---
title: Reuse properties from another existing component
slug: '2468'
canonical_url: https://docs.coveo.com/en/2468/
collection: coveo-for-sitecore-v5
source_format: adoc
---
# Reuse properties from another existing component
> **Legacy feature**
>
> The Coveo Hive Framework is now in maintenance mode and is no longer recommended for new implementations.
> 
> To build new search experiences, use one of Coveo's more modern, lightweight, and responsive libraries.
> To get started, see the [Build search](https://docs.coveo.com/en/2473/) article.

This page explains how to reuse the `ModelProperties` classes in another `ModelProperties`.

Reusing `ModelProperties` gives you the ability to share properties between components without duplicating their definition.

## Extracting Values from the Current Object Using Another ModelProperties

The `SameLevelPropertiesToNestedPropertiesConverter` class reads the same fields as the current `ModelProperties`, but serializes the submodel into its own dictionary.

**Example**

You have an item template containing the following fields:

* Name: `TV`
* Color: `red`
* Size: `80%`

Your `ModelProperties` contains the following code:

[source,c#]
```
public class StylingModelProperties : IModelProperties {
     [SitecoreProperty("Color")]
     public string Color { get; set; }

     [SitecoreProperty("Size")]
     public string SizeInPercent { get; set; }
}

public class SimpleModelProperties : IModelProperties {
    [SitecoreProperty("Name")]
    public string Name { get; set; }

    [SitecoreProperty("Styling", PropertyConverter = typeof(SameLevelPropertiesToNestedPropertiesConverter<StylingModelProperties>))
    public IDictionary<string, string> StylingProperties { get; set; }
}
```

Therefore, your `SimpleModelProperties` should have the following two properties:

* `Name = "TV"`
* `StylingProperties = {"Color": "red", "SizeInPercent": "80%" }`

If you would rather have a full Model, with `Properties` and `RawProperties`, you can use the `SameLevelPropertiesToSubModelConverter` class instead:

[source,c#]
```
public class SimpleModelProperties : IModelProperties {
    [SitecoreProperty("Name")]
    public string Name { get; set; }

    [SitecoreProperty("Styling", PropertyConverter = typeof(SameLevelPropertiesToSubModelConverter <StylingModelProperties>))
    public SubModelProperties<SameLevelPropertiesToSubModelConverter> StylingModel { get; set; }
}
```

In this scenario, `SimpleModelProperties` has a `StylingModel` with two properties:

* `Properties`, which matches the `Properties` attribute like in a standard model
* `RawProperties`, which matches the `RawProperties` attribute like in a standard model

This allows for the `ModelProperties` classes to be segmented and reused.

## Extracting Values from a Referenced Item ID

In Sitecore, there are many fields that store an item ID as a reference.

The Coveo Hive framework also provides a way to extract properties using a different data source, defined as an ID in a field.

**Example**

You have an item template containing the following fields:

* `Name: "TV"`
* `+StylingReference: "{110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9}"+`

Given this other data source with a matching ID:

* `+ID: "{110D559F-DEA5-42EA-9C1C-8A5DF7E70EF9}"+`
* `Color: "red"`
* `Size: "80%"`

Your `ModelProperties` contains the following code:

[source,c#]
```
public class StylingModelProperties : IModelProperties {
     [SitecoreProperty("Color")]
     public string Color { get; set; }

     [SitecoreProperty("Size")]
     public string SizeInPercent { get; set; }
}

public class SimpleModelProperties : IModelProperties {
    [SitecoreProperty("StylingReference", PropertyConverter = typeof(NestedItemToModelPropertiesConverter<StylingModelProperties>))
    public StylingModelProperties StylingProperties { get; set; }
}
```

This sets the `StylingProperties` value to a serialized `ModelProperties` read from the referenced ID containing the following values:

* `Color = "Red"`
* `Size = "80%"`

This allows you to use a single data source as a reference and read its properties.

### Writing the Nested Properties into a JSON Object

When using nested properties, you might want to output its values to the Coveo JavaScript Search Framework.

By using the `NestedWritableModelSerializer` class, you can serialize another `ModelProperties` into a JSON string.

**Example**

You have the following `ModelProperties`:

[source,c#]
```
public class StylingModelProperties : IModelProperties {
    [SitecoreProperty("Color")]
    [SearchUiProperty]
    public string Color { get; set; }
}

public class SimpleModelProperties : IModelProperties {
    [SearchUiProperty(PropertySerializer = typeof(NestedWritableModelSerializer<StylingModelProperties>)]
    public StylingModelProperties Styling { get; set; }
}
```

The computed attribute for `Styling` in the `RawProperties` will be:

* `styling: '{ "color": "red" }'`

If you want to apply those values to the current element, you can use the `unfoldDictionaryToAttributes` prebinding helper method (see [About Prebinding Helpers in Coveo Hive](https://docs.coveo.com/en/2548/)).

[source,c#]
```
public class SimpleModelProperties : IModelProperties {
    [SearchUiProperty(Prebind = Prebind.DICTIONARY_UNFOLD, PropertySerializer = typeof(NestedWritableModelSerializer<StylingModelProperties>)]
    public StylingModelProperties Styling { get; set; }
}
```

**Example**

Using the previous example, you use the `unfoldDictionaryToAttributes`.

Therefore, the attributes computed from `Styling` in the `RawProperties` become:

* `styling: '{ "color": "red" }'`
* `prebind-styling: "unfoldDictionaryToAttributes"`

When evaluating this prebinding method, the markup will look like:

```html
<div data-color='red' data-styling='{"color": "red" }' data-prebind-styling='unfoldDictionaryToAttributes'></div>
```