VB .Net - ShouldSerialize function - vb.net

Question

I have a problem with ShouldSerialize function.
I defined an usercontrol with a label (named Label1) on it.
Now i put the code below in the usercontrol class :
Imports System.ComponentModel
Public Class UserControl1
Dim _Range As UShort = 100
Private Sub UserControl1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Label1.Text = _Range
End Sub
Public Function ShouldSerializeTBValueRange() As Boolean
Return _Range <> 200
End Function
Public Sub ResetTBValueRange()
_Range = 200
Label1.Text = _Range
End Sub
Public Property TBValueRange As UShort
Get
Return _Range
End Get
Set(ByVal Steps As UShort)
_Range = Steps
Label1.Text = _Range
End Set
End Property
End Class
Now in a new form include the usercontrol.
In the properties grid of the usercontrol u can find the property TBValueRange.
If you right click in the property name you can Reinit the property.
After reinit u can see value 200 in the property.
Now, regenerate the project will reset the property to the initial value (id 100).
Why the value 200 didn't stay?
If i replace the line Return _Range <> 200 in the function ShouldSerializeTBValueRange() by
Return Not _Range.Equals(200)
it will work.
i don't understand.
Anyone could explain this?

Answer 1

The methods are working as coded. The thing which seems to not work as expected is the Not _Range.Equals(200) portion.
You initialize _Range to 100: Dim _Range As UShort = 100
Then, your ShouldSerializeTBValueRange method tells VS to only save the range value when it is not 200: Return _Range <> 200
So, when you reset it to 200 in the IDE, it wont save a value of 200, and the initial value of 100 displays.
The code uses one value for the default, 100 but use a different value for ShouldSerialize test. You should either change it to use a default of 200:
Dim _Range As UShort = 200
Or change the ShouldSerialize test to use 100:
Public Function ShouldSerializeTBValueRange() As Boolean
Return _Range <> 100
End Function
Treating the default value as the default, and using only one value for the default everything works as expected using just ShouldSerializexxx and Resetxxx with no need for anything else.
' THIS is the default value -
' ie the value that need not be saved because the
' control automatically starts with that value
Dim _Range As UShort = 200US
' Controls:
' - displays the prop value in Bold in the property window
' when the value is NOT the default
' - saves the value when it is NOT the default
' - enables/disables the RESET function
Public Function ShouldSerializeTBValueRange() As Boolean
Return (_Range <> 200US)
End Function
Using one value for the actual default (100) and then returning T/F based on a different value (200) results in
100 being saved when it need not be
200 not being saved when it should be
the Reset menu item and Bold value being in the incorrect state
The oddity is that Not _Range.Equals(200) seems to fail. It returns False after a reset (to 200) which causes the value to be saved when it really should not. There are 2 overloads for this:
UInt16.Equals(obj As Object) As Boolean
UInt16.Equals(v As UShort) As Boolean
If you pass anything other than an actual UInt16/UShort, the value will be boxed as Object. So, Not _Range.Equals(200) is using the first because 200 is Int32. The ILCode for that version is:
public override bool Equals(object obj)
{
return obj is ushort && this == (ushort)obj;
}
The test will fail the first test because obj contains an Int32. If you pass a UShort, it will work:
UShort.Equals(_Range, 200US)
'or:
_Range.Equals(200US)
All good reasons to understand the different data types, avoid boxing (As Object) and always and forever set Option Strict On.

Answer 2

Thanks you all to have spent time on my question.
I found my answer : when ShouldSerialize function return false the property value isn't save in the file Form1.designer.vb, so it gets the original value.
For my needed the ShouldSerialize function should always return true.
Public Function ShouldSerializeTBValueRange() As Boolean
Return true
End Function
So the property value will always be saved.
Now, what i'm looking for is how to control the context menu of the property grid.
I want the option "Reinit" greyed when the value is good.

Answer 3

Finally, i found something, with the use of PropertyDescriptor.
For whose are interested, we can save properties in the designer.vb file and test the value to reset.
here is my program, based on the article from MSDN - Microsft:
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Windows.Forms.Design
<Designer(GetType(DemoControlDesigner))>
Public Class UserControl1
Dim _MyProperty1 As String = "Test1"
Dim _MyProperty2 As Integer = 100
Dim _MyProperty3 As UShort = 200
Public Sub New()
InitializeComponent()
End Sub
Public Function CanResetMyProperty1() As Boolean
Return _MyProperty1 <> "Test"
End Function
Public Sub ResetMyProperty1()
_MyProperty1 = "Test"
End Sub
Public Property MyProperty1 As String
Get
Return _MyProperty1
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As String)
_MyProperty1 = Value
End Set
End Property
Public Function CanResetMyProperty2() As Boolean
Return _MyProperty2 <> 150
End Function
Public Sub ResetMyProperty2()
_MyProperty2 = 150
End Sub
Public Property MyProperty2 As Integer
Get
Return _MyProperty2
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As Integer)
_MyProperty2 = Value
End Set
End Property
Public Function CanResetMyProperty3() As Boolean
Return _MyProperty3 <> _MyProperty2
End Function
Public Sub ResetMyProperty3()
_MyProperty3 = _MyProperty2
End Sub
Public Property MyProperty3 As UShort
Get
Return _MyProperty3
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As UShort)
_MyProperty3 = Value
End Set
End Property
End Class
Friend NotInheritable Class SerializePropertyDescriptor
Inherits PropertyDescriptor
Private _pd As PropertyDescriptor = Nothing
Public Sub New(ByVal pd As PropertyDescriptor)
MyBase.New(pd)
_pd = pd
End Sub
Public Overrides ReadOnly Property Attributes() As AttributeCollection
Get
Return Me._pd.Attributes
End Get
End Property
Protected Overrides Sub FillAttributes(ByVal attributeList As IList)
MyBase.FillAttributes(attributeList)
End Sub
Public Overrides ReadOnly Property ComponentType() As Type
Get
Return Me._pd.ComponentType
End Get
End Property
Public Overrides ReadOnly Property Converter() As TypeConverter
Get
Return Me._pd.Converter
End Get
End Property
Public Overrides Function GetEditor(ByVal editorBaseType As Type) As Object
Return Me._pd.GetEditor(editorBaseType)
End Function
Public Overrides ReadOnly Property IsReadOnly() As Boolean
Get
Return Me._pd.IsReadOnly
End Get
End Property
Public Overrides ReadOnly Property PropertyType() As Type
Get
Return Me._pd.PropertyType
End Get
End Property
Public Overrides Function CanResetValue(ByVal component As Object) As Boolean
Try
Return CallByName(component, "CanReset" & _pd.Name, CallType.Get, Nothing)
Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox(ex.Message)
End Try
Return False
End Function
Public Overrides Function GetValue(ByVal component As Object) As Object
Return Me._pd.GetValue(component)
End Function
Public Overrides Sub ResetValue(ByVal component As Object)
Me._pd.ResetValue(component)
End Sub
Public Overrides Sub SetValue(ByVal component As Object, ByVal val As Object)
Me._pd.SetValue(component, val)
End Sub
Public Overrides Function ShouldSerializeValue(ByVal component As Object) As Boolean
Return True
End Function
End Class
Class DemoControlDesigner
Inherits ControlDesigner
Dim PropertiesToSerialize As String() = {"MyProperty1", "MyProperty2", "MyProperty3"}
Protected Overrides Sub PostFilterProperties(ByVal properties As IDictionary)
Dim original As PropertyDescriptor
For Each PropName As String In PropertiesToSerialize
If properties.Contains(PropName) Then
original = properties(PropName)
properties(PropName) = New SerializePropertyDescriptor(original)
End If
Next
MyBase.PostFilterProperties(properties)
End Sub
End Class
For each property that should be serialized and tested for reset, we should write a sub "CanResetPropertyName" which test the value to reset (see sample).
And the values stay now, even if we regenerate the project.
It's working fine for me, maybe it can be improved.
Regards.