Array of a custom class as a property - class

Question

I am trying to use an array of a custom class as a property for my component, but the problem is that the values are not been saved to the component, that means that if I set the values, save everything and open again the project, the values for the component disappears... My code looks like the following:
unit Unit1;
interface
uses Windows, ExtCtrls,Classes,Controls;
type
TMyClass=class(TPersistent)
private
FName: string;
FValue: double;
public
property Name: string read FName write FName;
property Value: double read FValue write FValue;
end;
TMyComponent= class(TCustomPanel)
private
FMyArray: array[0..200] of TMyClass;
function GetmyArray(Index: Integer): TMyClass;
procedure SetMyArray(index: Integer; Value: TMyClass);
public
property myArray[index: Integer]: TMyClass read GetMyArray write SetMyArray;
end;
implementation
function TMyComponent.GetmyArray(Index: Integer): TMyClass;
begin
result:= FmyArray[Index];
end;
procedure TMyComponent.SetMyArray(index: Integer; Value: TMyClass);
begin
FMyArray[index].FName:= Value.FName;
FMyArray[index].FValue:= Value.FValue;
end;
end.
I know that that only published properties can be streamed, but the problem is that my property is an array and it can not be published...
A suggestion that I had was to use DefineProperties() to provide a custom streaming but I don't see how to do this with an array.
Other possibility that I thought was to modify TMyClass to a kind of class that TMyComponent could be the parent of it, like it is done in TChart, which you can add different classes of series to it. But I don't know What class this should be
TMyClass=class(T???????????)
With that I could take out the property MyArray and create TMyClass and add to TMyComponent as the following:
MyArray1.parent:= MyComponent1;
MyArray2.parent:= MyComponent2;
...
. Which one is the better option? Or is there any other better idea?

Answer 1

The simpliest (and preferred) solution is to change TMyClass to derive from TCollectionItem and change TMyComponent.FMyArray to TOwnedCollection. Then the DFM will stream the items automatically for you, and you gain native design-time support for creating and manipulating TMyClass objects and their properties.
Try this:
unit Unit1;
interface
uses
Windows, ExtCtrls, Classes, Controls;
type
TMyClass = class(TCollectionItem)
private
FName: string;
FValue: double;
procedure SetName(const AValue: string);
procedure SetValue(AValue: double);
public
procedure Assign(ASource: TPersistent); override;
published
property Name: string read FName write SetName;
property Value: double read FValue write SetValue;
end;
TMyArray = class(TOwnedCollection)
private
function GetItem(Index: Integer): TMyClass;
procedure SetItem(Index: Integer; const Value: TMyClass);
public
constructor Create(AOwner: TPersistent);
function Add: TMyClass; reintroduce;
function Insert(Index: Integer): TMyClass; reintroduce;
property Items[Index: Integer]: TMyClass read GetItem write SetItem; default;
end;
TMyComponent = class(TCustomPanel)
private
FMyArray: TMyArray;
procedure SetMyArray(Value: TMyArray);
public
constructor Create(AOwner: TComponent); override;
destructor Destroy; override;
published
property myArray: TMyArray read FMyArray write SetMyArray;
end;
implementation
procedure TMyClass.Assign(ASource: TPersistent);
begin
if ASource is TMyClass then
begin
with TMyClass(ASource) do
begin
Self.FName := Name;
Self.FValue := Value;
end;
Changed(False);
end else
inherited;
end;
procedure TMyClass.SetName(const AValue: string);
begin
if FName <> AValue then
begin
FName := AValue;
Changed(False);
end;
end;
procedure TMyClass.SetValue(AValue: double);
begin
if FValue <> AValue then
begin
FValue := AValue;
Changed(False);
end;
end;
constructor TMyArray.Create(AOwner: TPersistent);
begin
inherited Create(AOwner, TMyClass);
end;
function TMyArray.GetItem(Index: Integer): TMyClass;
begin
Result := TMyClass(inherited GetItem(Index));
end;
procedure TMyArray.SetItem(Index: Integer; const Value: TMyClass);
begin
inherited SetItem(Index, Value);
end;
function TMyArray.Add: TMyClass;
begin
Result := TMyClass(inherited Add);
end;
function TMyArray.Insert(Index: Integer): TMyClass;
begin
Result := TMyClass(inherited Insert(Index));
end;
constructor TMyComponent.Create(AOwner: TComponent);
begin
inherited;
FMyArray := TMyArray.Create(Self);
end;
destructor TMyComponent.Destroy;
begin
FMyArray.Free;
inherited;
end;
procedure TMyComponent.SetMyArray(Value: TMyArray);
begin
FMyArray.Assign(Value);
end;
end.

Answer 2

I'd vote for DefineProperties! The necessary code might look like this (assuming none of the instances in the array is nil):
procedure TMyComponent.DefineProperties(Filer: TFiler);
begin
inherited;
Filer.DefineProperty('MyArray', ReadMyArray, WriteMyArray, true);
end;
procedure TMyComponent.ReadMyArray(Reader: TReader);
var
N: Integer;
begin
N := 0;
Reader.ReadListBegin;
while not Reader.EndOfList do begin
Reader.ReadListBegin;
FMyArray[N].Name := Reader.ReadString;
FMyArray[N].Value := Reader.ReadFloat;
Reader.ReadListEnd;
Inc(N);
end;
Reader.ReadListEnd;
end;
procedure TMyComponent.WriteMyArray(Writer: TWriter);
var
I: Integer;
begin
Writer.WriteListBegin;
for I := 0 to High(FMyArray) do begin
Writer.WriteListBegin;
Writer.WriteString(FMyArray[I].Name);
Writer.WriteFloat(FMyArray[I].Value);
Writer.WriteListEnd;
end;
Writer.WriteListEnd;
end;