Open a OpenFileDialog to change the value of a property in a PropertyGrid control?

Question

In Windows Forms, I'm representing a custom class in a PropertyGid control, which has various string properties as you can notice in the next image:

The problem is that I'm not totally satisfied with the current behavior for changing the value of the string properties. For those properties that expects a file or directory path, like "Target" or "Working Directory" properties, I would like to know if it could be possible and viable to implement a TypeConverter / Type Descriptor that would open a OpenFileDialog when clicking in the down arrow at the right of the field in the property grid. That is, to select a file or folder through a OpenFileDialog, instead of directly writing the path in the property grid, but still letting the option to directly write the path if I want to do so.

Maybe .NET Framework class library already provides the TypeConverter / TypeDescriptor that I'm requesting?. If not, is this possible to do?. And how to start doing so?.

Or any other idea to be able open a OpenFileDialog to change the value of a specific property in a PropertyGrid control?.

Answer 1

There are builtin FileNameEditor and FolderNameEditor UI type editors which let you choose file name and folder name, for example:

using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Drawing.Design;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Windows.Forms.Design;
public class MyClass
{
    [Editor(typeof(FileNameEditor), typeof(UITypeEditor))]
    public string FilePath { get; set; }

    [Editor(typeof(FolderNameEditor), typeof(UITypeEditor))]
    public string FolderPath { get; set; }
}

If you want to customize the FileNameEditor to show just txt files, you can override its InitializeDialog method:

public class MyFileNameEditor : FileNameEditor
{
    protected override void InitializeDialog(OpenFileDialog openFileDialog)
    {
        base.InitializeDialog(openFileDialog);
        openFileDialog.Filter = "text files (*.txt)|*.txt";
    }
}