Returns a value for this property source that can be edited in a property
sheet.
This value is used when this IPropertySource
is appearing
in the property sheet as the value of a property of some other
IPropertySource
This value is passed as the input to a cell editor opening on an
IPropertySource
.
This value is also used when an IPropertySource
is being
used as the value in a setPropertyValue
message. The
reciever of the message would then typically use the editable value to
update the original property source or construct a new instance.
For example an email address which is a property source may have an
editable value which is a string so that it can be edited in a text cell
editor. The email address would also have a constructor or setter that
takes the edited string so that an appropriate instance can be created or
the original instance modified when the edited value is set.
This behavior is important for another reason. When the property sheet is
showing properties for more than one object (multiple selection), a
property sheet entry will display and edit a single value (typically
coming from the first selected object). After a property has been edited
in a cell editor, the same value is set as the property value for all of
the objects. This is fine for primitive types but otherwise all of the
objects end up with a reference to the same value. Thus by creating an
editable value and using it to update the state of the original property
source object, one is able to edit several property source objects at
once (multiple selection).