class FriendlyNameBase

  Implements ICustomTypeDescriptor

 

  Protected Function GetFriendlyProperties(ByVal attributes As Attribute())

    Dim pdc As PropertyDescriptorCollection = TypeDescriptor.GetProperties(Me, attributes, True)

    Dim finalProps As New PropertyDescriptorCollection(New PropertyDescriptor() {})

    Dim pd As PropertyDescriptor

    For Each pd In pdc

      finalProps.Add(New FriendlyNamePropertyDescriptor(pd))

    Next

    Return finalProps

  End Function

 

  Public Function GetAttributes() As System.ComponentModel.AttributeCollection Implements System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetAttributes

    Return TypeDescriptor.GetAttributes(Me, True)

  End Function

 

  Public Function GetClassName() As String Implements System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetClassName

    Return TypeDescriptor.GetClassName(Me, True)

  End Function

 

  Public Function GetComponentName() As String Implements System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetComponentName

    Return TypeDescriptor.GetComponentName(Me, True)

  End Function

 

  Public Function GetConverter() As System.ComponentModel.TypeConverter Implements System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetConverter

    Return TypeDescriptor.GetConverter(Me, True)

  End Function

 

  Public Function GetDefaultEvent() As System.ComponentModel.EventDescriptor Implements System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetDefaultEvent

    Return TypeDescriptor.GetDefaultEvent(Me, True)

  End Function

 

  Public Function GetDefaultProperty() As System.ComponentModel.PropertyDescriptor Implements System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetDefaultProperty

    Return TypeDescriptor.GetDefaultProperty(Me, True)

  End Function

 

  Public Function GetEditor(ByVal editorBaseType As System.Type) As Object Implements System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetEditor

    Return TypeDescriptor.GetEditor(Me, editorBaseType, True)

  End Function

 

  Public Overloads Function GetEvents() As System.ComponentModel.EventDescriptorCollection Implements System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetEvents

    Return TypeDescriptor.GetEvents(Me, True)

  End Function

 

  Public Overloads Function GetEvents1(ByVal attributes() As System.Attribute) As System.ComponentModel.EventDescriptorCollection Implements System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetEvents

    Return TypeDescriptor.GetEvents(Me, attributes, True)

  End Function

 

  Public Overloads Function GetProperties() As System.ComponentModel.PropertyDescriptorCollection Implements System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetProperties

    Return GetFriendlyProperties(New Attribute() {})

  End Function

 

  Public Overloads Function GetProperties1(ByVal attributes() As System.Attribute) As System.ComponentModel.PropertyDescriptorCollection Implements System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetProperties

    Return GetFriendlyProperties(attributes)

  End Function

 

  Public Function GetPropertyOwner(ByVal pd As System.ComponentModel.PropertyDescriptor) As Object Implements System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetPropertyOwner

    Return Me

  End Function

 

  Public Sub New()

 

  End Sub

End Class

 

Public Class DemoClass

  Inherits FriendlyNameBase

 

  Private _notAVeryFriendlyName As String

  Public Property NotAVeryFriendlyName() As String

    Get

      Return _notAVeryFriendlyName

    End Get

    Set(ByVal Value As String)

      _notAVeryFriendlyName = Value

    End Set

  End Property

 

  Private _friendlyName As String

  <FriendlyName("A Friendly Name")> _

  Public Property FriendlyName() As String

    Get

      Return Me._friendlyName

    End Get

    Set(ByVal Value As String)

      Me._friendlyName = Value

    End Set

  End Property

End Class