Add DynamicComponent component

[mwpowellhtx]

It may be similar to dynamic rendering, I'm not sure, but I will just state the goal: property grids.

I am working with <insert-third-party-component-here/>, suffice to say VendorDataGrid as a basis, and a RYO view model approach, that takes the target object for which we want the property grid, and, thanks to the magic of Reflection, identifies the properties and corresponding property view models for those properties for the property grid approach.

I can handle probably 80-90% of the conceivable use cases within the core PG asset itself, but there are moments when a custom display and/or editor view would be handy, as provided by the view model.

So I wonder if a framework such as this might be possible given the Blazor rendering constraints, that is, view model provides, say, an instance of ComponentBase, whatever that may be, as a basis for an editor view. All the back end wiring is done by the property grid property view models themselves, I just want for a view to ostensibly potentially provide a view for itself to the parent property grid.

Thanks...

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[mkArtakMSFT]

Here are some notes for further consideration, @SteveSandersonMS. We think that the main ask here is to given a type render a component.

[SteveSandersonMS]

@mwpowellhtx We're thinking of shipping a component called DynamicComponent that would render an arbitrary other component and pass a dictionary of parameters to it. You'd use it like this:

<DynamicComponent Type="@gridCell.EditorComponentType" Parameters="@gridCell.EditorComponentParameters" />

This would allow your propertygrid viewmodel to completely control the display/editor based on your own dynamic logic.

Do you think this would satisfy your requirements? If so we'd be happy to add this to the backlog.

[mwpowellhtx]

@SteveSandersonMS Thanks for the consideration. I would reserve judgment until I saw it exercised in practice, but, on paper, yes, it sounds plausible.

[mwpowellhtx]

@SteveSandersonMS Offering a bit of constructive feedback, I have in mind for my view model to report its view to the parent view. I should think there is very little such a thing needs to do but "host" it. Such as, from C# property perspective:

public abstract class ViewModel
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Gets the Editor View associated with the ViewModel.
    /// </summary>
    public abstract ComponentBase EditorView { get; }
}

Possible as a derivative of ComponentBase.

public abstract class ViewModel<TEditorComponent>
    where TEditorComponent : ComponentBase
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Gets the Editor View associated with the ViewModel.
    /// </summary>
    public abstract TEditorComponent EditorView { get; }
}

Along these lines.

How might that get received by a DynamicComponent? If it is even necessary...

[SteveSandersonMS]

@mwpowellhtx For the reasons described in #25154 (comment), we would not want to support passing in an actual instance of a component. This explains why it needs to be a type+parameters instead of a pre-constructed instance.