How to Programmatically Expand a Nested-Level Property in WPF PropertyGrid

This repository demonstrates how developers can manipulate the PropertyGrid control to automatically expand nested properties at runtime. This is particularly useful in scenarios where the user interface needs to expose deeper levels of object properties without requiring manual interaction.

Problem overview

In typical usage, the PropertyGrid displays properties of an object in a hierarchical format. However, nested properties such as those within complex objects or custom classes are collapsed by default. This can limit visibility and usability, especially in data-rich applications.

In scenarios where you want to expose deeper levels without requiring manual clicks such as onboarding flows, guided editing experiences, or highlighting advanced sections you can programmatically expand specific levels or property paths at runtime.

Solution Approach

This example shows how to use reflection and custom logic to:

• Traverse the object graph
• Identify nested properties
• Programmatically expand specific levels in the PropertyGrid

The solution involves:

• Accessing the PropertyDescriptor of the nested property
• Using the Expand method (or equivalent logic) to ensure the UI reflects the expanded state

This logic can be triggered during form initialization or in response to user actions.

Benefits

• Improves visibility of complex object structures
• Enhances user experience by reducing manual clicks
• Enables dynamic UI behavior based on application logic