DataGrid Customization: Part-1

private void FillDataGrid()
{
sql = "SELECT * FROM Customers";
conn = new OleDbConnection(connectionString);
adapter = new OleDbDataAdapter(sql, conn);
ds = new DataSet("Customers");
adapter.Fill(ds, "Customers");
dataGrid1.DataSource = ds.Tables[0].DefaultView;
// By default there is no DataGridTableStyle object.
// Add all DataSet table's style to the DataGrid
foreach(DataTable dTable in ds.Tables)
{
DataGridTableStyle dgStyle = new DataGridTableStyle();
dgStyle.MappingName = dTable.TableName;
dataGrid1.TableStyles.Add(dgStyle);
}
// DataGrid settings
dataGrid1.CaptionText = "DataGrid Customization";
dataGrid1.HeaderFont = new Font("Verdana", 12);
}

Now if you run the application, the output will look like Figure 1.



Figure 1.

As you can see from Figure 1, we have two text boxes - Column1 and Column 2. The Exchange button is responsible for reshuffling columns. Say you want to exchange column 2 with column 3, you need to enter 2 in text box1 and 2 in text box2 and click Exchange Column button.

The Get Grid Info button returns the data about the grid. The DataGridTableStyle is a collection of DataGridColumnStyle, which can be accessed through the GridColumnStyles property of DataDataTableStyle.

The DataGridColumnStyle represents the style of a DataGrid column, which includes color, text, font and other formatting options such as a caption.

The VisibleRowCount and VisibleColumnCount properties of DataGrid returns total visible rows and columns respectively.



Figure 2.

As you can see from code Listing 2, I read DataGridTableStyles using the TableStyles property and then I read DataGridColumnStyles using the GridColumnStyles of DataGridTableStyle, which returns a collection of columns. In other words, Listing 2 reads all available DataGridTableStyles and DataGrildColumnStyles and displays the information in a message box. The output looks like Figure 2.

Listing 2. Get Grid Info button click handler

private void FillDataGrid()
{
sql = "SELECT * FROM Customers";
conn = new OleDbConnection(connectionString);
adapter = new OleDbDataAdapter(sql, conn);
ds = new DataSet("Customers");
adapter.Fill(ds, "Customers");
dataGrid1.DataSource = ds.Tables[0].DefaultView;
// By default there is no DataGridTableStyle object.
// Add all DataSet table's style to the DataGrid
foreach(DataTable dTable in ds.Tables)
{
DataGridTableStyle dgStyle = new DataGridTableStyle();
dgStyle.MappingName = dTable.TableName;
dataGrid1.TableStyles.Add(dgStyle);
}
// DataGrid settings
dataGrid1.CaptionText = "DataGrid Customization";
dataGrid1.HeaderFont = new Font("Verdana", 12);
}

Now last thing we need to do is reshuffle columns. The ReshuffleColumns module is listed in Listing 4. Here we simply reading the current DataGridTableStyle and changing the location of two columsn.

Listing 3. The ReshuffleColumn module

public void ReshuffleColumns(int col1, int col2, string mapName, DataGrid grid)
{
DataGridTableStyle existingTableStyle = grid.TableStyles[mapName];
int counter = existingTableStyle.GridColumnStyles.Count;
DataGridTableStyle newTableStyle = new DataGridTableStyle();
newTableStyle.MappingName = mapName;
for(int i = 0; i < counter; ++i)
{
if(i != col1 && col1 < col2)
newTableStyle.GridColumnStyles.Add(existingTableStyle.GridColumnStyles[i]);
if(i == col2)
newTableStyle.GridColumnStyles.Add(existingTableStyle.GridColumnStyles[col1]);
if(i != col1 && col1 > col2)
newTableStyle.GridColumnStyles.Add(existingTableStyle.GridColumnStyles[i]);
}
// Remove the existing table style and add new style
grid.TableStyles.Remove(existingTableStyle);
grid.TableStyles.Add(newTableStyle);
}

Now the last thing is to call the module on button click. Code for that is listed in Listing 5.

Listing 4.

private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
if(textBox1.Text.Length < 1)
{
MessageBox.Show("Enter a number between 0 to 19");
textBox1.Focus();
return;
}
if(textBox2.Text.Length < 1)
{
MessageBox.Show("Enter a number between 0 to 19");
textBox1.Focus();
return;
}
int col1 = Convert.ToInt32(textBox1.Text);
int col2 = Convert.ToInt32(textBox2.Text);
ReshuffleColumns(col1, col2, "Customers", dataGrid1);
}

Actually there are two more ways to do the same. Hopefully if I'll write that on my next articles. I'll also come with more DataGrid Customization issues. Best way to learn is just download the code and open project in VS.NET.

Cheers!