System.Windows.Forms.ListBindingHelper.GetListItemPropertiesByEnumerable C# (CSharp) Method

        private static PropertyDescriptorCollection GetListItemPropertiesByEnumerable(IEnumerable iEnumerable, PropertyDescriptor[] listAccessors, int startIndex) {
            PropertyDescriptorCollection pdc = null;
            object subList = null;
            // Walk down the tree - first try and get the value
            // This is tricky, because we can't do a standard GetValue - we need an instance of one of the
            // items in the list.
            //
            // For example:
            //
            //        Customer has a property Orders which is of type Order[]
            //
            //        Customers is a Customer[] (this is the IList)
            //        Customers does not have the property "Orders" - Customer has that property
            //        So we need to get the value of Customers[0]
            //
            object instance = GetFirstItemByEnumerable(iEnumerable);

            if (instance != null) {
                // This calls GetValue(Customers[0], "Orders") - or Customers[0].Orders
                // If this list is non-null, it is an instance of Orders (Order[]) for the first customer
                subList = GetList(listAccessors[startIndex].GetValue(instance));
            }

            if (null == subList) {
                // Can't get shape by Instance, try by Type
                pdc = GetListItemPropertiesByType(listAccessors[startIndex].PropertyType, listAccessors, startIndex);
            }
            else {
                // We have the Instance (e.g. Orders)
                ++startIndex;

                IEnumerable ienumerableSubList = subList as IEnumerable;
                if (ienumerableSubList != null) {
                    if (startIndex == listAccessors.Length) {
                        // Last one, so get the shape
                        pdc = GetListItemPropertiesByEnumerable(ienumerableSubList);
                    }
                    else {
                        // Looks like they want more (e.g. Customers.Orders.OrderDetails)
                        pdc = GetListItemPropertiesByEnumerable(ienumerableSubList, listAccessors, startIndex);
                    }
                }
                else {
                    // Not a list, so switch to a non-list based method of retrieving properties
                    pdc = GetListItemPropertiesByInstance(subList, listAccessors, startIndex);
                }
            }

            return pdc;
        }