CommunityToolkit / CommunityToolkit/dotnet

Proposal: Implement ViewModel proxy generator for POCO entity graph

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feature request :mailbox_with_mail:
Dominant language
C#
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Description

### Overview

I wonder if this has been considered before, we often have complex POCO entity graphs which we want to reuse in our XAML app.

It would be so much easier to have ViewModel wrappers generated for the entire entity graph, that includes:

- Inheriting a common `EntityViewModel` base class
- Wrapper properties for scalar values (similar to what's currently generated in `ObservableProperty`)
- Wrapper `ObservableCollection` properties for `ICollection` etc. entity properties (notify parent for collection changes?)
- Wrapper `EntityViewModel` properties for other entity navigations (notify parent?)
- Wrapper `ObservableCollection` for entity-collection navigations (notify parent?)
- Implement `IChangeTracking` / `IRevertibleChangeTracking`?

### API breakdown

*All code is pseudo prototyping on the fly to give a general idea.

```csharp
public abstract class ViewModelProxyBase(Action? parentPropertyChangedAction, Action? parentPropertyChangingAction = default)
: ObservableValidator, INotifyParentPropertyChange;
{
private Action? ParentPropertyChangedAction;
private Action? ParentPropertyChangingAction;
}

public abstract class ViewModelProxyBase(TModel model, Action? parentPropertyChangedAction, Action? parentPropertyChangingAction = default)
: ViewModelProxyBase(parentPropertyChangedAction, parentPropertyChangingAction)
where TModel : class
{
public TModel Model => model;
}

public abstract class ObservableProxyCollectionSimple : ObservableCollection
{
public ObservableProxyCollectionSimple(Action? parentPropertyChangedAction, Action? parentPropertyChangingAction = default)
{
OnCollectionChanged += (sender, e) => parentPropertyChangedAction?.Invoke();
}
}

public abstract class ObservableProxyCollectionComplex : ObservableCollection>
{
private Action? _parentPropertyChangedAction;
private Action? _parentPropertyChangingAction;

public ObservableProxyCollectionSimple(Action? parentPropertyChangedAction, Action? parentPropertyChangingAction = default)
{
_parentPropertyChangedAction = parentPropertyChangedAction;
_parentPropertyChangingAction = parentPropertyChangingAction;
OnCollectionChanged += OnCollectionChanged;
}

private void OnCollectionChanged(...)
{
// removed items - stop tracking
// new items - start tracking
}
}
```

### Usage example

```csharp
public class Entity
{
public int Id { get; set; }
public Reference? Reference { get; set; }
public ICollection { get; set; } = [];
}

public class Reference
{
public string Name { get; set; }
public bool IsEnabled { get; }
}

public partial class EntityViewModel(Entity entity, Action? parentPropertyChangedAction, Action? parentPropertyChangingAction = default)
: ViewModelProxyBase(entity, parentPropertyChangedAction, parentPropertyChangingAction)
{
}

public partial class ReferenceViewModel(Reference reference, Action? parentPropertyChangedAction, Action? parentPropertyChangingAction = default)
: ViewModelProxyBase(reference, parentPropertyChangedAction, parentPropertyChangingAction)
{
}
```

### What's generated:

```csharp
public partial class EntityViewModel(Entity entity, Action? parentPropertyChangedAction, Action? parentPropertyChangingAction = default)
: ViewModelProxyBase(entity, parentPropertyChangedAction, parentPropertyChangingAction)
{
public int Id
{
get => Model.Id;
set
{
if(Equals(Model.Id, value))
return;

OnPropertyChanging();
parentPropertyChangingAction?.Inovke();
Model.Id = value;
OnPropertyChanged();
parentPropertyChangedAction?.Inovke();
}
}

private ReferenceViewModel? _Reference;
public ReferenceViewModel? Reference
{
get
{
if(_Reference == null && Model.Reference != null)
{
_Reference = new ReferenceViewModel(Model.Reference, this);
}

return _Reference;
}
set
{
if(Equals(Model.Reference, value))
return;

OnPropertyChanging();
parentPropertyChangingAction?.Inovke();

if(_Reference != null)
{
_Reference.Parent = null;
}

value.Parent = this;
Model.Reference = value.Model;
OnPropertyChanged();
parentPropertyChangedAction?.Inovke();
}
}

public ObservableCollectionProxyComplex References
{
...
}
}

public partial class ReferenceViewModel(Reference reference, INotifyParent? parent = default)
: ViewModelProxyBase(reference, parent)
{
public string Name
{
get => Model.Name;
set
{
if(Equals(Model.Name, value))
return;

OnPropertyChanging();
Model.Id = value;
OnPropertyChanged();
}
}

public bool IsEnabled => Model.IsEnabled;
}
```

### Breaking change?

No

### Alternatives

Unknown

### Additional context

- Thought has to be given to prevent cyclical change notification.
- Related #1058

### Help us help you

Yes, but only if others can assist

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Assessment

This issue has not been assessed yet.

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