Data Grid

• Apr 29, 2025
• 3 minutes to read

The WPF Data Grid (GridControl) is a data-aware control designed to display and edit data in different layouts: tabular, treelike, and card. The GridControl allows users to manage large amounts of data (sort, group, filter, and so on).

YouTube video

Get Started

• Lesson 1 - Add a GridControl to a Project
• Lesson 2 - Display and Edit Data
• Lesson 3 - Post Changes to a Database
• Lesson 4 - Manage Data
• Lesson 5 - Display Summaries

Bind to Data

Refer to the following topic for more information: Bind to Data.

Views

The GridControl uses Views to display data from a bound data source. You can use the following View types:

• Table View - displays data in a two-dimensional table.
• Card View - displays data as cards. Each card arranges fields vertically in a single column.
• TreeList View - displays data in a tree. Each data record is a tree node.

Views provide options that allow you to specify how to arrange records and fields.

Table View

TreeList View

Card View

Edit Data

The GridControl allows you to:

• Add and Remove Rows
• Use In-place Editors to edit cell data.
• Enable Edit Forms for better user experience in edit mode.
• Edit Data in Code
• Validate Input

In-place Editing

Input Validation

Sort Data

The GridControl allows you to Sort Data against one or multiple columns.

Filter and Search Data

The GridControl supports the following ways to filter and search data:

• Column Drop-Down Filters
• Filter Editor
• Filter Elements
• Automatic Filter Row
• Filter Panel
• Filtering in Code
• Search Panel

Drop-Down Filter

Search Panel

Tip

The Data Grid supports 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 AI-powered Extension.

Run Demo: Semantic Search - Grid Control

Group Data

The GridControl allows you to Group Data by one or multiple columns.

Display Summaries

The GridControl allows you to display Data Summaries for individual columns or groups of rows. The control ships with a number of built-in functions, such as Sum, Maximum Value, Record Count, and others. You can also implement a custom aggregation function.

Select Data

The GridControl allows you to select rows, cells, or their ranges.

• Multiple Row Selection
• Multiple Cell Selection
• Selection Rectangle

Master-Detail

The GridControl supports Master-Detail Data Representation. This type of data presentation allows you to visualize two or more data tables linked by one-to-many relationships.

Drag-and-Drop

The GridControl supports native drag-and-drop that allows users to:

• Drag and drop records within all view types (Table View, TreeList View, Card View).
• Drag and drop records within Master-Detail Views.
• Drag and drop records between the GridControl and external controls (both DevExpress WPF Controls and Standard WPF Controls).
• Drag and drop records to and from external applications.

Conditional Formatting

The GridControl supports Conditional Formatting. You can highlight critical information, identify trends and exceptions, and compare data.

Customize Appearance

The GridControl allows you to change the data layout, appearance, and visual presentation of elements (for example, cells, rows, summaries, etc.).

• Grid Control Styles
• Grid Elements That Support Templates

Print and Export

The GridControl allows you to print data and export it in various formats - PDF, RTF, XLS, etc.

Design-Time

Design-time features help you to configure the GridControl.

• Quick Actions displayed by the GridControl and its elements help you access common properties.
• Feature Browser shows a structured list of settings and allows you to search for specific properties.
• Items Source Wizard generates the data binding and CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) code in XAML and code-behind.

Useful Resources

• Examples
• Demos
• Visual Elements
• End-User Capabilities