Perfect Guide to Xceed data grid for wpf
Getting Started with the Data Grid
Overview of Xceed Data Grid for WPF
Welcome to the getting started guide for Xceed Data Grid for Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). Xceed Data Grid is a powerful, feature-rich, and highly customizable control that allows you to display, edit, and manage data in a tabular format. Designed specifically for WPF, it takes full advantage of the platform's capabilities, providing a seamless experience when working with large amounts of data. This guide aims to help you understand the core concepts and components of Xceed Data Grid and guide you through the process of integrating it into your WPF applications. The first thing you may want to do is try the product using our click once installer.
Key features
Xceed Data Grid offers an extensive set of features that make it an ideal choice for developers looking to create robust and visually appealing data grid solutions. Some of the key features include:
Data binding: Easily bind the data grid to various data sources, such as collections, databases, or web services.
Column configuration: Customize column appearance, behavior, and data formatting to suit your application's needs.
Grouping, sorting, and filtering: Organize and manipulate data according to specific criteria, providing users with an intuitive way to navigate and explore large data sets.
Hierarchical data and master-detail view: Display and manage hierarchical data structures or related data in a master-detail layout.
Customization and extensibility: Personalize the look and feel of the data grid using built-in themes, or create custom themes and templates to match your application's style.
Performance optimization: Benefit from UI virtualization, asynchronous data loading, and other performance-enhancing features to ensure a smooth and responsive user experience.
And much, much more, you can review all of this in our very extensive documentation available here
Installation and Setup
To begin using Xceed Data Grid in your WPF applications, you first need to download the library from our website. Navigate to the Xceed Data Grid for WPF product page and click on the "Download" button. You will be prompted to fill out a short registration form to access the free trial or purchase the full version.
You can also obtain the Xceed Data Grid on nuget, search for : xceed datagrid and get the full package, or get it here : https://www.nuget.org/packages/Xceed.Products.Wpf.DataGrid.Full
Once downloaded and installed we will have added a folder on your system which will include your trial license keys : C:Xceed Trial Keys
Adding Xceed Data Grid to your WPF project
Once you have downloaded and installed the Xceed Data Grid for WPF library, you can add it to your WPF project by following these steps:
Open your WPF project in Visual Studio.
Right-click on the "References" folder in the Solution Explorer and select "Add Reference."
In the Reference Manager window, click on "Browse" and navigate to the installation folder of the Xceed Data Grid for WPF library.
Locate and select the "Xceed.Wpf.DataGrid.dll" file, then click "Add" to include it in your project.
After adding the reference, you'll need to include the necessary namespaces in your XAML and C# files. Add the following namespace declarations to the top of your XAML file:
xmlns:xceed="http://schemas.xceed.com/wpf/xaml/datagrid"
And add the following using directive to your C# file:
using Xceed.Wpf.DataGrid;
Please note that we HIGHLY recommend installing the product directly from nuget! Avoiding dll management issues.
Licensing and activation
Xceed Data Grid for WPF requires a valid license key for activation. If you have purchased a license , you will receive a license key via email. To activate your license, follow these steps:
Open your WPF project in Visual Studio.
In the "App.xaml.cs" file, add the following using directive:
using Xceed.Wpf.DataGrid.Licenser;
In the "App" class constructor, add the following line of code to register your license key:
XceedDataGridLicenser.LicenseKey = "Your-License-Key";
Replace "Your-License-Key" with the license key you received via email. After completing these steps, your Xceed Data Grid for WPF should be activated and ready for use.
Basic Usage
Creating a simple Data Grid
To create a basic Xceed Data Grid in your WPF application, follow these steps:
Open your WPF project in Visual Studio and navigate to the XAML file where you want to add the data grid.
Add the Xceed Data Grid control by including the following XAML code in your desired location:
xmlns:xceed="http://schemas.xceed.com/wpf/xaml/datagrid"
This will create an empty data grid with default settings. You can customize the appearance and behavior of the data grid by setting various properties in the XAML code.
And add the following using directive to your C# file:
using Xceed.Wpf.DataGrid;
Binding data to the Data Grid
To populate your data grid with data, you need to bind it to a data source. The data source can be a collection of objects, a database, or a web service. For this example, let's assume you have a collection of "Person" objects with "FirstName", "LastName", and "Age" properties.
In your C# code, create an ObservableCollection of Person objects and assign it to the ItemsSource property of your data grid:
public ObservableCollection People { get; set; }
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
People = new ObservableCollection
{
new Person { FirstName = "John", LastName = "Doe", Age = 30 },
new Person { FirstName = "Jane", LastName = "Doe", Age = 28 },
// Add more Person objects as needed
};
MyDataGrid.ItemsSource = People;
}
Column configuration
By default, the data grid will automatically generate columns based on the properties of the data source. However, you can manually configure columns for more control over their appearance and behavior. To do this, add a "Columns" element inside your DataGridControl XAML code and define the desired columns:
The "FieldName" attribute corresponds to the property name in your data source, while the "Title" attribute sets the display name for the column header. The "Width" attribute controls the column's width.
Advanced Features
Grouping, sorting, and filtering
Xceed Data Grid provides built-in support for grouping, sorting, and filtering data.
Grouping: Users can drag and drop column headers into the group-by area at the top of the data grid to group rows based on the selected column's values.
Sorting: Users can click on column headers to sort rows in ascending or descending order based on the selected column's values.
Filtering: Users can click on the filter icon in the column header to define filters based on the selected column's values.
You can also change the look and fell of the DataGrid quite easily using our view and theme options. One of our most "one size fit all" theme is that Windows10 theme, which you can set this way:
You can also create custom themes or modify existing ones by using WPF styles and templates. Refer to the Xceed Data Grid documentation for more information on customizing themes.
In conclusion, Xceed Data Grid for WPF is an incredibly powerful, versatile, and customizable data grid control that offers a wealth of features to help developers create robust and visually appealing data grid solutions for their WPF applications. With its extensive feature set, including data binding, column configuration, grouping, sorting, filtering, hierarchical data display, and performance optimization, Xceed Data Grid has the potential to greatly enhance the user experience and overall quality of any WPF application.
To take full advantage of these capabilities, developers should first download and install the Xceed Data Grid library from the official Xceed website or access it through the NuGet package manager. Familiarizing themselves with the basic usage of the control, such as creating a simple data grid, binding data, and configuring columns, will serve as a solid foundation for further exploration.
Once comfortable with the basics, developers can then dive into the more advanced features, such as grouping, sorting, and filtering data, as well as enabling column and data virtualization for improved performance when working with large data sets. Additionally, Xceed Data Grid offers a range of built-in themes and the ability to create custom themes or modify existing ones using WPF styles and templates, allowing for a high degree of personalization and adaptation to suit specific application styles.
The action item for developers is to integrate Xceed Data Grid into their WPF applications, experiment with its various features, and tailor the data grid's appearance and functionality to align with their specific requirements. By investing time and effort into understanding and utilizing the full range of Xceed Data Grid's capabilities, developers can create responsive, efficient, and visually compelling data grids that cater to the needs of their users and elevate the overall quality of their applications.
In summary, Xceed Data Grid for WPF is an invaluable tool for any developer looking to create powerful, visually striking, and feature-rich data grid solutions. Its extensive feature set and customization options make it a top choice for those seeking to enhance their applications and provide a truly exceptional user experience.