windowsforms-3455-controls-and-libraries-data-grid.md
The WinForms Data Grid is a high-performance UI component powered by the DirectX rendering engine. The Data Grid (GridControl) ships with a flexible View-based architecture and includes numerous data shaping and UI customization features. The Data Grid can display and edit data from any data source of any size and complexity.
Watch Video: Getting Started Run Demo
The Data Grid supports the following data sources and binding modes:
With its integrated Data Source Configuration Wizard, you can bind the Data Grid without writing a single line of code.
Read the following topic for information on supported technologies and data sources: Data Binding.
Note
The Data Grid does not support unbound mode. The grid cannot function without a data source.
The Data Grid control uses Views to display data from a data source. Views specify the presentation and layout of data records and fields. Views include a comprehensive set of edit, display, behavior, and appearance options.
Grid View
Banded Grid View
Card View
WinExplorer View with HTML & CSS Markup Support
Tile View
Kanban Board - Tile View
Tile View with HTML & CSS Templates
Items View - HTML & CSS Templates
Layout/Carousel View
Read the following topic for details: Get Started with Data Grid and Views.
With DirectX hardware acceleration, the Data Grid introduces a major increase in overall performance and HighDPI rendering quality (4K/8K).
HTML & CSS Markup allows you to define data-aware templates quickly for Grid UI elements and create web-inspired user interfaces. This feature allows you to eliminate the use of property-based UI customizations and CustomDraw events.
The Data Grid includes dozens of UI/UX customization options available to you and your users. Its advanced customization features include:
You can group data against one or multiple columns in Grid Views, Banded Grid Views, and Advanced Banded Grid Views. Users can drag column headers and drop them onto the group panel to group data.
Data grouping features include:
Read the following topic to learn more: Data Grouping.
The Data Grid ships with high-speed multi-column sorting. With its comprehensive sorting API, you can sort data in all Views and implement custom sorting algorithms. Users can sort data in Grid Views, Banded Grid Views, Advanced Banded Grid Views, Layout Views, and Card Views.
Read the following topic to learn more: Sorting.
Grid Views, Banded Grid Views, and Advanced Banded Grid Views support the following data aggregation options:
Read the following topic to learn more: Summaries.
The Data Grid allows you to incorporate over 35 individual data editors, sparklines, and charts within grid cells. Users can edit cell values in-place or in a separate edit form.
Advanced data editing features include:
Read the following topic to learn more: Data Editing and Validation.
The Data Grid includes a comprehensive set of filter and custom query options.
Read the following topic to learn more: Filter and Search.
Tip
GridControl, GridLookUpEdit, and SearchLookUpEdit support AI-powered Semantic Search. Unlike standard keyword-based search, semantic search leverages Natural Language Processing (NLP) to analyze search queries beyond exact keyword matching. See the following help topic for additional information: Semantic Search.
Semantic search enables users to locate relevant data quickly and accurately within large datasets. Unlike standard keyword-based search, semantic search leverages Natural Language Processing (NLP) to analyze search queries beyond exact keyword matching.
Run Demo: Semantic Search - Grid Control
Read the following help topic to learn more: AI-powered Semantic Search.
“SmartPaste” is an AI-powered feature that transforms the traditional copy-and-paste process into a smarter, more efficient tool. Designed to improve productivity, SmartPaste analyzes the content you copy and intelligently assigns the right values to the appropriate row cells in the Data Grid.
Read the following help topic to learn more: AI-powered Smart Paste.
Users can navigate between grid cells (move cell focus) with a mouse and keyboard. The Data Grid also supports multiple cell and row/card selection. Grid Views and Banded Grid Views can display a column with checkboxes that allows users to select rows.
Read the following topics for more information on row/cell selection:
Column editors automatically format cell values according to the editor’s type and settings. Built-in text formatting options include:
Read the following topic for detailed information on how to format cells with HTML tags, events, and masks: Format Cell Values.
Conditional Formatting allows you and your users to highlight cells and rows with animated data bars, icons, and predefined color scales based on specified criteria.
You can use predefined format rules or create custom rules. The Data Grid ships with both a design-time and runtime Conditional Formatting Rule Editor.
Read the following topic to learn more: Conditional Formatting.
The Data Grid allows you to create Master-Detail layouts with any number of nesting levels and any number of details at each level. You can display master tables in Grid Views, Banded Grid Views, or Advanced Banded Grid Views, and show detail tables in any View type.
The Data Grid automatically enables master-detail mode if data source records contain a property (or properties) of a collection type. See the following topic for detailed information and examples: Master-Detail Relationships.
Note
Use one of the following techniques to implement master-detail functionality for data sources that cannot organize master-detail relationships at the data layer:
You can print and export Data Grid content to multiple file formats (PDF, XLS, XLSX, MHT, CSV, HTML, RTF, DOCX, TXT, IMAGE). Read the following topics for detailed information and examples:
The Data Grid supports multiple appearance options/techniques.
Users can drag and drop data items (rows, tiles, etc.) inside or outside the Data Grid. Read the following topic for details and examples: Drag-and-Drop Grid Rows.
The Data Grid ships with a powerful Visual Studio IDE designer and intuitive customization interface designed to simplify setup. Design-time UI/UX customization options include:
Common Issues and Troubleshooting - WinForms Grid Control
Footnotes
Use Server modes for extremely large data sets. Even if your data source contains millions of records, the grid maintains its performance because it loads records in small portions on demand and performs data-related operations (data sorting, filtering, and summary calculation) on the server side. Server modes replace traditional data pagination. Read the following topic for details: Large Data Sources: Server and Instant Feedback Modes.
Unbound columns allow you to display custom data. Values for these columns can be calculated according to an expression or within an event handler. See the following topic for details and examples: Unbound Columns.
See Also