xaml-designer-suggested-actions-extensibility.md

Suggested Actions Extensibility

• Tokens
• Features
• Behaviors
• Customization

In Visual Studio 2019 16.7 Preview 3 we added extensibility support for "XAML Suggested Actions"

Note: this API will be available only in Preview Channel until feature is finalized and completed

To enable "Xaml Suggested Actions" for any control, a SuggestedActionProvider feature provider should be created and registered in metadata.

A Control could have multiple Suggested Actions providers. Each provider will be shown as a separate tab in the Suggested Actions UI.

Example:

public class ExampleButton : Button { }

Implementation for example above:

public class ExampleButtonSuggestedActionProvider : SuggestedActionProvider
{
    public static ActionToken Token_Property_IsCancel = new ActionToken(0x1001);
    public static ActionToken Token_Property_IsDefault = new ActionToken(0x1002);
    public static ActionToken Token_Last = new ActionToken(0x10FF);
    public override string Header => "Actions";
    public override string Type => "CustomControlLibrary.WpfCore.ExampleButton";
    public override void Initialize()
    {
        this.ShowNameProperty = true;
        base.Initialize();
        
        this.AddGroup(new ActionGroup(SuggestedActionProviderTokens.Token_Group_Common,
            new PropertyAction(SuggestedActionProviderTokens.Token_Property_Content, "Content"),
            new PropertyAction(SuggestedActionProviderTokens.Token_Property_Background, "Background"),
            new PropertyAction(SuggestedActionProviderTokens.Token_Property_IsEnabled, "IsEnabled")
            ));
        
        this.AddGroup(new ActionGroup(SuggestedActionProviderTokens.Token_Group_Specific,
            new PropertyAction(ExampleButtonSuggestedActionProvider.Token_Property_IsCancel,"IsCancel"),
            new PropertyAction(ExampleButtonSuggestedActionProvider.Token_Property_IsDefault,"IsDefault")));
        
        this.AddGroup(new BorderBrushActionGroup());
        this.AddGroup(new VisibilityActionGroup());
        this.AddGroup(new FontSettingsActionGroup());
    }
}

Example for inherited controls

public class ExampleSimpleButton : ExampleButton { }

public class ExampleSimpleButtonSuggestedActionProvider : ExampleButtonSuggestedActionProvider
{
    public static ActionToken Token_Property_CustomProp = ExampleButtonSuggestedActionProviderToken_Last + 1;
    public new static ActionToken Token_Last = new ActionToken(0x2FFF);
    public override string Type => "CustomControlLibrary.WpfCore.ExampleSimpleButton";
    public override void Initialize()
    {
        base.Initialize();
        //Hide Visibility Group
        this.GetGroupByToken(SuggestedActionProviderTokens.Token_Group_VisibilitySettings).IsVisible =false;
        
        //Hide IsDefault Property
        this.GetActionByToken(ExampleSimpleButtonSuggestedActionProvider.Token_Property_IsDefault)IsVisible = false;
        
        //Add new Opacity (without Token) property after IsDefault (even if it was hidden before)
        this.InsertAction(new PropertyAction("Opacity"), after:ExampleSimpleButtonSuggestedActionProvider.Token_Property_IsDefault);
        
        //Add new Link Action after IsDefault - will be inserted after IsDefault, but before Opacity
        this.InsertAction(new LinkAction("New link", () => { }), after:ExampleSimpleButtonSuggestedActionProvider.Token_Property_IsDefault);
        
        //Subscribe to ModelItem Property Changed Event to update view if needed
        this.ModelItemPropertyChanged +=ExampleSimpleButtonSuggestedActionProvider_ModelItemPropertyChanged;
    }
    
    private void ExampleSimpleButtonSuggestedActionProvider_ModelItemPropertyChanged(object sender,PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        
    }
}

Metadata registration

...
//Add SuggestionsAttribute to enabled "XAML Suggested Actions for control"
builder.AddCustomAttributes("CustomControlLibrary.WpfCore.ExampleButton", new SuggestionsAttribute());

//Add one provider
builder.AddCustomAttributes("CustomControlLibrary.WpfCore.ExampleButton", new FeatureAttribute(typeof(ExampleButtonSuggestedActionProvider)));

//Same for another control
builder.AddCustomAttributes("CustomControlLibrary.WpfCore.ExampleSimpleButton", new SuggestionsAttribute());
builder.AddCustomAttributes("CustomControlLibrary.WpfCore.ExampleSimpleButton", new FeatureAttribute(typeof(ExampleSimpleButtonSuggestedActionProvider)));
...

Documentation link

At the top of the Suggested Actions dialog in the designer there is a Type Name label. It could be used as a hyperlink to documentation. To enabled it, specify DocumentationAttribute in Metadata:

builder.AddCustomAttributes("System.Windows.Controls.ComboBox", 
                            new DocumentationAttribute(helpLink: "https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.windows.controls.combobox"));

If DocumentationAttribute has not been added, hyperlink will open documentation for the first parent class that has this attribute, otherwise Type Name label will be static