Creating a component with named sub-components?

Question

I need to know the basics behind making a component produce and manage sub-components. I originally tried this by creating a TCollection, and tried to put a nam

Answer 1

This Thread helped me creating something as we discussed yesterday. I took the package posted there and modified it a bit. Here is the source:

TestComponents.pas

unit TestComponents;

interface

uses
  Classes;

type
  TParentComponent = class;

  TChildComponent = class(TComponent)
  private
    FParent: TParentComponent;
    procedure SetParent(const Value: TParentComponent);
  protected
    procedure SetParentComponent(AParent: TComponent); override;
  public
    destructor Destroy; override;
    function GetParentComponent: TComponent; override;
    function HasParent: Boolean; override;
    property Parent: TParentComponent read FParent write SetParent;
  end;

  TParentComponent = class(TComponent)
  private
    FChilds: TList;
  protected
    procedure GetChildren(Proc: TGetChildProc; Root: TComponent); override;
  public
    constructor Create(AOwner: TComponent); override;
    destructor Destroy; override;
    property Childs: TList read FChilds;
  end;

implementation

{ TChildComponent }

destructor TChildComponent.Destroy;
begin
  Parent := nil;
  inherited;
end;

function TChildComponent.GetParentComponent: TComponent;
begin
  Result := FParent;
end;

function TChildComponent.HasParent: Boolean;
begin
  Result := Assigned(FParent);
end;

procedure TChildComponent.SetParent(const Value: TParentComponent);
begin
  if FParent <> Value then
  begin
    if Assigned(FParent) then
      FParent.FChilds.Remove(Self);
    FParent := Value;
    if Assigned(FParent) then
      FParent.FChilds.Add(Self);
  end;
end;

procedure TChildComponent.SetParentComponent(AParent: TComponent);
begin
  if AParent is TParentComponent then
    SetParent(AParent as TParentComponent);
end;

{ TParentComponent }

constructor TParentComponent.Create(AOwner: TComponent);
begin
  inherited;
  FChilds := TList.Create;
end;

destructor TParentComponent.Destroy;
var
  I: Integer;
begin
  for I := 0 to FChilds.Count - 1 do
    FChilds[0].Free;
  FChilds.Free;
  inherited;
end;

procedure TParentComponent.GetChildren(Proc: TGetChildProc; Root: TComponent);
var
  i: Integer;
begin
  for i := 0 to FChilds.Count - 1 do
    Proc(TComponent(FChilds[i]));
end;

end.

TestComponentsReg.pas

unit TestComponentsReg;

interface

uses
  Classes,
  DesignEditors,
  DesignIntf,
  TestComponents;

type
  TParentComponentEditor = class(TComponentEditor)
    procedure ExecuteVerb(Index: Integer); override;
    function GetVerb(Index: Integer): string; override;
    function GetVerbCount: Integer; override;
  end;

procedure Register;

implementation

uses
  ColnEdit;

type
  TChildComponentCollectionItem = class(TCollectionItem)
  private
    FChildComponent: TChildComponent;
    function GetName: string;
    procedure SetName(const Value: string);
  protected
    property ChildComponent: TChildComponent read FChildComponent write FChildComponent;
    function GetDisplayName: string; override;
  public
    constructor Create(Collection: TCollection); override;
    destructor Destroy; override;
  published
    property Name: string read GetName write SetName;
  end;

  TChildComponentCollection = class(TOwnedCollection)
  private
    FDesigner: IDesigner;
  public
    property Designer: IDesigner read FDesigner write FDesigner;
  end;

procedure Register;
begin
  RegisterClass(TChildComponent);
  RegisterNoIcon([TChildComponent]);
  RegisterComponents('Test', [TParentComponent]);
  RegisterComponentEditor(TParentComponent, TParentComponentEditor);
end;

{ TParentComponentEditor }

procedure TParentComponentEditor.ExecuteVerb(Index: Integer);
var
  LCollection: TChildComponentCollection;
  i: Integer;
begin
  LCollection := TChildComponentCollection.Create(Component, TChildComponentCollectionItem);
  LCollection.Designer := Designer;
  for i := 0 to TParentComponent(Component).Childs.Count - 1 do
    with TChildComponentCollectionItem.Create(nil) do
    begin
      ChildComponent := TChildComponent(TParentComponent(Component).Childs[i]);
      Collection := LCollection;
    end;
  ShowCollectionEditorClass(Designer, TCollectionEditor, Component, LCollection, 'Childs');
end;

function TParentComponentEditor.GetVerb(Index: Integer): string;
begin
  Result := 'Edit Childs...';
end;

function TParentComponentEditor.GetVerbCount: Integer;
begin
  Result := 1;
end;

{ TChildComponentCollectionItem }

constructor TChildComponentCollectionItem.Create(Collection: TCollection);
begin
  inherited;
  if Assigned(Collection) then
  begin
    FChildComponent := TChildComponent.Create(TComponent(TOwnedCollection(Collection).Owner).Owner);
    FChildComponent.Name := TChildComponentCollection(Collection).Designer.UniqueName(TChildComponent.ClassName);
    FChildComponent.Parent := TParentComponent(TComponent(TOwnedCollection(Collection).Owner));
  end;
end;

destructor TChildComponentCollectionItem.Destroy;
begin
  FChildComponent.Free;
  inherited;
end;

function TChildComponentCollectionItem.GetDisplayName: string;
begin
  Result := FChildComponent.Name;
end;

function TChildComponentCollectionItem.GetName: string;
begin
  Result := FChildComponent.Name;
end;

procedure TChildComponentCollectionItem.SetName(const Value: string);
begin
  FChildComponent.Name := Value;
end;

end.

The most important thing is the RegisterNoIcon which prevents showing the component on the form when you create it. The overridden methods in TChildComponent are causing them to be nested inside the TParentComponent.

Edit: I added a temporary collection to edit the items in the built-in TCollectionEditor instead of having to write an own one. The only disadvantage is that the TChildComponentCollectionItem has to publish every property that TChildComponent has published to be able to edit them inside the OI.

Answer 2

Implement TCollectionItem.GetDisplayName to "name" the collection items.

And concerning the collection: when this is a published property, the collection will automatically be named as the property name.

Be careful to implement GetOwner when you create properties of TPersistent.

Answer 3

Use the TComponent.SetSubComponent routine:

type
  TComponent1 = class(TComponent)
  private
    FSubComponent: TComponent;
    procedure SetSubComponent(Value: TComponent);
  public
    constructor Create(AOwner: TComponent); override;
  published
    property SubComponent: TComponent read FSubComponent write SetSubComponent;
  end;

procedure Register;

implementation

procedure Register;
begin
  RegisterComponents('Samples', [TComponent1]);
end;

{ TComponent1 }

constructor TComponent1.Create(AOwner: TComponent);
begin
  inherited Create(AOwner);
  FSubComponent := TComponent.Create(Self);  // Nót AOwner as owner here !!
  FSubComponent.Name := 'MyName';
  FSubComponent.SetSubComponent(True);
end;

procedure TComponent1.SetSubComponent(Value: TComponent);
begin
  FSubComponent.Assign(Value);
end;

I now understand this sub component would be part of a collection item. In that case: no difference, use this method.